The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 20, 1898, Page 9

THE AN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1898. IS MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR WAR UNDOUBTEDLY PREPARATIONS ARE FOR WAR A Statement Made by Gen- SOBRAL MAY BE RETURNED TO MADRID Spanish Naval Attache at Washington Has Been Talking Too Much. % A Recently He Contributed Articles to Home Magazines, in Which He Criticized Uncle Sam’s Defenses. NEW YORK, Feb. 19. of the now occupying Departmer to be held by te Day w ate ta Amit the a sh done in .d by hi s Governr the ¢ Spanish le Washing- | Lieu- obral, the gation, States and has inspected the various fortifications along our coasts. It will be recalled that there was considerable talk recently over his action in inspect- ing the defenses of Charleston. He is a liberal contributor to Spanish maga- in which he has described th the weak condition of the United from a naval and military stand- compared with Spain. TORPEDO BOAT NO. 16 PREPARED FOR SERVICE. Significance of the Promptness With Which the New Craft Was Equipped. PROVID R. I, Feb. 19.—Tor- pedo boat No. 16, known as the Quinn, W put overboard from the Herres- hoff shop at Bristol in a hurry to-day. The boat was launched more than a nth ago, but contrary to the usual s at once taken into the ad- » and machinists began the pping the craft with her £ work ¢ engines and other intricate parapher- This unusual move was taken jcative of the desire to get the into commission as quickly as pos- . as the work could be done with eater celerity under cover than the boat was moored to the doc wher 3 As soon as the craft was put over- lay steam was gotten up and time the engines began to were kept going the greater There was no cere- the launching to-day, ss with which the set going served to indi- > would be put in t order. The new a twenty-knot craft of the us- and a trim and speedy look- b boat i ual ing at | | c OULD UNITE LATIN STATES \ El Pais Thinks Spain Could Form a Big Confederation. Republics Might Be Urged to Resist Intrusion of Anglo- Saxons. Some English Newspapers Indicate That France Would Aid the Castilians. Spectal Dispatch to The Call. LONDON, Feb. 19.—There is a cu- rious discussion in the Spanish press as to the possibility of confederating the Latin republics of South America with Spain against the United States. El Pais contends that the Spanish re- publics are weak through isolation, and that if united in a military and diplomatic alliance they would be the first power in the world in territory, the second in population and that their armies and navies would have suffi- cient power to insure respect. The pa- pers point out that the jealousies of the epublics prevent them from taking the initiative, but Spain, it is claimed, ought to urge her lazy diplomats to approach the republics with the view of combining for the defense of Latin intere; ‘endangered by the intrusion of the Anglo-Saxons.” El Pais thinks Spain’s advice would not be discarded if she warned Latin against the United States, “For it is well known that the greedy Yankees, once the Panama canal is opened fo the world’s commerce, will do all which their perfidy can suggest to wrest it from the Latin countries of Central America, even as England seized the Suez Canal. to secure Cuba.” In conclusion El Pais says: “The ad- | shipbuilding s vances of the United States in the sea | Antilles are preliminary steps in the blockade and occupation of the future al Referring to Latin alliances, the Spectator, in a long article, points out that there is no doubt of the existence between France of special relations have lately been and Spain, which strengthened, and sa “There are well-informed people who believe that when in the autumn the United States and Spain almost col- lided. the United States found accounted for by which could be onl “pain knew she could the fact that neglect her demands for help.” The Saturday Review expresses the | marked that large vess belief that France allowed the United States to understand considerations of importance would not allow her to see Spain treat- jedinan unfriendly manner. Tending in this | brought home and placed »n is the desire of the Americans | RESURRECTION OF THE MAINE Naval Officers Believe That the Vessel Can Be Raised. By Repairing the Wrecked Vessel Three Millions Will Be Saved. Shallow Water and Calm Weather in Havana Harbor Combine to Favor the Project. Special Dispatch to The Call. Call Office, Riggs House, ‘Washington, Feb. 19, There is no abatement of the talk of the expediency of raising the Maine. Chief Constructor Hichborn is one of the most earnest advocates of the res- urrection of the ship. He points out that the ship lies in a landlocked har- bor, easy for the wreckers to operate in, and that if she can be rebuilt at a cost of a million dollars, the Govern- ment will save $4,000,000, the first cost of such a battleship with all of her equipment. Great Britain, he said, never abandoned a ship if there was the least chance to save her, and has not yet even abandoned the hope of raising the ill-fated