THE AMERICAN
THE.NAVYjIS IN FIGHTING TRIM
Ships7 Men and iMoncy Uncle Sam's
Strength.
Cong
rcss Authorizes Vast Ad
ditions for New Battleships
The Maine to Be Re
placedMarines Also Being
Inlisted Under Special Or
dersState of War Exists
AH Along Our South At
lantic Coast Movements
Of Our Warships.
The navy partmtnt has new reason to
tatter that It has secured the two war
ships, Amasonaa and her sister ship, now
building In England for Brasll. It va
Stated at the cabinet meeting by Secre
tary Lone that the naval attache at Loa
4n. Lieutenant Col well, had almost com
pleted tba negotiations for the purchase.
T far, hawever, the final notification from
htm that his offer has been accepted has
aot yet reached the navy department
Authorises Three New Ships.
Tbrea new battleships of th staocheat
1yp afloat were authorized by tha house
committee on naval affairs Saturday, end
a provision for their constructloa was In
serted In th naval appropriation bill. At
tho same time, the committee agreed on
maximum price of $400 per ton for ar
mor plate for our vessels, Increased the
fore of naval marines by 473 men and put
matters tn fair shape for a decision to
morrow on the location of dry docks,
probably four in number, capable of ac
commodating the largest sised war ves
sels. The committee was In session prac
tically all day and before the decision on
the lncreas of ships was reached there
was a long and Interesting discussion.
Representative Tate, while favoring an
Increase, believed two vessels would be
ample, and that further expenditure be
yond the point of necessity should be
avoided. Representative LoudemtHger of
New Jersey protested that If the strength
of the navy was to be Increase! at all
It should be to the extent of three new
vessels, oullt and armed to mcut any ves
sel afloat.
Hawley Wants On Cruiser.
Representative Hawley of Texas ;ioved
that a cruiser be substituted for one of
th battleships, but subsequently with
drew tho motion. When the vote was tak
en there was but one dissenting voice. Mr.
J"at Insisted that two battleships would
ant of th marine corps, and t arh of
the bureau chiefs of the navy department ;
"Sir Under the emergency appropria
tion of JjU.OWMU) made Wednesday you
will Incur no expense or liability except
after written statements and estimate
mad by you and approved by tba presi
dent and secretary, all In writing. A
apeclal record must be kept of every such
requisition. If any such liability or ex
pnse has been Incurred by you by oral
direction make such written statement
and estimate and submit It at ence for
such approval.
"By order of the preaidenf. j..
"Very renpeclfullr,
1 "JOHN D. 1XKQ, Sec'y.
Big Iteas fur Carnegie.
Lieutenant Btone, representative of the
Carnegie Steel Company, was at the navy
department in conference with tha offi
cials respecting the naval ork In prog
ress. The torpedo flotilla at Key West will
soon be re-enforced hy two fine boats,
which have been under repairs. The
Wlnslow sailed this morning from
Charleston for Key West and the Foot
from Norfolk for the same.
The commandant of the' Mare Island
navy yard reported that the cruiser Mo
hican had sailed with her cargo of am
munition, which she will tranship at Hon
olulu to tha Baltimore for tha Asiatic
squadron. The naval officers who are en
deavoring to effect the purchase of ships
abroad have encountered an obstacle that
promises to give some trouble. This Is
found In the difference between the cali
bers of the guns mounted on foreign built
ships and the I'nited Statea navy stand
ards. Not only do these guns differ In cali
ber from our own In most cases, but as
they are almost all designed for the use of
smokeless powder their combustion cham
bers are too Bmall to use the ordinary
brown powder with which tha American
navy Is still supplied.
Most Boy Powder Abroad.
This obstscle Is serious, but not Insur
mountable. It will require the procure
ment in Europe of a large quantity of am
munition In special sizes for these ships,
as It would require a good deal of time
for our domestic ammunition makers to
change their plants and make the special
sizes. Commander William H. Emery has
volunteered to command the auxiliary
cruiser St. Louis In the event of that ves
sel's impressment Into the naval service,
and he will be ordered .o join her be
fore her departure from New York next
Wednesday, In a capacity similar to that
which caused Commander Urownson t o
sail on the St. Paul. Commander Emery
has selected as his Immediate staff Lieu
tenant Nathan Sargent as executive offi
cer, at. present recorder of tha board of
Inspection and survey of the navy depart
ment, and Lieutenant Frank F. Fletcher
THE ORDER NOW OFTEN HEARD ON OUR WARSHIPS.
