| Show AUXILIARY NAVAL FORGE vessels composing it going out of the service history of the organization of this branch of the navy and its usefulness in the late war new york abc 22 the united states auxiliary naval force which a week aso consisted of forty one vessels in commission aabye the washington correspondent of the tribune was reduced to twenty five vessels yesterday and by the end of next week it will have disappeared altogether until another war call it into service daring the period ot hostilities with spain thia inner line of naval defense has had no popular opportunity to demonstrate its efficiency though the work of naval officers charged with keeping a lookout for the ebely bag gone too far to prove how in it would have been had the atlantic coast baen menaced by attack As a result ot the experienc a gained by the combination of the auxiliary borce and the coiet line signal system it will be possible it a foreign invasion ot athis country is hereafter contemplated w provide speedily for the mobilization ot an effective system of defense when captain john R bartlett was pat in command of the auxiliary naval force on july 9 he proceeded energetic auy to get all its vessels promptly into commission commis Bion and to organize the force on ibbe basis which was intended by the gramera of the joint resolution which created it abd tbd force was distributed in mine districts six on the atlantic coast two an the gulf and one on the pacific and the complete organization was per in a single month under the original plan the assist anta to the chief in the various districts were to be officers from the local naval n who had entered the united states service and the vessels in each dietrich dietri cl were to be named and manned by the men of the naval militia of that district who had been mustered into the auxiliary naval forces this plan was carried out fully capt bartlett has bad of bis chief of staff herbert L satterlee U S V formerly captain ot the new york state naval militia and these two cera have bad the supervision and direction oe the forty one vessels comprising the auxiliary fleet their officers and crews aggregating over aioo officers and men tho first district extended from the anost easterly paint of maine to hampton harbor N H and was under the lieutenant robert JBea cb vf 8 N formerly in command of the third division second naval battalion of to this district were at tacked the monitors montauk and wy ai iotte the second district is commanded by lieutenant john W weeks U S N formerly captain of the massachusetts naval brigade with headquarters at it extends from II ampton harbor NH to newport R I 1 the under alent week command the receiving ship minnesota the monitors catskill and lebegh and the tug the yacht inca la the third district lieutenant commander J V miller TT 8 N formerly captala cip tala of the new york naval reserves is in chares with headquarters in new Yort city his district extends from newport to seabright N J and the ander bia command were the re ehla new hampshire the anoni tora jason manhattan and habant the yachts ya mcuen el frida enquirer huntress restless and and the torpedo boat manley in the fourth district lieutenant john B anckle U SN formerly commanding the first battalion naval lorce of pennsylvania is in command with headquarters at philadelphia under bis command are the receiving ship st cloais the monitoba mo canonicus Caco nicus and ma hopah and the Bide wheel steamboat which vaa used as an icebreaker ice breaker in the delaware alter and id called in govern ment abw arctic the fourth extends from seabright to met oakia inlet va in the filth dietrict which extends froia inlet to new river inlet HT 0 the commanding officer is lieu tenant IE emerson U 6 N who was formerly commander of the first cival battalion ot maryland the ves eels attached to this district are the re ship dale and the monitor ajax and the yacht sylph the headquarters of the district are at baltimore tho sixth district the limits of which are river inlet on the north and jupiter inlet ala on the south lieutenant george L morton U B N is in command with headquarters at porto royal S 0 he waa formerly commanding of alie naval battalion ol 01 the north carolina state guard naval battalion the under bia command are the monitor nantucket and the tugs chey anne and waban the seventh district runa front jupiter inlet fla to perdido entrance the extreme westerly limit ot florida pen aicola is the headquarters and the officer in charge is lieutenant J 0 sutherland V S N who formerly commanded the fourth division of the naval militia of florida the tug tacoma is the only vessel at present in this district in the eight district which extends from perdido entrance to the moat westerly point of texas abo command ice officer is lieutenant J W bostick Bo etick IT S N he was formerly commander ot the first naval battalion of louisiana his headquarters are at new orleans and under him are the monitor passaic and the tugs choctaw and powhattan Pow battan the whole pacific the united states comprises the ninth district which is under the command of lieutenant william E annn U S N formerly the second division ot the california naval battalion with headquarters at san francisco lieutenant gunne command consists of the revenue cutters corwin grant perry and rush and the tugs active iroquois and vigilant the yachts sylvia and viking the tugs apache and tacoma and the terry boats east boston and governor rus sell were also part of the auxiliary fleet but were detached and turned over to the navy recently lor service in southern waters all have been officered and manned from the naval militia of the several states with the exception of those that have been detached which are commanded by officers of the regular navy the rapidity with which the force has been deduced since the suspension of hostilities is considered proof of its thorough discipline and excellent management and shows how valuable the naval militia system has become in the few years of its existence the twelve monitors which have served in the auxiliary force have been ordered out of commission as speedily as possible poE sible at league island where they will be immediately prepared for permanent duty as guards bips in cuban and porto rican harbors additional awnings will be stretched over their upper decks with side awnings for protection in stormy weather and the crews consisting of a full wr complement of seamen and marines will sleep under these awnings instead of in the close hot quarters below several of the vessels are already getting ready for the new duty and will be on the way south in the course of a week orders were issued today sending for powerful ocean boing soing tugs from norfolk to boston to tow the montauk the edill the lebegh and the wyandotte 0 o league island the now in the mouth of the mississippi will go to pensacola on monday where her naval mi litia meu will be discharged and a reau lar crew put on board to take her to oabe and the nantucket will go oat of commission at port royal in a few days to go to porto rigo as soon as she can be made ready |
