Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-09
PURITAN SENT HERE
Department Assigns Monitor
to Local Naval Battalion.
MARKS A NEW ERA
ONE OF THE MOST MODERN YES
Sells OF THE NAVY.
Is Now at Philadelphia in Commission
as Receiving Ship-Jackies
Are Elated.

Inc assistant secretary OIL the navy, NIL
c. H. Darling, this afternoon signed an
order assigning to the naval battalion OF
the District of Columbia the first-class
dcuble-turret monitor Puritan the largest
and one of the most modern of the coast
defense vessels of the new navy. The Purt-
tan is now at the League Island navy yard,
Philadelphia, where she has been kept In
commission as a receiving ship. Arrange
ments for bringing the vessel to this city
will soon be made. The most popular plan
suggested so far in this connection Is to
have several officers and men of the bat
talon proceed to Philadelphia and assist a
skeleton crew of regulars in navigating the
Puritan down the Delaware, along the
coast to the Virginia pes. and thence up
the bay and Potomac river to the national
capital.
The designation of the Puritan as the
training ship for the local naval battalion
marks a new era in the upbuilding OF the
naval militia of the United States. 1t is
regarded step as important to the citizen
sailors as the beginning OF the new navy
was to the nation. Heretofore the naval
militia OF the several states have been as
signed old wooden vessels and small boats
Of various and sometimes obsolete types.
The District battalion has been given the
use of the United States ship Fern, and
the converted yacht Oneida. When the
Puritan arrives and is placed in commission
by the District jackies, the Fern Will prob
ably be taken over by the Navy Depart
ment for use else where, while the Oneida,
1t is expected, will be allowed to remain.
Will Allow Full Complement.
1t is needless to say that the coming of
the Puritan to Washington for continuous
service by the local battalion and for the
various practice cruises, has brought I'M
bounded joy to the officers and men of
the organization. The battalion had grown
as far as 1t could with the accommoda tons
at command. Now, however, it is expected
that the full complement allowed by the
act of May Il, $685. organizing the naval
militia, will soon be enlisted and officers
appointed. The maximum allowed Is 400
men and twenty-one officers Owing to the
| limited accommodations heretofore, the
| strength has not been allowed to go above
| 200 men and twelve officers. The impetus
| of a modern and commodious ironclad and
| the encouragement toward a higher eff
| ficiency in the organization given by 1t can
not be overeStimated
| Negotiations for the assignment of the
| L. S. S. Puritan to the District Battalion
| weeks. Gen. George H. Harries, COM
| handing the District militia signed let
| ter before he left for Europe formally re-
questing the transfer of the ship from
| Philadelphia to this city. During the time
| the matter has been pending several of
| the more prominent officers of the bat
| talon have been actively engaged in
| pressing the question before the Navy
| Department as a step calculated not only
| to build up the naval reserve in the ma
| tional capital, but to encourage the naval
| militia throughout the country. The in
| fuence OF this assignment, showing a re-
| newed and deeper interest by the depart
| ment and the administration in this very
| important branch of the armed forces of
| the nation, will result in strengthening
the countrys defense many fold. 1t is
1 n nyfnil IN hn
| the navies of the world are to be the first
| decisive factors in warfare. Much time
| money and energy have been devoted to
the training of the citizen soldiers, and it
| Is believed that the naval branch of the
| various state organizations are now To he
| trained along lines modern and eff
| Client.
The Departments Interest
A large number of prominent men and
| officials of the administration have shown
| an interest in the proposed assignment of a
| modern vessel to the District of Columbia
reserves. The President. Speaker Cannon
Secretary Moody and Assistant Secretary
| Darling have al been acquainted with and
| have fatt the importance of the STEP
| When the Naval Militia Association of
| the United States met in this city in an
| nual session last January the Navy De-
| partment paid the association the signal
| honor of designating Commander Usher to
| represent the department before the con-
| Vent1on. Commander Usher has since been
| looking after naval militia affairs for the
| department, and is also detail officer of the
bureau o. navigation. Following the pres
| ence of Commander Usher at the naval
| militia convention the latter association
| designated Lieut. Sidney Bieber Of the Dis
| trfct battalion to represent the association
before the department, before the President
| and the Congress. The relations between
the department and the various state organi-
| cations have been most cordial and now
| that tho controller of the treasury has held
| that the Dick militia bill covers the naval
| branches with regard to privileges person.
| mel and pay, 1t is believed that the growth
OF the naval organization will be phenome-
nal
These facts. together with the liberal poll
| Icy represented In the transfer of the big
| ir onitor Puritan to the District battalion
oespeak the interest the department is TAX
ing In upbuilding the naval reserve
| To all intents and purposes the Puritan
differs but little in general features from
| a first-class modern battle ship. The low
free-board Is of course the most noticeable
| constructive difference. At either end
hr viewer are turrets n each of uhioh va