"SPONGE AND LOAD" A CHARGE OP THIS KIND WHEN PROPERLY
DIRECTED WILL BLOW UP ANY WARSHIP.
be sufficient to meet present reeds. The
now warships provided for will be cf the
Snest pattern. It will be two years,
aWbtLess, before they can, be placed In
commission.
One Will Be Named the Maine.
One of them, the committee decided,
Should bear the name of tho Ill-fated
Maine. The appropriation for their con
struction was not fixed, being referred to
the subcommittee on appropriations, which
will report to the full committee to-morrow.
The cost, it fa expected, will be
about 16,000,000 each, though for the fiscal
year covered In the bill the amount of ex
penditure may hot exceed t2.0O0.0O0O each.
An Important question was raised as to
whether the expenditures for the new
blps should be defrayed out of the J.'iO,
MQ.OOO emergency bill, but this subject was
passed over.
The committee also agreed on a provis
ion authorizing the secretary of tho navy
to purchase armor plate, by contract or
otherwise, at a coat of not exceedin $400
per ton. This was agreed .to, . however,
only on the express proviso that this Item
Include the nickel used In the armor, for
which a large outside percentage hereto
fore has been paid by the government.
This limit of armor contract price has
been generally expected and. with the ex
ception of the Insertion of the proviso
aa to nickel, met with little opposition in
tho discussion.
Increase Number of Marine.
One of the most important features of
I be work on the bill was an agreement on
an appropriation of J135.000 for outfitting,
rationing and uniforming 47J additional
marines. This increase In tha naval force
was made the subject of a special and ur
gent request sent to the house after the
submission of the regular r commenda
tions. The question of establishment of
new dry docks went over for action to
rorruw. It was thoroughly discussed to
day, and the outlook la that four new dry
docks would be authorized, two on the
Atlantic coast, one on the Pacific coast
and another on the gulf. If the present
expectations are materialized to-morrow
these docks will be authorized to be con
structed at Boston, Mass., Algiers, New
Orleans, Mare inland, Cal., and League
Island, Philadelphia.
Carries an Knormons Total.
With the amounts to be paid for dry
docks and for armor plate in the aggre
gate not yet determined that bill as It
stands carries In all something like J3.
00,000, which, however, will be largely
augmented by the other Hems. Rapid
progress has been made with the bill,
and It Is likely it.wlll be In shape to re
port to the house Monday or Tuesday.
Tells All to Frartire Economy.
Secretary Long has determined that
there shall be no wasteful extravagance
ki his department in the exprnulture of
the funds so generously provided by con
gress, and to this end he has addressed
the following letter to the assistant seo
Ittary cf tke navy, tbe colonel command-
as navigator, now on duty at the torpedo
station at Newport.
Ma,y Arm Whalebarks.
Captain Alexander McDougall of the
American Steel Barge Company at I)u
luth has received a telegram from Assist
ant Secretary Roosevelt of the navy de
partment, asking his opinion as to the
feasibility of converting whaleback steam
ers Into vessels of war.
The captain says, however, that there is
not much probability of the government
taking any, as It would require some time
to get many of the larger type through
the Welland canal.
Captain McDougall says he has a plan
now whereby he thinks he can attain
greater speed with the whaleback type,
which might make these vessels of use,
aside from defending a harbor. He sug
gests a steel ram and two turrets as requi
site changes for war purposes.
Foreign Warship Needed.