Victoria. Commander ¥rancis Dicken, the chief of the bureau of navigation, and Secre- tary Long's right hand man in the present emergency, said: “The Maine must be taken to an American port if there is enough of her bones holding together to warrant removal, and in all likelihood that will be done. If the explosion were more disastrous than is now thought to be the case, if the hull is so wrecked as to be beyond repair, then as much of the material as can be secured will be in a new Maine. It is to be remembered that | great advances have been made in | nce the Maine was de- signed, and iner ship to bear her name could be built to-day, but it would take time, and if any consider- able portion of the ship is good, with a | modernized batte and improvements | in rebuilding the destroyed portions, a magnificent vessel can be quickly se- | cured.” Chief Engir Melville has decided views in favor of the propositi | build the Maine. “Even suppose | costs $1,000,000,” said he, *a new ship | equal to the Maine would cost nearly a there | §5,000,000. was a stiffness in the Spanish attitude | T appeal to a power which could not | years. indirectly that | were exposed to waves, while the Maine to her | is in a perfectly quiet harbor, one end The repairs could be made and the ship put in service again in a year at the furthest. To build a new ship like her would take at least three, ‘With regard to the practicabil- | ity of raising the vessel, it is to be re- s have been raised which were at sea where they resting in the mud and part of the other end above water. The Maine as she lay in the darkness at buoy No. 4 on the night of the disaster, with the object (supposed to have been a torpedo) described by a member of her crew as moving rapidly through the water toward the vessel. Any one of the several different kinds of dirigible torpedoes might have been sent against the ship, either from a dark corner along the wharf, not over 300 yards distant, or from a boat prowling near in the darkness of the moonless tropical night. Starting out on the surface it would at any point on its course be submerged to the desired depth and made to strike the motionless vessel with almost certainty on any selected spot. ’ motors, both electrically and mechanically. The modified Nordenfelt type of torpedo has for some years been a favorite with the Spaniards. lectrical power developed within itself, and is the outcome of the rapid advance in the improvement of accumulator and electro Length, 35 feet; diameter, 29 inches; weight, 2 1-2 tons; charge, 300 pounds of dynamite; range or length of cable, 2 miles; speed, 16 lgnéts. By electrical control from the shore over its cable, which is paid out through a small hole in the propeller shait as she goes through the water, the course can be set or changed and submergence effected by admitting water into certain compartments through special valves, or by expelling the water by means of gas liberated through another valve it can be made to rise near or to the surface, as may be desired. its dimensions, etc., are as follows: It is propelled by Qe TELLS OF THE AWFUL WRECK Captain Sigsbee Describes Incidents of the Disaster. After the First Explosion He Realized That His Ship Was Gone. Declares That He Had Always Main- tained Extra Precautions Against an Atltack. Special Dispatch to The Call. HAVANA, Feb. 19.—Captain C. D. Sigsbee of the battleship Maine, in an interview to-day with a correspondent, described in detail the explosion which destroyed the great ship. “On the night of the explosion,” said Captain Sigsbee, “I had not retired. I was writing letters. I find it impossi- ble to describe the sound or shock, but the impression remains of something awe-inspiring, terrifying, of noise-rend- ing, vibrating, all-pervading. There. is nothing in the former experience of any one on board by which to measure the explosion. “After the first great shock—I cannot myself recall how many sharp detona- tions I heard, not more than two or three—I knew my ship was gone. In such a structure as the Maine, the ef- fects of such an explosion are not for a moment in doubt. “I made my way through the long passageway in the dark, groping from side to side in the hatchway and then into the poop, being among the earliest to reach that spot. So soon as I recog- nized the officers I ordered the high ex- plosives to be flooded, and I then di- rected that the boats available be low ered to rescue the wounded or drown- ing. Discipline in perfect measure pre- vailed. There was no more confusion than a call to general quarters would produce, nor as much. “I soon saw by the light of the flames that all my officers and crew left alive and on board surrounded me. J can- not form any idea of the time, but it seemed five minutes from the time I reached the poop until I left, the last man it was possible to reach having been saved. It must have been three- quarters of an hour or more, however, from the amount of work -lone. “I remember the officers and men worked together lowering the boats, and that the gig took some time to low- er. I did not notice the rain of debris