Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-03
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Naval Battalion Granted Use of a
New Cruiser.
ONEIDA In ADDITION TO TEE FERN
The Arrangements Perfected for
the Quarterly Inspections.
IODS OF SERV VIC E

|
| a request of Commander Hams OF the
Naval Battalion. District of Columbia Ma
tionaI Guard, which was heartily Endorsed
| by the commanding general, District of
Columbia militia and has consented to
loan the u S. S. Oneida to the District
militia for the use of the Naval Battalion.
This is an announcement which will doubt
less be received with pleasure not only by
the members of the naval organization, but
| by the citizens of Washington generally.
| At present the vessel is at the Norfolk
navy yard. The Oneida, it is understood,
will be turned over to the Naval Bat
| talon as soon as certain arrangements are
| completed. The United States tug Tecum-
| sch will tow the vessel from Norfolk to
| this city. The loan Is made with the I'M
| Outstanding that the Naval Battalion will
| engage to effect all necessary repairs and
| n, aintain the craft in good state OF pres
| orvation.
| crew from the battalion will be detailed
| to perform the necessary duties on the
| craft IN connection with the up-trip.
1t has long been the desire of the off1cers
| of the Naval Battalion to secure an addi-
| ton to the equipment of the organization
| The Fern was found to be too large ana
| bulky for the purposes when IL Is ordl-
narily required to serve, and 1t was thought
| that a smaller craft would be more use1ul
\ for short cruises.
| In the near future. so it is intended, short
cruises will be in order every week, for the
nurposes of instruction. At the present
! time the men are attending drill every Fri
day night at the National Guard Armory'
with excellent results Rife practice, set
ting up exercises foot movements ana sig
mailing will occupy attention during the
| early spring.
| The affairs of the battalion are under
stood to be in excellent shape and the con-
| dition of the Fern perfect.
The vessel soon to De acquired by tHe
| naval battalion Is a steel schooner-rlSged
| craft and was built at Bath, Maine, in
| 1895 by the Bath iron works. She has a
| displacement Of 80 tons, with gross ton
mage Of 1850 and a net tonnage of 39.s5
| and speeds at the rate of twelve knots per
hour. Her engines are single screw, Vertl-
| cal inverted triple expansion. and of a $50
| horse power. Her capacity Is twenty tons.
| The usual force in charge during the
| Spanish-American war consisted of two OFF,
GERS and twenty men. She was commits
stoned in the regular service April 30, 1898.
known as IIlawarra.
The designer was Charles Ridgiey Haus-
com. who is now general superintendent of
| the Bath iron works. She was originally
built for Eugene Thcmpkins of Boston,
| Mass. and before her purchase by the
United States government was known as
| the Illawarra- The price paid for her by
the government was 100000. She was fitted
out for service at the outbreak Of the war
| to the North Atlantic squadron. She was
stationed in the vicinity Of Key West. Fla,
| and did not see any active service, and was
placed out of commission at the Norfolk
navy yard
During the war Lieut.. w. G. Miller, U. S.
| N, commanded the Oneida Her battery
| consisted of one 6-pounder Hotchkiss rapid
fire four 1-pounders of the Hotchkiss style
| and one 6-milometer Calling gun. Her
| length is a little over 40 feet, with a
| breadth of 1872 feet and a mean draft Of
| ~ feet.
Quarterly Inspections.
The quarterly Inspections. in compliance
| with general orders No. %. paragraph 8,
series of 1899, will be conducted by Capt.
| Alfred P. Robbins aid-de-camp, and Capt.
| c. Fred Cook, aid-de-camp, who have been
| detailed as acting assistant inspectors gen.
eral. Particular attention is to be devoted
| to the correction of such deficiencies in uni
form and equipment were noticed dur
ing the last inspection. The attention of
organization commanders will be called to
| the deficiencies and they will be directed to
make the necessary corrections before the
| next inspection. in June 1t will also he
| ascertained whether or not schools Of in
| struction have been established, and the
| character Of the instruction given.
Adjutant Generals Department.
| In accordance with paragraph 8, general
orders No. 20, 1899, the following inspec-
| tons will be made in the adjutant gen.
| erals department.:
| The adjutant, LIST Regiment. will inspect
| the books and papers Of the headquarters,
| LIST Regiment, Light Battery A. Engineer
Corps, and Corps of Field Music.
The adjutant, I'd Regiment, will inspect
| the books and papers Of headquarters. I'd
| Regiment, Signal Corps Ambulance Corps
| and Brigade Band.
Each battalion adjutant will inspect the
| books and papers Of his battalion
| Inspections will be made to cause
| as little inconvenience as possible to the
| several organizations.
| Period of Service.
| The following circular has Just been is
/ sued from headquarters:
| "In reckoning the period of service the
service will begin on the day following that
on which the applicant passed satisfac-
tory physical examination by the proper
| officer.
1.-THE surgeon will, upon completing the
| examination, fill in the space for that pur-
| pose on the enlistment blank.
| 1.-The applicant does not become a mem
Der of the National Guard until he is sworn
| in at the muster-in ceremony, when he viii
/ subscribe to the oath Of enlistment in the
| presence of the mastering officer"
General Orders.
| Leave of absence for ten days, with Der
| P>>ssSsS~~S~~>~N~~
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