The evening times., 1899-06-28
THE PHILIPPINE FLEET
Navy Department May Soon De.aeh
Several Ships.
No Longer a Pressing Need for Such
u Formidable FOrce-The Oregon
dcred to SAN Francisc0 - Cruis-
ers to Renain mt the station.

] It is said in naval circles that reduction
| OF the present formidable fleet under Ad-
miral Watson in Philippine waters is quite
probable late this summer. Naval officers
| state that the purpose In withdrawing some
/ OF the vessels from Manila is to strengthen
other stations where more vessels are &C.
| tually required and 10 permit many ships
| that are sadly in need Of overhauling and
repairing to go to dockyards for that work.
Since the peace protocol was signed. the
| direction Of every ship leaving the home
| station has been toward Manila, where it
was deemed advisable to give Admiral
Dewey force which would enable him TO
cope with any difficulties that might arise.
yae aeed az anal Hgbt =dr2ft Gppboats
tay sae Pa23sppa8ss x&s see9,iD3zea by the
naval authorities and every demand ia
this respect from the Admiral was met as
far as practicable When. however. the
army purchased number of river steam
ers on which guns were placed and army
men put in charge the duties of the small
naval vessels were reduced to a minimum,
and except for patrol work around the ISL
and. il is said. there is now no necessity for
retaining many of them on the station. 1t
is admitted that the battleship Oregon.
which went steaming around the Horn
and across the Pacific TO the Admirai's aid,
and the monitors Monterey and Monad-
mock are scarcely required on the station.
now that the responsibility Of suppressing
the Filipinos rests with the men on shore
and not with those on the water. and it is
said all these vessels will be ordered to
San Francisco in the next few months.
The cruiser type of vessel. it is thought,
will be kept at Manila until a final settle
ment OF the pending troubles has ben
reached. Such ships as the Baltimore,
Charleston Concord. and Petrol are said
to be required in the Islands indefinitely.
and even with the surrender Of the Fill
pines and the restoration n order the
naval officials are prepared 10 retain PEI
manently at Manila several ships OF war.
which. however. will be a part of the reg
ular force on the Asiatic Station. Practi-
cally every ship deta ched from Admi al
Watson's command will proceed TO San
Francisco. and. after being repaired there
be attached to the Pacific Station. which
exists now only in name and has not
single trst-class vessel on IL. There Is
some hesitation about making Il material
reduction in the Manila feet until Admiral
Dewey's views have been learned, and t
is therefore not probable that more than
one or two ships will he ordered home un-
Ill the Admiral arrives.
and the cessation of active work. officers
and crews have become restive and anx-
ious TO get once more in home waters and
leave the tropical weather of Manila and
the inconvenience and deprvations they
have undergone in the past year or more.
Long-term service men. who have not re-
enlisted, are also anxious 10 get away. but
there is no hope for them until some war
vessel starts for the United States and
brings them as passengers.
Two vessels now en- route for home. the
Olympia and Boston, bring with them sew
eral officers whose tours OF duty have ex-
pired and who are entitled 10 leave. The
Boston goes TO San Francisco and probably
has six officers on board. in addition TO the
regular complement, while the Olympia
probably has twelve. Passenger ships re-
turning from the Orient are expected to
bring each trip from two TO half dozen
officers who have been detached and or
dered home, their reliefs having gone out
in the Solace which sailed recently with a
large number of new officers for the fleet.
Ships that are TO be retained At Manila in
definitely will shortly have new compile
ments of officers through the gradual
changes that are being made in the per-
sonnel of the Asiatic feet
The purchase of $500 tons OF armor plate
for four mentors and small quantity for
Navy Department The armor will be sup
piled by the two firms which refused to
provide the Government with $4,000 tons
at the reduced rate ordered by Congress.
This small quantity of plate is TO be of the
Harvey type. but the companies have
agreed TO more severe ballistic tests. so
that while the armcr will cost no more
than that heretofore purchased, it will be
superior in resisting power. Under the
contract which is to be awarded. the two
firms will each secure an even quantity
and deliveries are expected to begin within
six months after the contracts are signed
Thirtyei tons for each of the three
hattleships will be purchased in order that
the work of r:veting on their plates may
proceed and the completion of the vessels
not be delayed. The main issue. however
of supplying plate for the side armor of
these vessels and three others authorized
last winter cannot be settled until Congress
again takes the question under advisement.
Until the government and the armor firms
reach some agreement as to the price that
shall be paid. there is no expectation that
any of the six battleships building and
authorized can possibly be completed.