El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-10-21

ing vessel, and then go out on the
briny deep to learn the real sailing.
The Philadelphia is not the only boat
once the pride of the American people
that is now out of use at this yard. The
Boston, second class cruiser, trlm'
beautiful little vessel that is said TO
have fired the first shell at Manila,
lies idly at anchor with only care
taker on board and the lgnomlnlous
consequences of being sold staring her
in the face. Alongside IS the Concord,
a gunboat that won fame, and it also
is soon to be sold. The Boston ana
Concord are no longer of any value 10
Uncle Sam in this day Of dreadnauShts.
They will be sold to some enterprislhg
freighter or some South American or
West Indian republic
The Oregon Undergoes Repairs.
The famous old Oregon, once the
bulldog of the American navy" is now
in dock getting an overhauling that
is costing about s2,000,OO0, and she VIII
go into commission again next spring,
and make another trip around the
Horn and up the Atlantic coast, as she
did when she sailed around and took
a crack at Cervera in 1898.
The Charleston, fast scout cruiser
md commerce destroyer, beautiful IN
her white coat, has just come in from
Asiatic waters and will be repaired
before she goes out again. The Mil
waukee and st. Louis, of the same
type though smaller. lie ct anchor
close TO the Concord and Boston, paint
ed a dull gray and only a shlpkeeper
aboard They are not needed now, and
as Uncle Sam has dearth OF sailors
they are waiting until they are needed.
The Galveston and Chattanooga, twin
cruisers still painted in the white coat
they wore at sea, lie also in the basin;
and at the dock, consigned to the serV-
ice of the state naval reserves of Wash.
ington. lies the monitor Cheyenne, once
the Wyoming before a big battleshlp
was built and named for Wyoming To
the real salt water sailor, boat could
undergo no more ignominiOuS end than
assignment to the naval militia This
boat is in the care of sailors OF the
regular navy at dock, but the militia
has practice drills on board and once
"a year sails out on the Unnamed 'pia-
cid" waters of the Pacific and gets very
seasick. The caretakers now on the
ship talk sarcastically of how the whole
crew was on hands and knees by the
time the boat rounded Cape Flattery
on the last cruise of the militia and
declare that the militia captain who
commanded, after he got over ais SICK
spell, became such thorough sailor
that on his return home he hired a
negro to throw water against his house
at night SO he could sleep.
Was In Samoan Disaster
Probably the most interesting boat
1T the navy yard is the Nipsic, the
prison boat. This famous boat was in
the great Samoan disaster of the early
eighties ard was among 1.-The flower
of the navy" at that time. Its old
wooden hulk with moss-covered roof
| and barred windows now houses the
men who fracture the rigid rules IF
discipline for men who sail the sea for
Uncle Sam.
The navy yards are beautiful and
| the parades of the marines are daily
| features that attract many visitors. The
| big 13-inch guns that nave been re-
! placed on the Oregon by the more
deadly 12h Inch type are also matter
/ of curiosity and interest. The Oregon
| is getting, among other improvements,
1 one of the new steel fighting masts,
made of a network instead of solid
steel and is the first to be so equipped
on the Pacific coast. This type Of fight
! ing mast was decided upon after test
year ago in which the monitor Flor
: ida was actually fired upon by other
ships of the navy with big SHELLS.
Officers Have Golf Links.
The officers of the navy yard have
! a beautiful golf course in the grounds
!: and many visitors are permitted to
play; in fact, it is open to the public
after a permit is granted by the COM
handing officer, as some regulation
must be exercised.
The navy yard is located in an arm
of Puget sound, heavily defended by
several forts and masked batteries and
no navy in the world could reach ii
and accomplish any destruction. One
dry dock is in use and second-the
largest in the worlds in course OF
! construction. A floating crane of 200