Evening star., 1914-04-12

board of District naval militia officers
which is to go to New York to take an
inventory of the property aboard her
probably Will proceed TO New York next
week 1t is now determined that this
board Will consist of Ensign Frank W.
Sigourney. representing the commanding
officer: Ensign William r. Hoefer. ord
nance officer. and Ensign Harold Craw
ford. This board will check up all of
the property and give receipt for it to
the New York naval militia officers. and
VIII stock the vessel with provisions and
have her ready TO proceed to sea by the
time the crew of local naval miltiamen
which is to bring her down arrives. Il
is estimated that ii will take approN!-
mately three days 10 make the survey.
and three days for the vessel to make
the voyage from New York TO Wash
ington.
Members OF the local naval militia are
anxious to have the vessel here as soou
as possible so that they can follow out
plans of Commander Dempf to make
regular trips her during the summe
months. The vessel is much larger than
the Sylvia and will accommodate nearl,
the whole battalion its day trips
down the river
That il is particularly appropriate for
the Navy Department to assign the Wasp
to the local naval militia Is the decari4-
ton OF officers of the local National
Guard 1t was this little craft which
conveyed the lst District Of Columbia
Volunteers to Cuba at the time of the
Spanish-American war. They were aboard
the Catania. and the Wasp. with her
small guns. was assigned the duty OF
protecting this ship
She certainly had brave captain AZ
that time. said Maj. F. Penrose Smith
y. c. u. G. retired He sent -
protect us, and | believe he would have
engaged anything that looked like
Spanish war vessel. Several times during
the trip black smoke was sighted on the
horizon. and the little craft speeded awav
to investigate. ever ready to belch forth
With the small battery which
she carried
Much credit IS given in naval circle.
TO Commander Schoiield L. s. y. fo-
the manner IN which lie hustled the gun
! boat Isla de I-uZon away from 81. Louis
I On the movement of this vessel. which
is to go TO New York. depended the sail
ing of tile Wasp for Washington. For
nearly two Years the department has been
waiting for high water at st. Louis IN
| order to float the Luzon.
! Commander Schofield. two weeks ago.
! was ordered to St Louis to prepare the
/ ship for the voyage. which lie was to
! start about April is. Officers TO assist
him had been ordered and a crew o.
enlisted men had been sent from nearby
recruiting stations. Last Sunday the
water stage reached eighteen feet. and
Monday morning it began to show signs
of falling. With only part of the officers
and enlisted personnel aboard. Com
mander Schofield cast off his moorinr
lines and started out to cross the four
teen sand bars in the Mississippi river
between ST. Louis and Cairo. He left
word for the officers and men. who had
not time to reach St. Louis. to proceed
Immediately to Carlo. where the ship
would meet them. The notice to tile
Navy Department that the ship had de-
parted was a surprise to the officials. and
they give due credit to the officer for
getting the ship away Since Monday
morning. Commander Schotield has been
sailing slowly down the Mississippi. and
is expected to reacn New Orleans next
TuaSdaI time iS oh;,h hl.
that the board OF local naval militia
officers will receive notice from the NAVY
Department to proceed to New York to
make a survey of the Wasp's property.
Although the exact date when the
local naval militia will cruise on a bat
tieship this year has not been deter
mined. it has been decided that it will b.
on the armored cruiser Tennessee. flag
ship of the commander-in-chief CT the
Atlantic reserve fleet. Neither has il
. been determined where the local organi-
zation will board the Tennessee. but It
is probable that the battalion will pro
ceed TO Philadelphia. the home station of
the Tennessee.
It is proposed in the tentative plans to
carry the local naval militia to Bar Har-
Dor, Me-, for cruise. where they will
have about two or three days shore lib
been planned to have several naval mi
litia organizations participate in fleet ex-
| ercises. but it is understood now that this
/, plan has been abandoned on account of
the lack of ships to carry out the naval
. militia organizations at the same time
As it is. the Tennessee will be called
, upon to carry out several of the organza-
tions of the Atlantic coast states.
= =
Ensign Frank W. Sigourney. command
ing the Sd Division. was engaged last
, week in getting together a racing crew
to man the whaleboat which has been
swain's Mate Ward has been placed in
charge of the crew and will be coXswain
of the boat The training will begin i'm
mediately and will be carried on every
Sunday.
The Sd Division already has challenged
the I'd Division to a race. and it is en-
pected that in the latter part of May
opposite the battaiion's dock at the foot
of Water and o streets southwest.
Only two divisions at a time from the
Naval Battalion will go to the Congress
Heights rifle range this year for target
practice. Heretofore the four divisions
composing the battalion have gone to the
range at the same time.
I The orders issued yesterday at National
Guard headquarters require the LIST and
I'd Divisions of the battalion to shoot
on the range Monday. Tuesday and
Wednesday, June IL. l6 and L. and the
Friday and Saturday. June is. 10 and 20
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