Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-07-28

a $40, 900 damage suit instituted against
him by the owners of n Chinese Junk
which his vessel sank. At first it was
believed that there was no AUTHORIZE
ton in the statutes OF regulations for
the employment of legal counsel in the
case. and it looked for time as though
the Golfers commander if found
guilty would be obliged to go to some
Celestial Workhouse and break rocks
until he had earned the $4,000 Ac-
cording to the report received by the
Secretary of the Navy, soon after the
accident, which occurred at Hong
Kong, the captain and crew of the
junk were to blame for the trouble. AS
the junk was aftcrward raised, it is
supposed that the owner of the craft
demands the money for the scare his
crew had, Tor there was apparently no
great amount of financial loss. 1.-The
Alexander was proceeding slowly to ali
anchorage" says the official report of
the accident, moving through the
water ut about one knot an hour
against the current when her captain
observed a Chinese junk crossing the
bows Of the collier and under such cir
tive movements of the vessels as would
have enabled her to pass clear of the
collier. but for the fact that she under
took to go about. The captain of the
collier, seeing this, Immediately re-
vcrscd his engines, but the junk. being
unable TO gain Roadway, driftcd against
the bow of the steamer, and was
injured. Lines were thrown to
junk, but the Chinese crew did
not use them, and the junk drift
ing against the current, went down
when some distance astern. her
crew having been in the mean time TAX
en- off by the boats of the Alexander.
The junk has since been raised, but her
owners have instituted suit. naming
so 900 in damages against the COM
officer of the collier
Quartcrmastcr General Humphrey
has arranged for the expenditure of
several hundred thousand dollars in the
erection OF post exchanges at army
POSTS. The contracts will be awarded
before the beginning of the next fiscal
year on July 1. These post exchanges
VIII be according to u type designed by
the craftsman of the quartermaSter
generals office and adopted as repre-
Scnting the best construction and most
convenient arrangement and equip
mrnt for this class of army building.
Gradually the War Department is haV-
ing constructed at all army posts
buildings for the entertainment of the
soldiers. The post exchanges at some
of the places are being converted out
of the old general mess halls, which
were erected at Il few of the larger
posts on the theory that 1t was bene-
fetal to have the entire garrison take
its meals in one room. 1t was believed
that the cost of food would be re-
ducod by this community idea and that
the troops would fare better at their
meals. but no such desirable result was
attained, and the general mess hall has
been abandoned. The new post eX-
changes which are erected do not in
clude, of course, the canteen feature,
beyond the room where certain mild
beverages are served.
The Naval Board of Inspection and
Survey has not yet received lnStruc-
tons regarding the trial trip Of the bat
tleship Connecticut. built at the navy
yard at Brooklyn by the government.
1t has been expected that such a trial
trip would be had, sooner or later, al
though it may be considered that a
series of runs made under the officers
of the ship and the regular crew, with
out the aid OF the board of inspection,
will answer all purposes OF course.
in the case of the Connecticut, Il trial
trip is not necessary in order to deter
minte her acccptabiity. as would he
the case if the ship were built under
contract. At the same time. there is
much curiosity among the naval engi-
ners to learn just what the Connecticut
may do in the way Of manoeuvre and
speed, that there may be comparison
with the louisiana, of identical design,
built under contract at Newport News.
The Board of Inspection will conduct
the trial trip of the Georgia tomorrow
or Wednesday. and will then probably
arrange for its trip to the Pacific
coast to conduct two trial trips. ac-
cr-ding to the standardization method.
ard instruct officers on that coast in
the conduct of such trials hereafter
| The Tribune Bureau.