The Chitina leader., 1915-04-06
A correspondent from Washing.

A correspondent lTOM WdSHiuS-
ton states that the new lighthouse
tender Cedar, soon to be laid down
for the Alaska service, is to be
potential auxiliary cruiser, as well
as the largest vessel in the light
| house service. AS constructed, she
can be converted readily into a
lighting ship. On her forecastle
| will be built into her structure a
large mount for rapidfire three
| FOUNDER rifle, while on her poop
will be a similar mount. 1t will be
possible also to mount machine guns
on various parts of her decks. If
| needed for war purposes, all that
| would be necessary would be. to put
! her guns and ammunition aboard
and turn her loose on the sea as part
of the navy.
AS other craft are built for the
lighthouse, fisheries and coast and
geodetic survey survives, it is ex-
pected that they, too, will be built
with an eye to their ultimate mill
tary uses.
In other words, Uncle Sam, in his
civilian navies, is starting in to con-
struct the ships of real naval
reserve.
If the ideas of Franklin D. Roose-
welt, assistant secretary of the navy,
are worked out, the officers and
crews of these vessels will become
part of real naval reserve.
"The CEDAR" said Secretary Red
field, of the department of cont
merce, will be the last word in
lighthouse tender construction. in
every respect she will be thoroughly
up to date. The specifications for
her are now being printed, and soon
bids for her construction will be
called.
"She is to be of 1850 tons dis
placement, 200 feet s inches long,
and SO feet beam; an oil burner,
with engines of 1,3O0-horse power
Her hull will be of steel, with
double bottom construction. She
will be so constructed that she may
| carry cargo, as the need for q ser
vice cargo carrier is often felt in
Alaska"
the Cedar is to be. built out of an
appropriation of S250,000 made last
year.
The little tender Fern, which was
launched at Seattle, February s, is
destined fer inside work in Alaska,
while the Cedar is to handle the
outside work.
The Rose, the contract for which
has been let to the Anderson Ship
building Company Of Seattle, is
larger than the Fern, and is in
tended for inshore work on the
coasts of Washington and Oregon.
She is to be 119 feet long and of
$50 tons displacement.
These three tenders, the Cedar,
Fern and Rose, will furnish the
lighthouse service with much-needed
help on the North Pacific coast.
On July l next, there will be-
available s2S9,OOO for ships for the
coast and geodetic survey, which
also is under the jurisdiction of
Secretary Redfield. Out of this the
survey will buy one ship and build
another.
The ancient coast survey ship En-
deavor, on the Atlantic coast, is TO
be sold and vessel, as good as can
be found for the available money,
will be purchased. A number OF
such, including yachts owned by
New York financiers who find yacht
ing too expensive sport in these
war days, are available.
For the Pacific coast a model
ship for the survey will be built,
with a special view to using her in
Alaska. She. will be of about 900
tons, and the expectation is that she
Will Dc Iic DSot fSoSCl III tu0 COoot
and geodetic survey fleet.
But, without waiting for her, the
survey and it's chief, Secretary Red
field is preparing for extensive work
in Alaska this season. Although the
survey got only 100000 of the
s225,000 it asked for use on the
Pacific Coast this year, Secretary
Redfield says that enough is avail
able for two wire drag survey par
ties in Alaska this summer and that
the work of locating the pinnacle
rocks and recharting the waterways
will be pressed.
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