in 1894, organized
battalions of the Naval Militia, and in that year Congress passed an
important act, empowering the Secretary of the Navy to lend
temporarily to any State vessels "not suitable or required for the
general service, together with such of her apparel, charts, books, and
instruments of navigation as he may deem proper, said vessel to be
used only by the regularly organized Naval Militia of the State for
the purposes of drill and instruction." Even interior States, with no
bodies of water other than rivers, have organized naval battalions. At
Pittsburg the organization owns a small armored gunboat, of the sort
that was so useful on inland waters in the civil war. This vessel was
presented to the militia by a wealthy manufacturer. Few commands,
however, are so fortunate. Most take advantage of the law authorizing
the loan of government ships. Under this law the following vessels
were lent: the "Minnesota" to Massachusetts, the "Wyandotte" to
Connecticut, the "New Hampshire" to New York, the "Portsmouth" and the
"Ajax" to New Jersey, the "St. Louis" to Pennsylvania, the "Dale" to
Maryland, and the "Nantucket" to North Carolina. The other States have
been compelled to get along without vessels, for the reason that there
have been no others available.

[Illustration: Torpedo Boat "Cushing."]

During the summer of 1894 the Massachusetts brigade of the militia
encamped for drill on Lovell's Island, Boston Harbor, and the monitor
"Passaic" was lent to the State. There were also drills and
target-practice on the "Miantonomoh" and the "Atlanta." The forces of
Connecticut and Rhode Island received instruction on the "Miantonomoh"
and the "Atlanta" respectively, and New York's battalion spent a week
on board the "New York" and the "San Francisco" in Gardiner's Bay,
Long Island. A part of the Pennsylvania force had target-practice at
sea on board the "New York," and the North Carolina battalion received
instruction on the "Montgomery."

[Illustration: Armored Cruiser "New York."]

The California division helped to man the "Olympia" for a week in
1895, taking the places of the crew; the Maryland contingent had a
week's cruise on the "Dale," and the First Naval Battalion of New York
carried out a scheme of reconnoissance and distant boat work along the
northern shore of Long Island, encamping on Shelter Island. The party
was accompanied by the torpedo boat "Cushing." Most of the other
battalions had their quota of