Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-10-24
ITEMS Of GENERAL INTEREST
HAPPENINGS IN NAVY DE
PARTMENT.
Opening of Bids For Guns For
VeSsels-Secretary Morton
Hard AT Work.

The Navy Department has about de-
cided that the headquarters of the
Training Squadron, at present under
command of Rear Admiral w. @.
Wise, u. S. N, will be at Pensacola,
Fla, during the winter.
On October l9 Lieut.. Commander s.
s. Wood reported at the Navy Depart
ment as the aide to the Admiral of
the Navy, relieving Commander
Nathan Sargent, who has been assign
ed TO the command of the Baltimore
Practically the entire Navy list was
placed at the disposal of Admiral
Dewey from which to make his Sc
lection.
Advices from San Francisco are TO
the effect that the battleship Ohio has
been placed in commission under the
command of Captain l.. Q. Logan. U.
s. N, and is now engaged in the pro-
cess of settling down" by short
voyage down the coast and return. 1t
is understood that the Ohio will even
tually become a part of the Asiatic
Station.
At the Navy Department nothing is
known of the report which came from
Philadelphia several days ago TO the
effect that a guard of marines had
been detailed for the Cramps yard to
protect the Government ships now
building there. No such order was
issued from Washington and it is be-
lieved the dispatch is absolutely in
correct. Its wide publication has
caused the Department considerable
annoyance.
The Navy Department is informed
of the departure from Shanghai of the
torpedo destroyers Bainbridge, Barry,
Chauncey, Dale and Decatur, bound
for Hongkong. These vessels were de-
tanned at Shanghai on account of the
strained situation resulting from the
presence of the Russian vessels from
Port Arthur. Now that this affair
mas been settled to the satisfaction of
all concerned, the United States will
not maintain more than the customary
number of vessels at Shanghai or at
Wusung.
Secretary Morton is still hard at
work on the estimates for the Navy
next year. Instead of taking his own
blue pencil and slashing them indls
criminately, he has sent the estimates
of seach bureau backl to the bureau
chief with the request that he mark
those items which are desirable and
those which are necessary. In this
way the estimates undergo an intelli-
gent reduction.
The recent opening of bids for inch
gun forgings by the Bureau of Ord
nance developed a somewhat singular
condition, there being three bidders
and their bids were identical, 40 cents
pound. The prices are regarded as
reasonable, but some little time must
elapse before decision as to the sue
cessful contractor can be arrived at
It is probable, however, that the work
will be apportioned among the three
bidders. The bidders were Orueible,
Bethlehem Steel and Midvale compa-
MES.
The class of 1871. United States
Naval Academy, held a reunion at
the Raleigh Hotel in Washington, on
| Thursday, October 20, at 2 p. m.
This class, as is well known in the
Navy, has always been noted for being
one of the most active in forwarding
for the advancement of the Navy.
One of the principal purposes Of the
reunion was the establishment of a
permanent fund to be known as the
Glass of II Fund, the revenue from
which will provide suitable prizes to
be given each year for excellence in
gunnery and seamanship. Many ex-
| ceedingly interesting and entertaining
speeches were made at the reunion,
which was attended by numerous
members of the class.