The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-11
NARSHIPS READY FOR SEA
Equipped, COaied. and Manned. All
in FOrty-nine Hours.
Hasty Preparations of the Indiana
and Nassnchusetts. n Dcnc"n>tra-
ton of the Perfect Working OF
Navy Department; system-Naiue
of Having ships "in Reserve

HAMPTON ROADS, Va, June 10.-Just
q little ahead OF the expected hour. the
twin haitleships Indiana and Massachusetts
arrived from League Island, Pa. early yes
terday morning completing, when they
dropped anchor off Fort Monroe, the first
part of the Navy Departments mobiliza-
tion scheme that was put in operation with
out warning three days before.
The prompt preparation of these two
ships, their sudden transformation from
peaceful reserves in an out-of-the-way
channel into ships fully manned. ofilcered.
and equipped, and the departure to their
rendezvous at sea all within forty nine
hours Of the time the original orders were
issued, demonstrates again that the Navy
is always ready in every department for
any service it may be called upon to per-
form.
Secretary Long sent out his little sur
pr;se lust before o'clock Tuesday after
noon. in time to catch the officers and
clerks at closing-up hour OF the business
of the day. The order went to every de-
partment at Washington, TO all receiving
ships and navy yards of the Northern At
lantic coast and to the marine barracks
Thence II went TO the commanding ofiicers
OF the ships in reserve and TO other snipS
that were to transfer men TO them.
As it happens that this is the first time
the Quick mobilization idea has been car
ried out in this country, it is little wonder
that people in and cut Of the service Won
dered seriously for few hours if it really
did not have deeper meaning than drlil
on large scale. And even now there are
some vko refuse to be convinced that II
does not mean something more taan the
naval officers In high places OF response
bility Will admit
Hurry Orders TO Officers.
The Indiana and Massachusetts, had on
board when the orders came out about $50
enlisted men End a dozen officers each.
But each had weli-stored bunkers OF coal.
magazines and shell rooms filled VITA
plenty OF ammunition for guns and sup
plies enough to permit the ship to go TO
sea the minute the service compliments
reported on board The additional officers
and men began arriving the following
morning. Officers who would have laughed
the day before IL il had been suggested
10 them that they would be going TO sea
eoon. suddenly received telegTaphic orders
that said:
Go with all the speed of the railroad
trains"
The next morning they were reporting
for duty to the commanding officers OF the
Indiana and Massachusetts,. taking up their
share Of the bustling work they found go
ing On aboard the ships. At the same time
On board she receiving ships at the New
York and Boston navy yards and in the
marine barracks there, or board receiving
ships and throughout the entire navy yard
at League Island and elsewhere, men and
stores were being assembled with rapid
ity and certainty that wes surprising
On Wednesday morning the men began
coming ABOARD the ships. The first detail
of marines came from the Boston bar
racks, but they were closely followed bJ
forty NTH from New York, making a pic
turssque detail II the scene of hasty work
with their red-faced capes thrown back
over their shoulders.
At o'clock on Thursday morning Cap
tain Dickins reported the Indiana ready
in every way for sea, just forty hours
from the time the first order was given.
The Massachusetts, was reported by Cap
tain Train as ready ABOUT the same time.
During the afternoon Captain Dickins. as
senior officer received his orders from
Rear Admiral Casey. commandant OF the
Hampton Roads AT $50 o'clock, the tide
being favorable, the ships got under way
and proceeded down the river. At $50
O'Clock they anchored at the bar TO await
the morning tide. getting under way again
at o'clock Friday morning and proceed
ing down the river, dropping pilots of
the Capes of Delaware and then on 10
Hampton Roads.
Meantime preparations had been made
Il
the Norfolk Navy Yard. for the rapid
coaling of the ships. Although the ships
had WE'LL filled bunke-s on leaving League
Island, a battleship's furnaces eat up
great deal of coal, and for cruise OF any
length 1t is necessary to fill up 10 the
limit. which means about Loo tons in the
case of these two ships.
Rapid Work CoaIing.
On the arrival at Hampton Roads every
thing was found ready for immediate coal
ing. for colliers Marcellus and Lebanon
and coal barges were there and were run
alongside the ships by navy yard tugs
without delay. II will be seen that re-
riarkably rapid work has been performed
~ every department concerned. 1t was
expected that three days would be neces-
sary to got the ships from reserve into ac-
tive service, but it has been shown that il
can be done in two-thirds that time, thanks
10 the easy working of the naval machin-
cry.
Another thing has been demonstrated at
the same time, and that is the superiority
OF the system of laying ships up in reserve
instead of putting them in ordinary or out
OF commission. People in general scarcely