described by Lieutenant Blandin or others who were on deck at the time of the first explosion, but I did observe the explosion of the fixed ammunition, and wondered that more were not hurt thereby. “Without going beyond the limits of what was proper in the harbor of a friendly power, I had always main- tained precautions against attack, and the quarter watch was ordered to have ammunition for the smaller gunsready to hand, so that in the improbable event of attack on the ship it would be found ready. It was this ammunition which exploded as the heat reached it.” Captain Sigsbee and all officers here are very anxious for news from the United States as to the public opinion there. The captain has done all he can to calm the excitement in the United States and to induce the public to wait for the results of the investigation be- fore forming a judgment as to the cause of the explosion. VERY LITTLE_MONEY LOST IN THE WRECK. Owing to a Recent Change of Pay- masters Only a Small Sum Remained on the Maine. WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.—It hap- pens that by the rare chance of an un- expected change of paymasters recent- ly very little of the savings of the Maine's sailors went down in the ves- sel. About two weeks ago Paymaster Littlefield of the Maine was relieved by Paymaster Ray. The former came to Washington and has settled the ac- counts of the ship up to the time he left. The record shows that Paymaster Ray had on hand in his safe only about $3000 cash, probably gold, and a check for $6000, which, of course, is safe enough without his indorsement against loss. —_—— Getting Ready to Move. JUNCTION_CITY (Kas.), Feb 19.— The fact that the troops at Fort Riley were busy all day yesterday preparing their equipment and packing personal effects, and that all furloughs to offi- cers and men are refused pending fur- ther orders, has given rise to the report that orders have been received to be in readiness to move on short notice. ———— Two Terrific Reports Heard. KEY WEST, Fla., Feb. 19.—A tpa,s- n the steamer Olivette, from ;?:vg:;a? which arrived here to-night, that shortly after the vessel's Ese’;;;l:xre from Havana, when she was about -eight miles off shore, two terrific reports were heard. The sounds resembled the discharge of heavy cannon or large explosives. Bl it Filling Naval Vaeancies. WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.—Qrders have been issued for the enlistment of for the navy to fill the vacan- :é?gsmceg:xsed by the destruction of the battle-ship Maine and to complete the legal quota. The nmew men will be sent to receiving-ships, whence they will be sent to ships in commission whenever needed. NAT C. GOODWIN TO WED MAXINE ELLIOTT. NEW YORK, Feb. 19.—A Cleveland spe- cial to the Herald says: Mr. Nat C. Good- Win and Miss Maxine Elliott will be mar- ried at Hollenden to-morrow morning. George Appleton, Goodwin's manager, paid a visit to the probate court late this afternoon and procured the mecessary li- cense. He swore the clerk to secrecy in the matter, and the license was taken from the back part of the book. The wedding to-morrow morning will be a very quiet affair, the only guestsbeingMr. and Mrs, Appleton and Miss Gertrude El- liott, sister of the bride. ‘When Goodwin was in Chicago three weeks ago he received notice that Judge Pryor of the Supreme Court of New York had rendered a decree in the divorce case of Nella R. Goodwin against Nat Good- win, by which she was restored to her maiden name_and given the privilege of remarrying. He, however, was especially prohibited: from marrying during the life of his former wife. This decree, however, is only legally operative in New York. Goodwin was averse to being married in Chicago, and, as he played in Buffalo, N. Y., last week he could not be married there. So the marriage is to take place here at cnce. ‘Washington Feb. 19. The possibilities of the foreign situa- War Department, but it cannot be said that the authorities have been moved by any recent developments to take any new or extraordinary steps toward increasing the fighting strength of the country. Certain orders which have been issued and the shipment of small supplies of ordnance, coincident with the recent events in Cuba, have been interpreted as of sinister import. Con- cerning these Major-General Miles said to me to-day: “Day before yesterday I issued a cir- cular letter to commanding officers of all military departments directing them to detail detachments of artillery of about twenty or thirty men each to the under-garrisoned artilley posts, mounted. My orders have already be- gun to be carried into effect. For in- stance, Major-General Merritt, com- manding the Department of the East, has informed me thdt he has ordered a detachment from upper New York har- has been ordered to the new mortar battery at Boston. This cannot be con- sidered as garrisoning the artillery posts. 