The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 23, 1898, Page 3

THE SAN FRA SCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1898 STILL THE ORDER OF THE DAY WAR WITH | SPAIN NOT PROBABLE That Is the Officially Ex= pressed View at Washington. An Officer of the Administration Insists Nothing Has Been Developed Yet to Show the Guilt of Spain. 4+ NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—The 4 Herald's Washington corre- + + spondent telegraphs: Whatever + 4 may be the final conclu + + 1 court of inqui + + > of the Maine * + administration, I + * 1 to state, does not antici- + + pa contingency which 4 4+ would justify the belief that war + + with would be the out- + + authorities all de- + | + tary and naval + | + now in progre are 4 ~ ation of such a con- + - + “ + h t of stimulating the ad- I tion and Congress to acti rations, all that being done at the officials in: X > of meeting unfore- and with the ex- eased military and gth will operate to stave off rease the probabilities ent time the adminis- ve been reluctant to es growing out of disa They have taken d that this country should explosion an accident until € mple evidence to the that the public mind down an official in the ad- well acquainted ws of the sub- 7 that the tir had ne disaster and the led to 1t could and ought nately discussed. en authorized to 1 ving b 1l statement, I talked does, the offi I know, 1 whom S e said to p “All the information at 1d, officially and through the medi- = re s of the administration. vi nclusion whatever as to , however, that it w any act of the Spanish re have already been of disavowal and the nd sympathy expressed Spanish authorities in Havana ing that the explosion exterior agency, it must ned whether it was cident or design before the can determine the degree ity of the Spanish worst possible light that put on the matter would be 1 v blown {p by a tor- ectly under the con- sh Government. was circumstances be strong suspicion uthority in Havana had actually ordered the »n. But in the face of the absolute avowal the United States would hav ble evidence before to have very relia- we jumped to the e or the outside. We have | 4 |some Spanish officer, through hatred | { could accept the disavowal as sincere. s dispatches, does not | for the United States, purposely ex- ploded the bomb which blew up the Maine. The question now arises, what | form of reparation can Spain make to | satisfy the United States that the act was not a hostile one? The action of | an individual is not that of a nation | when it is repudiated by that nation, | and an act which would be considered hostile when done by authority cannot be so considered when done without au- thority and promptly disavowed. “The offending nation, however, would not only have to make ample reparation in the form of indemnit but would have to punish the offendcr by death before the injured nation | “If an exterior agency caused the dis- aster, we must first show tLat Snain | did not exercise due diligence in pro- tecting the Maine while in her harbor. This established, Spain, of course, responsible, and the degres of res | and the measurss taken for | would be governed solely by what evidence can be adduced as to how th plosion occurred. I .a2n see | no possibility, however, of discovering anything that will show the act was a | hostile one, sanctioned by the Spanish | Government.” | Both the War and Navy departments | were closed to-day. Only one dispatch was received from Captain C. D. Sigs- bee, commanding the ill-fated ship. It reads: “Send to Forsythe for Sigsbee a transverse sectional drawing of the | Maine through the forward 10-inch magazine and shell room, showing the pocket coal bunkers.” This telegram is considered signifi- cant by those who believe the vessel's destruction was due to spontaneous. combustion in her coal bunkers. Con- servative officials of the Navy Depart- ment _believe that -Captain ~Sigsbee’s | request is merely for the purpose of informing dive: to the location of | the magazine and the bunkers. | INGALLS PREDICTS A | TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION. Believes a Conflict Is Approaching That Will Change the Map of | the World. | NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—An Atlanta (Ga.) special to the Herald says: Ex- | Senator John J. Ingalls of Kansas be- lieves that a general upheaval is near, when the map of the entire earth and | | | the frontiers of nations will undergo a Gov- | there | conclusion that the deed was a hostile | one. “There is certainly nothing in all the facts and circumstances now generally known that would justify the conclu- sion that any Spanish official was re- sponsible for the deed. But for the sake of argument we will admit that | | believe that change. “I believe we are