Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-08-20
SOME INSIDE NEWS
FROM WASHINGTON.
THE VERMONT AND
THE NAVAL DEPARTMENT.
Some Queer Operations by Which Big
Amounts of Uncle Sans Money are
Washed-Crowingshie May BE over
RuIed In rhis Case.


Ruled ia This Case.
(From our special correspondent.
Washington, Aug l5-An instarct
of Rear Admiral Crowningshield' rs
rule or ruin policy has just beer
presented to the public in his assign
ment of the 100000 triple srrew
crusier Columbii to duty as receiv'
ing ship at the brooklyn navy yard i'd
place Of the much better adapted
wooden frigate Vermont. Growing
shield wanted congress to appropriate
half million dollars to construct shore
barracks for receiving navy recruits,
these barracks to be erected accordin g
TO plans procured by CroHninsgshield
/ himself while abroad at government
expense IN pursuance of orders issued
| to himself by himself a year or two
ago Congress refused to appropriate,
and Crowningshield insists on pun
ishing it by detailing three fine
modern steel vessels of which the
Columbia is the first, to take the
place now held by the Vermont alone,
which will accommodate rs many
men as all three of the vessels.
The first serious block Growing
shield experienced is found in the
report of board of officers which met
at the Brooklyn navy yard, and which
found that the Vermont, the old
receiving ship, could be easily con
tinued on service, and that it would
not be necessary to convert the costly
cruiser Columbia into the subordl-
nate purpose OF receiving ship. Toe
board finds that it will take at least
so, 600 to put the Columbia in
condition for service. and that under
the most crowded conditions not more
than 400 men can be accommodated
on board the vessel. 1t would take
nearly three FPS of the size of the
Columbia to accommodate as many
men as were on board the Vermont,
which. with It's wide and spacious
decks, had ample berthing facilities
for more than 1000 recruits. Rear
admiral Bowles, chief constructor,
is in favor Of continuing the Vermont
on the service, aud in this position
he is joined by Rear Admiral Melville,
head of the steam engineer bureau.
The naval surgeons are against
continuing the Vermont on this work,
saving that she is old and caunot be
fumigatsd although the
board which looked into the matter
has recommended that the men he
qusrtered on the upper deck while
the fumigating process is carried on
below. The trouble with receiving !
ships is that they are never put out
Of comm ission and that the oppor
tuuity is never afforded of docking |
and cleaning them.
The action Of Cfowningshield has
also led TO an examination OF the |
Columbia, which that she is showed |
dirty. rusty and rapidly deter iorating. |
This report has attracted attention Of |
oMcials at the navy department u |
the fact that the Minneapolis, a sis
ter vessel, at League Island, msy be |
10 the same plight and also other
ships laid UP in ordinary. The sols
purpose Of maintaining those ships in
reserve was to economic in view of
their large coal mption, but the
reserve idea was framed with view
IF at least having them in ssrviCeable
for active duty on a few
lays.
Another instance Of the rottepness
If the navy department management
Turing the Spanish war, and Ct the
enormous sums mat favored parties
we're allowed to make by means of
ne exaggerated prices paid for yes
els, appears from the selling price of
be transports Terry and Mcpherson,
which were bought for $3.50, 600, cost |
800 900 for repairs and alterations,
md were sold the other day for less
han $40. 600 for the pair. The Nc
'herson was bought at the beginning
f the Spanish war for 300, 600. She
vas sold for 2lS, 700.
The Terry, smaller ship, but {
1ore modern, brought Sl9, GOO. Yachts
ost more than this. The Mcpherson
; known to some old travellers as the
cean liner OLDHAM, and the Terry was {
Sound steamer called the Hartford, ,
tie market value of 7
it is obvious that the gov {
paid many tunes too much !
Or them. 1t certainly did for most /
f the boats that we're taken into a
srvice. by right of eminent domain, |
hich extends over ships in port, it
ould have taken these vessels at its
wn price. and could be still have
cen generous, without being lavish.