Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-08-25
GOING OVER GUN FACTORY
Midshipmen Receiving Practical In
Struction AT Washington
Navy Yard.

BY tomorrow evening lt Is expected
there will be at least seven and prob
ably eight warships in the Potomac
river. The big monitor Florida arrived
yesterday and took her position be-
side the Arkansas which arrived the
day before. Besides the Florida there
will be the monitors Arkansas and
Nevada. the torpedo boat destroyers
Worden and Whipple, and possibly an
other. and the training ship Hartford.
the old flagship of Admiral Farragut.
The vessels will remain at Washing
ton long enough for the "middies' on
board TO make thorough inspection
of the government works at the navy
yard. The rest of .the ships reached
Washington today. 1t is probable that
the whole number will return down
the river about Saturday to rejoin Ad-
miral Sands Atlantic training squad
ron off Solomon's Island, in the bay.
The "middies, something under a
hundred in number, who arrived on
the Arkansas, spent the forenoon yes
terday at the Washington navy yard,
going over the gun factory and other
works, under the guidance of efficient
officers of the yard. The visit will be
renewed today, when they will be
Florida, who are about forty in num-
Der.
There is considerable doubt as to
whether Rear Admiral Sands will so
to Washington ON this cruise. He is at
present on his way to the chesapeake
from New London, Conn. on board the
flagship of the Atlantic squadron, and
may not arrive before the smaller craft
leaves Washington. 1t was said by
an officer of the Arkansas that as the
ship was the senior ship of those
which are to be at the capital the adj
miral would have come here ON board
her if he were coming at all. Captain
Vreeland, of the Arkansas, is quite
i'll with fever contracted in the Philip
pines and recurring at this time, and
is in no condition TO entertain the
admiral personally, but it is not
thought that this circumstance would
have prevented the officer in command
of the squadron from going on board.
The fact that the movements of the
squadron are directed entirely by Rear
Admiral Sands, who has not been in
communication with the Navy Depart
ment recently, has caused some uncer-
tainty at Washington as to the exact
number oft he sea dogs that will as
semble before the national capital. 1t
has been known, of course, that the
battle ships would not go up the river
very far on account of their great
draught, but how many monitors and
how many If any, of the torpedoboat
destroyers would go as far as Washing
ton has been a matter of conjecture.
Ii is now announced that there will be
seven or eight, as stated. The first
class 'middies" were transferred
about ten days ago to the three moni-
tors, Arkansas, Nevada and Florida,
and they will all have a chance to
view the works at Washington, but
the exact number of lower classmen TO
go up on the hartford and the tor
pedoboat destroyers cannot be learned
here.
The Arkansas is the center of much
interest at Washington. She is being
visited by scores of persons, who wan
der from stem to stern and from engine
room to top deck in their curiosity and
undisguised admiration. The sailors
and officers are very courteous and
willing to explain the manipulation of
anything on board.