Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-03
'U.s.FLEETONPOTOh|AC
Many Government Vessels
Are Stationed Here.
SHIP, YACHT AND TUG
BOATS USED FOR BUSINESS AND
PLEASURE.
Army, Navy and Militia Have Graft
of All Kinds Used as
Tenders.

It is not generally known that the gov
eminent keeps in service on the Potomac
| In this vicinity feet of ten or twelve
vessels ranging In size from the lordly
steamship built to stand the buffeting OF
ocean storms to the miniature launch to
which the proverbial tempest on a duck
pond would be source of danger. Some Of
the vessels are used for the pleasure and
| business Of government officials and others
do the prosaic work Of carrying freight
Others are dispatch boats, and others still
are used by the naval authorities as tow
boats.
First in point of size and also of public
interest is the beautiful steam yacht, May
flower, known as the Presidents yacht. Built
at Clydebank, Scotland, in 1885, by j. & g.
Thompson for the Goelet family of New
York, she was purchased on the outbreak
of the war with Spain by the naval au-
thorities and saw service the coast of
Cuba as a dispatch boat, her high speed
| making her particularly adapted to this
work. She IS a beautiful acknowledged
vessel of 1899 tons burden and is 273 feet
long, SO feet wide and has mean draft of
10 feet 21a inches. Her huh is of steel, and
her engines have an indicated horse power
of 4 TOO. She has twin screws that drive
her through the water at speed of 1917
knots, or about 20 miles hour. AS she
is not intended for offensive operations in
time of war, she is armed with rapid-fire
guns only, and would depend on her speed
to escape from the enemy, If larger and
more powerful. The Mayfower is beauti-
fully equipped ana IN keeping Tor the serv-
ice in which she is used. For several
months past she has been in northern wa
tiers. and 1t was aboard her the Russian
and Japanese ENJOYS met and were intro
duced by the President Just prior to the
meeting of the peace conference at Ports
mouth during the past summer. The May
flower is on her way to this city ana IS eX-
pected TO arrive here within the next lew
days.
AJ1u,y. n;snatch Boat
Always DAop
Next in point of size is the Dolphin, like
the Mayf1ower, beautiful specimen of ma
rfna orobitaotura Twentv-one wears ago.
my .. ~, ..seuo
IN 1854 Wheh the new navy was inoi0
talked about than a fact, the Dolphin was
Fbuilt. she was proouct OF the sniPyaiu
OF 1oh do noa ACT, al Snes disnatch boat When
the Despatch. which was doing duty here.
was lost the Dolphin was assigned 70 guy
49, .'s sins tbat tine She is vessel of Ill
tons. Is $40 feet long, 80 feet beam and has
mean draft of IA feet inches she is a
steel-huii three-masteo, schooile!- Lisse e
xess 81 oosa ;.dinsted borse mower and her
speed 1914 knots per hour She is not built
for a fighting craft and has only one and
three uol,nder rapid-fre guns in her equip
ont a
acco,,nt of herself if it were necessary. She
is used nv the navy officials on inspection
tours and has but recently returned from
trim to southern waters
The naval yacht Sylph, which is sta
toned at the navy yard and is used by the
naval authorities for trips on the river
with distinguished visitors and for inspec-
ton trips, is fine schooner-rigged vessel
with steel hull, 1913 feet inches long, 20
feet wide, and has depth of IL feet. She
carries two or three small guns for sa-
lutng purposes and is not designed for
lighting. She was bulit py the government
at Roach's shipyard at chester, "a, IN
1898, and Is one OF the lew naval yacnts
now in service that We're built for the
navy. She has speed Oh ABOUT y Iniles an
hour and is htted out LOT pleasure ciuisi
She is familiar sight on the river, with
the flag or the secretary oi the navy VI
some other hlgn olcial VI the government
flying from hef mastheao'
Three Powerful Tugs
-
Attached 10 the navy Saio iiSie Gnu useo
for towing the barges with guns aboard TO
and from the naval proving grounds at In
So ua.a MD and in taking supplies to
uihh eoator,, ~ Indian t1a.a
the naval poWder ldctoiS az iio'aii iie'o'
are the big tugs Teeumseh, Triton ana
cboctaw They all entered the navy at the
-. f tho var with Snafn. and were for
.,i,,5 u u, the MERCHANT service. The Triton
me- ~. ~ 10 tho DoueIas TT Thomas
Wa We paTtir,nre She Is steel-hull vessel,
OF b sl. ao I'D u,as buiit NV John Dia,
gozs re- :. CO., ~ Camden N in 1883. and
iosue q o "a % O. +hirtaa, Knots an hour The
mas speeu ~ 'i fnr,,,arp the ocean-towne
Iecu IIss Tokenhacb of New yorl, and
tug Eowit " 80 ~ ~ ,oost nouarf,l mos
- saiu g Sx 80 b,,iit hy nieIne,,e Of 6san
aHoat s Sme m1 ,,l,a Sa1 b, tha ~
oen III .ooo' au So bai,,a Ia,,pbad she
ernmen. sloluy allei psis Gu. ne 80,
is 500 iest ionS anu lias a " ~ 81 81
Knots. Inc Csoe.aw Join so,t ti ~ e,aa &c
navy yard teiiuers mere aoout ~ ~ Sy.aIn
ago. she was 1ornne.iy the tug y. " 0oyi i,
and when purchased oy the navy was II,
service ABOUT new iork. one Is % i9el =
inches long ana was quit py Neafla q, L Ley,
al fniiadeipata III ioo@. oiie - I'M .n
vessel ana mas speed Oh ten KNOTS per
The largest vessel of the government now
in local waters is the big, low, freeboard
monitor Puritan assigned to service as a
framing snip LOT me dVai patlaoii u ny
y. - ~ e., anu On ner the cltiLen dono
nase iiu ~ a ises Gnu iSl,, tbe
soLne hdiu WIZ. S'iis lieS at -. ,,,.
.ower emu o. .ne harpol, anu - "a rr.aa
2,sIi. ~ an "no eia,t ne Nv
uiitai WaS oiie u tire us siios ue'. ~
Ior lne new navy. DuilHS lHe "ai VIII