Speaking of the possibility of the United
States obtaining naval vessels abroad,
John Piatt of Thorpe, Piatt & Co., of New
York, American representatives oT John
I. Thornycraft & Co. of Chlswlck, Eng
land, one of the largest constructors of
torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers
In Great Britain, said: "I have Just re
turned from Washington and I was assur
ed that this government desires now more
than any other class of vessel a fleet of
torpedo boat destroyers, and, had it-been
considered practical by the navy depart
ment to have the boats built In England,
this time begun work on several vessels
of tbe Thornycraft type for us here Act
ing upon suggestions received la Wash
ington, however. 1 have consulted mem
br of three or four shipbuilding eoncornf
In this country relative to the quick con
struction of vessels of the Thornycraff
type. I have been assured by them that,
with tha detailed working plana of th
vessels tn their possession and under an
ordinary commercial contract that Is, a
contract f re frm all unnecessary red
tape they could collectively complete, by
working night and day. a leet of too such
vessels within seven months. The repre
sentative of one firm asur4 m that It
could send out the first vessel within s's
months. I am authorised by cable by the
Thornycraft rompany to offer to dispose
of complete plana f th Thornycraft ves
sel to this government at practically a
moment's notice. Th vaU are Jit fsel
I iaavysajf
THE Y PERANGA.
(One of the New Warships Slated (or
Purchase by the United State.)
long and 275 tons displacement, mounting
tour slx-pounders and one thirteen-pound-er,
and equal to thirty knots. They are
considered the most successful type of
torpedo boat deatroyers ever construotsd.
England has already about sixty of them
and others building and Thornycraft A Co.
are constructing a number of them for
Germany and Japan. The plans of this
type of vessel can be obtained from the
Chlswlck yards within three days, and 1
have every reason to believe that this
government will order them."
A Magnetle Island,
A most phenomenal island is that A
Bornhohn, in the Baltic, belonging to
the kingdom of Denmark. It is fa
mous for its geological peculiarities,
consisting as It does almost entirely of
magnetite, and Its magnetic influence
Is not only very well known to th.
navigators of those waters, but also
much feared by them, on account of
its influence on the magnetic needles,
which make the steering of a ship
correctly a matter of much difficulty.
In fact, this Influence is felt even at a
distance of miles, and so palpably
that, on the Island being sighted by
mariners on the Baltic, they at once
discontinue steering their course by
the needle, and turn, Instead, to the
well-known lighthouses and other
holds to direct their craft. Between
Bornhohn and the . mainland there is
also a bank of rock under water, which
is very dangerous to navigation, and
because of its being constantly sub-
THE CRUISER PHILADELPHIA.
(Ordered to Join the South Atlantie
Squadron The Swiftest Armored
Vessel la the World.)
merged, vessels have been fre
quently wrecked at that "point. The
peculiar fact in this case Is that
the magnetic influence of this
ore bank is so powerful that a
magnetic needle suspended freely in
a boat ovr the bank will point down.
and. If not disturbed, will remain In a
the Thornycraft company would have by perfectly perpendicular line.
WHAT MAY HAPPEN.
LOWERINO A WOUNDED MAN TO THE SICK BAY ON A MAN-OF-WAJ
n.li.HI'H mm
WoaMor Crrwy
A Western paper tells a story of
an epoch in the history of th Montana
wining camps when there was no mon
ey or lawful currency of any kind in
the ramps, nor any credit to bass a
private circulation on, but when the
extremely high price of eatables sug
gested and at tbe satu time supplied
tbe want of a circulating medium. One
man who continues to live in that re
gion tells of the time when he bought
a bo i of matches with a watermelon,
and received as change two muak mel
ons. Another paid for a pair of sus
penders with turnips, and got a couple
of carrots back with his purchase. At
one time the first man accepted an In
vitation to visit a friend and go to a
party with him. After aeelng his friend
go through the unusual preparation of
blacking his boots and putting on a
collar-for It was to be a very ,,hlgh-toned-1
affair he was surprised to see
him go to a potato-bin and carefully
select a dozen nice potatoes and put
them Into his pocket. No sooner had
the two men arrived at the ball where
the party was to take place than bla
host handed over his potatoes for an
entrance ticket; and what was still
more surprising, the doorkeeper, after
the ClOSe Of tha nor... Mm tmn
onions as "change," to' take home! 1
HI Wardrobe CarWally Nvlartetl.
