Evening star., 1899-03-17
NAVAL MILITIA PRACTICE
Important Work of the Prairie Laid Out for
Next Summer.
Best Thing the Department Has Been
Able to Do for the
Service.
PRACTICE

The Navy Department has announced the
itinerary Of the converted cruiser Prairie.
which is to be devoted this summer to the
training Of the naval militia of the various
states. The Prairie is a 6SO0-ton vessel
with battery of eight six-inch rapid-fire
guns of the most effective type, six six
Founders and two Colt machine guns Her
cruise will begin at New Orleans on April
10 and will continue around the Atlantic
coast, devoting a week to the practice
of the militia of each of the states having
such an organization. The cruise will end
at Massachusetts, probably about October l.
The naval militia OF all the states saw
more or less actual service during the re-
cent war. This experience had the effect of
wedding out all the play cement of the or
ganiZations in question, this element being
but a small per cent of the whole, ana
leaving the others more anxious than ever
to continue their drill and perfect them
selves for service whenever they should be
called upon. Heretofore the Navy Depart
rnent has been able to render little pracu-
cal assistance to the naval militia.
There were few vessels in the service that
could be devoted to their training, ana
when a vessel would occasionally be de-
tailed for the work ii was more than likely
to be ordered off for more pressing service
before it had been more than day or two
at sea. This year the arrangement Will be
entirely different.
The Plan In View.
The Prairie will be commanded by an
officer of the regular navy. She Will have
an executive officer, a navigator and drill
lieutenant and a skeleton crew of picked
men VINO will act as instructors. Her
pacity in addition to this will be 400 naval
militia men. She will touch at a coast point
where the governor OF the state Will have
been notified to have the naval militia in
readiness They will be taken aboard, and
the Prairie will steam to sea. where she
will remain a week The first half of this
time will be devoted to the routine of
man-of-war. to aiming drill and subcaliber
practice. The last half of the cruise win
be devoted to actual target practice. The
militia crew will be commanded by its own
officers. under the supervision of the reg
ular officers and instructors aboard. At the
end of the cruise the regulars will report on
the efficiency of their charges.
The department is able to furnish the YES
sci and the instructors for the militia of
the several states. but owing to lack of
funds the various organizations will have
to furnish their own ratiCnS and bedding.
The department, however. has made all the
arrangements practicable for their comfort
while on board and will see that they get
their meals properly cooked and served.
The summer detail of the Prairie is re-
garded by the department as the best thing
it has ever been able to do for the naval
militia.
The Prairie to Come Here.
The following is the itinerary Of the
Prairie:
New Orleans-April 10 to IS.
ensacola-April "a to May 2, stopping on
the cruise at Port Tampa on April 26, and
returning there on May after landing the
Pensacola division on May .. Key West for
coal until May s.
Savannah-May II, thence to Charleston
for South Carolina militia, back to Savan-
nah May IS, and Charleston May %
Southport-May 22 TO May 80 proceeding
from there to off Wilmington, and picking
up the Wilmington and other divisions at
that point; these divisions to be brought
out by the Hornet and afterward landed
on May 81.
Norfolk-Juae to IA
Baltimore-June 16 to June "a
District of Columbia-JTne 26 to July 4.
Philadelphia-July TO July l6.
Jersey City-July 10 to July %.
New York-July 2S to August ), August
to August II; two details.
New Haven-Aueust IL to August "a.
Newport and Providence-August &c to
September 3.
Boston-September G to September II.