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Show -A Huintd Crui-itr. After the nsvy department had decided de-cided to slop using the old Vermont as a receiving ship at the llrooklyn navy-yard navy-yard It concluded to us.) the cruiser Columbia for that purpose. The vessel ves-sel was towed from the I'ugtie Inland uvy yard, where It had been laid up for th last two yeara, to llrooklyn. After It arrival there an officer was quoted a saying that the machinery of the Columbia, which coat fl.3un.ooo, was covered wllh rust, that not a atcain pump would work, and that only the use of hand pumps kept tbe vcshsI afloat. The Columbia was built about ten years ago, Ita totul coat being $f.000.-000. $f.000.-000. It waa designed aa a commerce I destroyer, and was extremely swift, crossing the ocean ouco at un average speed of 'li t knots per hour. It coal too much money und waa too good a ship to have been ullowe.l to degenerate degener-ate Into Its pru.-ent unserviceable condition. con-dition. The New York, Texas, Detroit, and Mai bias, built about the same time, are still In active service. |