American and English swells have
long vied with each otber as to the
variety and number of their suits of
clothes. We have never heard that
Parisian swells entered Into the compe
tition. Light is thrown on the sub
ject through Le Figaro. A well-known
member of the Jockey club was sum
moned as a witness in a case in court
He was ordered to appear at 10 o'clock
in the morning. As he did not come,
an officer was sent to look him up.
The truth Is that the poor fellow had
no clothes in which he could appear
before tbe court His entire wardrobe
consisted of sixteen sets of pajamas
and a dozen drees suits. It seems tbe
man never got up until 4 o'clock In
the afternoon, retiring fourteen hours
later. He had no use for clothing be
yond evening drees and the pajamas.
Knight and llntelkeeper.
The king of Wurtemberg may per
haps be said to be the only Knight of
the Garter who Is a hotelkeeper as well
as a monarch. This has long been a
tradition In his family, but not till
lately was It discovered by the rulers
of the beautiful little German king
dom how profitable Innkeeplng can be
come. When Peter the Great was
traveling Incognito through Europe he
refused to stop anywhere but at an
Inn. To circumvent this whim the
king of Wurtemberg put a tavern
sign outside one of the royal uulares,
and, dressed as an Innkeeper, himself
welcomed the cznr. ThlB royal per
sonage's descendant now owns two
large hotels, from which he is said to
derive a revenue of fGO.OOO a year.
Boston Transcript.
Proportion of KplHeopallans.
Throughout the United States there
Is one communicant of the Episcopal
church for each 94 of the population.
The church population Is densest in the
diocese tof Washington, where every
twenty-second person is a churchman;
It is sparsest In the jurisdiction of Ok
lahoma, where each churchman Is sur
rounded by 74 persons. Richmond
heads the list of cities of 50,000 popu
lation and over with one churchman
for each 20 of its Inhabitants. Alle
gheny brings up the rear with one to
197. Of the great cities Philadelphia
baa one to 27, New York one to 32,
Baltimore one to 33, Brooklyn one to
34, Buffalo one to 44, Boston one to 52,
Pittsburg one to 62, Chicago one to 85,
St. Louis one to 94. ,
Fish Tabooed by Indiana.
The Navajo, Apache and other In
dian tribee of the far southwest will
not eat flh, nor have anything to do
with articles made In the shape of fish.
The "taboo" with the Navajo extends
to all things connected with water. A
probable reason why no more chil
dren of these tribee are sent east to
be educated is a fear that they might
be required to overcome this cherished
"taboo" superstition, which is as firm
ly rooted as any religion.
The Bride's l'erplexlty.
May What! Frowning on your
wedding day? Fay I'm in a quan
dary. If I go to the altar smiling peo
ple will say I'm slmDly crasr to ret
Charlie, and if I look solemn they'll
say I already rejrret the steD. What
shall I do? Philadelphia Record.
Too Bad.
Leading Tragic Man "Did you see
how I paralyzed the audience In the
death scene? By George, they were
crying all over the house!" Stage Man
ager "Yes. They knew you weren't
really dead." Tit-Bits.
Something t'aniual.
Biggs I wonder what's wrong with
Knox. Diegs Nothing that I innv
of; why? Biggs I told htm I was suf
fering from a tern Die cold the other
day and he never suggested a remedy
for it
Valuable Walnut TVre.
Col. Tom Middleton of Shelbyville,
Ky., has sold a single walnut tree for
$600. It Is of the birds-eye variety and
will be shipped to Germany to be ued
In making furniture for royalty.
She Never Tried It,
Mr. Wabash Are you fond of repar
tee. Miss Olive? Miss Olive (of St
Loula) I don't believe I ever drank
any o It. We always us "Oolong."
)ANDY CATHARTIC
CURE CONST! PATI01I
ALL
fifiUGGUTS
ABSOLUTELY GUARMTEED t.?Z "JZZZ izfrSr- r-nntl y y
Utn. ti. NTTKLKtt RES Mil .. 4 hlruo. mtn.U '..., r Ik. Ior7 m
WUMM iW4.t tH4r4444W4fW
I Is Marriage
a Failmre? I
A NaJaI Writon by Mrs. Agues Vivors SwellanJ,
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Cloth, $1.00. Paper, 50c.
If your bookseller does not have it in stock have him
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the
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