3 ‘‘Detachments are sent ance with recommendations which I made long ago touching the necessity of detailing a few men to each of the new fortifications to properly care for the guns and to become familiar with their operation. Modern ordnance suf- fers from disuse and lack of care, and it is with a view of preserving expen- sive ordnance that is being mounted that the orders were issued. Congress authority to enlist two new regiments of artillery, which are so much needed. It is therefore necessary now at our command. Since we cannot yet quarter an adequate force of artil- lerymen in immediate contact with the guns owing both to Jack of men and to lack of barracks, there is nothing to be done for the present but to detail detachments to care for and man the high-power guns and mortars as they are placed in position. There are twenty-six points where new ordnance now requires or soon will require at- tention, and to garrison them properly will require more than seven regiments of artillery as a minimum.” The new fortifications General Miles referred are: Me.; Great Diamond Island, Portland, M Fort Constitution, Portsmouth, N. H.; Grovers Cliff, Boston harbor, Mass.; Paddocks Island, Boston har- bor, Mass.; Long Island Head, Bos- ton harbor, Mass.; Dutch Island, Nar- ragansett Bay, R. L; Great Gull Isl- and, eastern entrance Long Island Sound, New York; Plum Island, east- ern entrance Long Island Sound, New York; Fort Hancock, New York har- bor; Finns Point, approach to Phila- delphia; North Point, approach to Baltimore; Hawkins Point, approach to Baltimore; Fort Washington and Sheridan Point, approach to Wash- ington, D. C.; Fort Caswell, Wilming- ton, N. C.; Fort Moultrie, Charleston, S. C.; Tybee Island, Savannah, Ga.; Fort Morgan, Mobile, Ala; Fort St. Philip, New Orleans; Fort Point, Gal- veston, Texas; Ballast Point, San Diego, Cal.; Lime Point (or Fort Baker), San Francisco harbor; Fort Stevens, mouth of the Columbia Riv- er, Wash.; Morrow Stone Point and Admiralty Head. The shipment to-day of 8-inch double muzzle-loading rifles converted from ordnance made more than fifteen years ago from Fort Winthrop, in Boston harbor, to Fort Morgan, at Mobile, Ala., I am told by Brigadier-General Flag- ler, chief or ordnance, is mere matter of routine. FEight-inch rapid fire dis- appearing guns are in position at Mo- bile, and carriages for the converted 8- inch guns of the old type having been recently shipped from Watervliet arsenal, requisition was made for the delivery at Mobile of some of the guns which were stored at Fort Winthrop. Such shipments are of weekly occur- rence, and while the resuit is to stead- ily put the coast defenses in more effi- cient condigion, no movement of ord- nance that has yet been made has any special significance. It is no secret that the military infor- mation division of the adjutant-gen- eral’s office is thoroughly informed as to the strength of the military organ- izations of the various States, .and most elaborate and detailed plans are on file at the department with regard to their mobilization on a different basis, ac- cording to different degrees of necessity as well as to problems of subsistence, transportation, clothing, ammunition, ete. The great railway systems of the country are prepared to transport at the shortest notice large bodies of troops to points of rendezvous together with all the stores of the quartermas- ters, subsistence and ordnance depart- ments, and arrangements are perfected by which adequate transports for a large number of troops may be fur- nished from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in case of emergency. It has been estimated by officials of the Pennsylvania Railroad that they can transport 100,000 troops over their system in from twenty-four to thiry- six hours. It is likewise stated that several divisions could be assembled in the Ohio Valley and transported to the Gulf coast in a slightly longer time. In case of trouble the regular infantry, cavalry and artillery, according to the plans of the department, would be drawn from interior posts and distrib- uted among sea coast fortifications. The militia summoned by the President would be assigned to the same points Land assimilated as far as possible with to which Portland, the regular troops. Of the National Guards those of New ““We have not yet obtained from | to utilize as far as possible facilities | Call Office, Riggs House, | York, eral Miles, However, to Allay Excitement. . While High Officials Continue to Talk Caimly Uncle Sam’s Forts, Armies and Fleets Are Strengthened. ' Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland and the District of Columbia are considered the most ef- tions are thoroughly appreciated by the | ficient in the country, and it would be from these that the most efficient aid could be drawn. The President, how- ever, is not empowered to call for a portion of the entire militia of any or all States as such. He can either call for a certain number of troops from the country at large, or which would | be unlikely to be done, he may author- where new guns have recently been | bor to Fort Hancock and a detachment | in accord- | ize the impressment of any citizens of States selected by enlisting officers. In order to enlist in the United States army the militia of States as at pres- ent organized