The Washington times., 1904-09-03
DISTRICT SAILORS
GO AT TER MONITOR
Battalion Leaves for Phila-
delphia This Morning.
LONG CRUISE HoMEWARD
Ship Not Expected to Reach Washing
ton Until September II.
The Vessel.

Two hundred officers, non-commissiOn-
ed officers, and men. comprising the
District Naval Battalion. boarded the II
O'Clock train for Philadelphia this morn
ing, going to the Quaker City to take
charge OF the Districts new ship. the
L. 5. monitor Puritan. After a ten-days'
cruise, the militamen viii bring II + its
new anchorage. of the Arsenal. and
Just outside the steamboat channel. of
the Potomac.
The Puritan was assigned to the Naval
battalion Of the District Of Columbia by
Assistant Secretary OF the Navy Charles
Darling At present the vessel is sta
toned at the League Island navy yard
Philadelphia, where she has been over
hauled from bow 10 stern and placed IN
first-class condition. She is now ready
for sailing at q moments notice. The
ship is a modern frst-class fighting ma
chine and Is undoubtedly the finest ever
loaned by the Government to the naval
militia The Puritan IS a double-turret-
ed, arEIored monitor, with a low free
board and one military mast. The yes
sci was built for coast defense at a cost
of S2,5O0.OO0. not including the armament
The dimensions are as follows: Length
over all, 29S feet inches; length between
perpendiculars. Isl feet inches; mean
III inches; displacement, 5000 tons; coal
capacity. 314 tons.
Powerful Battery.
The battery is said TO equal that of
the Z. S. s. Iowa 1t includes four II
inch breech-loading rifles; six 4-inch
rapid-hring guns; six 6-pound rapid
firing guns. two automatic 1-pounders,
two ripid-firing l-pounders. and two gat-
ling guns
The Puritan is fitted with twin screws.
and her engines are OF the horizontal
compound type. with Scotch boilers.
On her trial trip the ship maintained
a speed II twelve and fourteen knots.
or about fifteen miles an hour. with an
indicated horsepower Of 3.760. With a
normal coal supply. and at a speed OF
ten knots an hour. the Puritan has a
steaminC radius OF 1.647 miles.
Through the acquisition Of the Puri-
TAN the District now has a navy o.
which II may well be proud The Puri-
tan. OF course Is the finest In add
verted steam launch. on which The RAT
talon Formerly took it's annual cruise.
the Fern, which viii now be discarded
and number Of smaller craft
When II was announced tba+ IN.
United States monitor Puritan had beer
assigned the District. the battalion FOR
n l.y =, ~ Se4 70 TAKE any and all appli-
cants n order 10 M up the ranks. be-
came the center OF National Gua~d H.,
terest, and Immediately there was such
rush OF applications for ay7lfgt ,,,..--+
that Lie tenant Commander Fgrurn1rie+t
In command OF the battalion. 9rrCirfa.d :. !,
board OF officers, for the purpose 81 ev-
aiming the applicants.
The board had a veritable host OF r,e,,
from which 70 make their seIectione
and only those most desirable were
chosen. The ranks are now dIIed. and
20 h. 80
sirable and competent
March to the Yard.
Paymaster Bieber. who. with his star
went 70 Philadelphia on Monday. re-
turned Wednesday and reported tho
ship ready for use. The battalion viii
reach Philadelphia about . O'Clock this
afternoon. and. falling into line under
command Of Lieutenant Commander
Brummett. viii march 70 the League
Island navy yard and take formal pos
session In the name Of the District Of
Columbia.
For q few days the monitor will re-
main at the yard IN order that the citi-
zen sailors may become familiar with
the mechanism. Then. under the super
vision Of a United States naval officer
and several experienced old tars. the
ship viii start for Washington. arriving
September y. The battalion will be in
command Of the following officers.
Lieut. Commander Il. b. Brummett
Paymaster Sidney Biebcr. Surgeon S. G
Cox, Lieut. A. J. DemDf. Lieut.. w. II
GantZ. engineer officer; Lieut. Junior
Grade 1. T. Clephane. Lieut.. Junior
Grade J. d. Carmody, Lieut. Junior
Grade Arthur Chase, Ensign Frank
Sigourney, Ensign J. b. Jones, Fnsign
A. Bio, Ensign Victor Kelley. Fnsign
Waiter Burt, Ensign Hill. Ensign Smith.
and Pay Clerk George Howe