Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-24
No Change in Commandant at
the Washington Navy
Yard.

dtlOn Tor the current rurnOr tnat d CHdHSo
| is soon to be made in the office Of com
| mandant of the Washington. navy yard
That office is now filled by Capt. E. H. c.
Leutze and the rumor Of prospective
change seems to be mainly based on the
| fact that that officer will be promoted to the
grade Of rear admiral in few months. 1t
is pointed out at the Navy Department that
the command Of the Washington navy yard
| is usually filed by a rear admiral and that
Capt Leutze's elevation to that grade VIII
not necessitate a change. It was stated
further that a change Is not in contempla-
ton. Capt. Leutze was assigned to the
Washington navy yard in October, 1915, ana
has not yet completed his tour Of shore
service. Inasmuch as he does not retire for
age until November, 1903, there will be am
pie opportunity for him to have flag COM
mand before his transfer from the active
list
Strengthening the Atlantic Fleet.
The Navy Department is informed that
the battleship Louisiana, after being put In
condition at the navy yard New York has
sailed from Guantanamo. The battleship
Georgia has left Hampton roads for the
same place. and the battleship Virginia,
now at New York navy yard, will follow
today, SO that in course of week Rear Ad-
miral Evans will have under his command
the most formidable fleet that ever gathered
In American waters. This fleet Will I'M
doubleday attend the Jamestown exposition
Much Importance is attached at the War
Department to the approaching meeting OF
the Interstate National Guard Association
because of tire assistance which is expected
to be extended by the association to the
War Department in its effort to bring about
the creation of reserve force through the
education of the militiamen by joint drills
with the regular troops. and especially with
the Coast Artillery. The association will
| meet at Columbia. 8. c.. tomorrow and
Tuesday and Secretary Taft has seen fit
to designate three of the most progress
sive officers of the army to represent
it at the meeting, namely, Col. r. o. s.
Heistand, adjutant general of the Atlantic
division; Maj Willard F. Waltz. general
staff, and Col. yalery Hazard. medical de-
partmert- These officers will make ad-
dresses during the meeting of the aSsocia-
ton.
Death Of Commander Schell.
The Navy Department is informed that
Lieut. Commander Franklin J. Schell, U. 8.
N. retired, died at Baltimore on the 22d
instant and will be buried in the naval
, cemetery at Annapolis this afternoon.
Lieut. Commander Schell was born Au-
gust 80. 1851 in York county, Pa, and en-
tered the naval service as a cadet engineer
October /. 1874. He was promoted to as
sistant engineer from June 20, 1880; to
passed assistant engineer from May 49,
1883, and to chief engineer from February
16. 1898. During the Spanish American
April %, 1898, to June 3, 1898, when de-
tached and granted sick leave. and on the
L. S. S. Rainbow from August Ii. 1898, un-
til September II, 1898 On March 3, 1899,
his rank was changed to lieutenant. He
was promoted to lieutenant commander
from November %. 1900. Since the close OF
| the Spanish-American war he has served
on the L. S. 8. Oregon; Marietta at naval
station, Cavite. p. l.; on U. S. S. Princeton;
Solace: at Naval Academy: on u. s. s. In
diana: again at Naval Academy; on U. g. 8.
Des Moines and U. 8. S. Caesar. He was
transferred to the retired list Of the navy
February 8, 1906.
Another Ship for Maryland Militia.
The Maryland naval militia is to have an
other vessel to replace the monitor Man
tonomoh, which has been used for practical
instruction during the past year. The Isla
de Cuba, a gunboat, captured from the
Spaniards during the late conflict, Is to be
turned over to the state. The Miantonomoh
is to be returned to the Navy Department
and she will be used as a station ship at
the Jamestown exposition.
The Spanish prize has been at the Nor
folk navy yard for some time and Is now in
good repair. The Isla de Cuba is 1872 feet
| 10 inches in length. 80 feet IL inches Of
| beam, with a mean draft of IL feet inches
| Her armament consists Of fourteen guns
under four inches.
Protection From Land Attack.
boards of officers have been appointed to
| meet in the various artillery districts along
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts for the pur-
pose of considering questions pertaining to
the protection Of seacoast forts from attack
by land. Lieut. Col. W. w. Wotherspoon,
general staff, and Capt. William G. Ham,
Artillery Corps, are detailed to membership
on each of these boards The other men,
bers will be the artillery district commander
and the district engineer officer in the case
of each separate artillery district.
Plans for New Battleships
Plans and specifications for the two new
battleships authorized by the last session
of Congress will be ready for competitive
bidding about April 1 if the present plans
of the naval constructors are carried out.
Bids will be invited upon the department
plans and there will also be given an OPP
portunity for bidders to submit designs Of
their own, especially with view to en-
couraging heavier armament and greater
speed than are contemplated by the depart
ment designs. The government designs
are likely to be adopted, however. according
to the views OF naval constructors. Secre-
tary Metcalf Is anxious that every encour-
agement be held out for a record breaking
progress in the construction of the battle
ships. and this consideration may materially
influence the bidding.
Inspecting Nearby Military Colleges.
Capt Michael J. Lenihan, general staff
has been ordered to make the annual in
spection of the military departments of
the Maryland Agricultural College. College
Park. Md. and St. Johns College, Anna
polls. Md. and Capt. julius A. Penn, gen.
eral staff has been ordered to make the an
nual inspection of the military departments
of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute,
Blacksburg, Va, and the Virginia Military
Institute. Lexington, Va.
Bids for Naval Ordnance.
Rear Admiral Mason, chief of the naval
bureau Of ordnance. is considering bids for
| a large quantity OF target shells of various
calbers. The Firth-Sterling Company,
which has established a big plant in the
neighborhood of Washington, is evidently
determined to obtain government orders, al
though for the six-inch shell 1t offers to
furnish only 800 of the 5000 required of that
calber, the price being SIP. as compared
with S16.25 of the rival bidder. The same
firm offered to furnish twelve-inch shells
for S7S comDared with and 400 ne