an order. of the Gover- nor of the State to that effect is ne- cessary. Beyond making necessary precau- tions to meet any emergency that may arise the Navy Department is not dis- turbing itself over the many war ru- mors which have been afioat since the De Léme incident and the destruction of the battle-ship Maine. As the Her- ald and Call have stated, it is pro- posed to keep the monitors Puritan and Terror in commission, and the work on repairs to the former vessel is being pushed at the Norfolk navy-yard, and it is expected that she will be ready for active service in two weeks. Depart- The Terror is ready for sea. ment officials say the only significance which can be attached to this is a de- sire to keep the navy up to a certain strength and that by the loss of the | Maine it was reduced below minimum. | | | | chusetts and lowa, Consequently it was determined to place the two monitors in commission. One of the most interesting precau- tionary steps which the department has recently taken is the mobilization of vessels in all portions of the world. Under instructions given by Secretary Long, the battleships Indiana, Massa- the second-class battleship Texas the cruisers Marble- head, Detroit and Montgomery, and the gunboat Nashville will be assembled between Key West and Dry Tortugas some day next week. It is highly prob- able that either the Montgomery or Nashville will take the place of .the Maine in the harbor of Havana. Of the remaining vessels of the North At- lantic squadron the Brooklyn, Annap- olis and Wilmington will be at La Guayar the first of next week; the Vicksburg will be at St. Ketts, and the Newport either at Colon or at Grey- town, Nicaragua. In accordance with orders issued by the department several weeks ago, the Cincinnati and Castine, comprising the American force on the South Atlantic station, have moved to the northern part of Brazil. The European squad- ron, consisting of the cruiser San Fran- cisco and the gunboats Helena and Bancroft, is at Lisbon, Portugal, and will not move from that point until or- dered by Secretary Long. The Asiatic squadron has also been mobilized to some extent. The flagship Olympia, the cruiser Raliegh and the gunboat Petrel are at Hongkong, about 500 miles from the Philippine Islands, and there they are expected to remain. The cruiser Boston, which is attached to the Chinese squadron, is at Chemul- po, Korea, and the gunboat Concord at Yokohama. One of these vessels will Jjoin the flagship at Hongkong. Under instructions issued by Com- mander Dickins, Acting Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, enlistments are being made to flll up vacancies in the enlisted force of the service caused by the loss of 251 men of the Maine's crew. So far as ammunition'is concerned, it was frankly told by an official of the department that all preparations pos- sible to be made with present appli- ances have been perfected. In great emergencies it is within the power of the department to draw upon the in- crease of the navy appropriations and make contracts for ordnance supplies. This was done by Mr. Herbert when Secretary of the Navy, just after Pres! dent Cleveland inaugurated the nego- tiations with Great Britain for a set- tlement of the Venezuefan question. This action has not yet been taken by Secretary Long, nor has he any in- tention of doing so at this time, so far as can be learned. The officials say that the report that the Carpenter Pro- Jjectile Company is working overtime under instructions from the depart- ment is not the result of any pressure from them. I was told to-day that the Carpenter Company had delayed the completion of the work and that the department had informed it of its in- tention to impose a penalty unless it were completed within the time limit. As a result of this threat it has been understood that the firm would ex- pedite the manufacture of projec- tiles that is under way. No special orders with reference to hurrying work on naval vessels under repairs have been issued. Chief Naval Constructor Hichborn has been doing all in his power to hasten the comple- tion of vessels so as to get them out of the yards, but no orders of any kind have been issued to expedite the work of ships under construction. The Dol- phin, Charleston and Lancaster will be the first vessels under repairs to be completed. The Lancaster is intended as a gunnery training ship, and she and the Dolphin will be placed in com- mission on the North - Atlantic coast. The Charleston will be placed in com- mission at Mare Island. It is expected that the Charleston will be ready toen=-: ter into commission next month. WASHINGTON, D. C., The Arlington, 29th January, 1898—Dear Sir: I am di- rected by President Dole to convey to you, and through you, to the officials of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, his thanks and appreciation for the conveniences afforded him and ‘his party on their recent trip from Chicago to this city, and which contributed so much to their pleasure and comfort. I am, sir, very cordially yours, C. N. Janken, Secretary to the President. To S. B. Hege, Esq. ¢