The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-09-13
The AMERICAN navy
Work Of Preparing It for the
War with Spain.
Credit Should Be Given to Those Who
Administer Its Afairs-Dificulty of
Buying and Equippins Auxiliary
Vessels - Doubling the Force Of
sal1ors.

sNS
navy has shown itself worthy Of its best
traditions. The great victories at Manila
Bay and Santiago were in no sense acct
dents. They were the results Of years
Of careful training Of officers and men
and the thorough preparation of the fleets
for the crucial test Of war. For this
preparation, this readiness to meet the
supreme moment for which a navy Is
constructed and maintained, those who
administer the affairs Of the navy should
have credit. The glory goes to our he
roes who are in command afoat, and to
those officers and men who seize the op-
~portunities Of wal to render conspicuous
service; but in remembering them one
should not forget those who labor with
out ceasing to secure the feet in a con-
dition Of high efficiency. and to place at
the disposal of the commanding officers
an abundance of supplies, without which
the feet Is powerless.
As early as Jan. IL, 1898, more than
"a month before the Maine was destroyed
in the harbor Of Havana, the Secretary
OF the Navy began to mobilize the ships
of the navy and to take such measures
as would place at the disposal of the
officers in command the full measure of
our naval force.
Immediately upon the passage of the
bill appropriating $50, OO0,O 900 for the ma
tional defense, a board was organized
for the purchase Of auxiliary ships, and
after careful examination 102 ships of
various types were secured at q total
cost Of $17,956,S50 OF these vessels
but two, the New Orleans and the Al
bany, were strictly vessels of war. The
others were merchant ships, pleasure
yachts, tugs, ETC., which were rapidly
~overhauled at the different navy yards
provided with such light armor protec-
ton as was practical, and suitably
armed.
Between March 16 and June 80 all
these vessels were purchased and as rap
idly us overhauled were placed in COM
mission and put into active service. They
were used not only as auxiliary war yes
sells, but to supply the fleets with coal
and ammunition and with fresh water
and fresh provisions. For the care of
the sick and wounded the Solace was fit
ted out as a complete hospital, and to
make repairs to vessels at sea the Vulcan
was fitted out as a modern machine shop.
In order to meet the increased demands
on the navy yards, it was necessary to
practically double the force between Feb.
10 and the middle Of April.
In addition to the ships which were
added to the navy by purchase, fifteen
revenue cutters and four lighthouse ten
ders were transferred from the Treasury
Department to the navy, and four of the
great steamers Of the International Nay
agation Company and one Of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company were charter
ed. There were in all 12S ships added to
the regular naval establishment, and it
became at once necessary to provide off,
GERS and men to man them. For this
purpose 225 officers on the retired list
were ordered to active duty, 1856 officers
were appointed for temporary service,
and the enlisted force was increased from
1850 to over $4,000 men.
1t was an enormous undertaking to
make all these additional ships ready for
war service, to secure the necessary guns
for them, and to keep the fleets supplied
with coal, ammunition and provisions.
But this was only a part Of the work
which the Navy Department had in
hand. For the protection Of the coasts
of the United States an auxiliary naval
force was created. which was ofacered
and manned by the naval militia of the
United States. A coast signal service
was established, which kept practically
our entire coast line from Maine to Texas
under observation, to give warning of the
approach Of an enemy's vessel or Of suse
picious craft Of any kind.
The operations Of the fleets of the ASH
attic and North Atlantic squadrons are so
well known that 1t is hardly necessary to
speak Of them in any detail. Their work
was so well done that the power of Spain
was swept from the sea, and Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines, which she had
misgoverned for centuries, were taken
from under her dominion.