on the brink of the most tremendous explosion that has | ever been known in the world's hi tory,” he said to me to-night as he left his hotel to lecture in the Grand Opera | House. “There is a universal crisis at hand,” | he continued. “There are many causes which contribute to this crisis—the | gigantic armament of 'the European | powers, the territorial encroachment of the rival powers in the Orient and in Africa, the war of the laboring masses | against their own condition and the | accumulation of wealth by the other class. All are prepared for conflict. Armies are equipped with the most modern engines of destruction, and be- hind all this is a great class who look eagerly for war as an opportunity for employment and profit. I can’t but be- lieve that a struggle for readjustment of frontiers is not far off. We will come out of it all right, I feel certain, and I | civilization will be ad- vanced, but it will work a change in the map of the world.” Mr. Ingalls made this prediction in discussing the situation arising from the Maine disaster, which he considers grave in the extreme. £ The Coast Defense Vessel Terror Off | Newport News Light. CRU]SER | careful consideration by AN INCREASE OF ARTILLERY Senator Hawley Explains Why It Is Absolute Necessity. Coast Fortification Guns That Must Be Properly Manned. There Will Be No Opposition in the House to the Bill Passed by the Senate. Spectal Dispatch to The Call. Call Office, Riggs House, ‘Washington, Feb. 22. Senator Hawley, in reporting the bill for the increase of the artillery arm of the army by two regiments, said: “The speedy passage of this bill or its equi- valent appears to be an absolute neces- sity. The Government, after long and those whose offices and studies qualify them to give the most valuable advice, has entered upon the execution of a systematic and elaborate plan of coast defense. progress therein is indicated in extracts from the annual report of General John M. Wilson, chief of engineers. Existing contracts call for the emplacement and mounting on or before June 30, 1898, now rapidly approaching, 139 modern high-power steel guns, ranging in cal- iber from eight to twelve inches; twelve six pounders and 233 twelve-inch mor- | tars, a total of 387.” These are to be scattered, according to the best judgment of the engineers and ordnance officers, from Maine to Puget Sound, having careful regard to the relative importance of the positions to be defended. The great expenditure will be wasted treasure unless a suffi- cient number of artillerymen, carefully selected and thoroughly drilled, be as- signed to the care and use of these | costly instruments of defense. As the works are from week to week | completed the utmost the general com- | manding can do is to detail a few care- takers to each station. With the aid of the actives of the National Guard and those who have been discharged therefrom after years of instruction, ef- | fective cavalry and infantry could be collected in a comparatively short time, but in case of war short notice would be given to the men in charge of the guns on the coast, whose costly ma- chinery requires much mechanical skill | and practice. Men fit to be trusted to run great engines on our railroads, or even the ordinary steamers and lakes, cannot be called into service at a day's or a month's notice. To handle, but especially to fire with pre- cision, the new guns require the highest class of skilled labor. A careful esti- mate of the annual additional expendi- ture required to maintain the two regi- ments is $530,054. But some months will expire before the regiments can be fully enlisted and organized, and while the scale of "the first year, with its equip- ment, will be very considerably greater than that of average subsequent years, it is believed that $450,000, possibly less, will suffice for the fiscal year 1899. It is The | of river | | © 108 106 308 106 206 00 10 F 0000 CE 0F OH 00 AMERICANS ADVISED TO LEAVE ¥ Copyright, 1898, by James Gordon Bennett HAVANA, Feb. 22.—Americans in Havana have been quietly notified by Consul-General Lee that it might be well for them to send their families to a place of safety. These precautions were taken in view of the fact that there is a strong suspicion that the volunteers—anti-Ameri- can and anti-autonomy—have been inspired to create trouble in case the Maine inquiry proves that the catastrophe was due to design. In justice to the authorities in Havana, 1 can say that they are’ taking every precaution in their power to protect all foreigners alike. feg=FeRRoRegagageg=Feageuguge] fegeg=guFaFagal [EeTaReFuPuFuTuFePugoTaguTaPuTuPegaFeyenl scarcely worth while to enlarge upon the wisdom of establishing the defenses of our very extended coast. Successive Congresses he vigorously and liber- ally asserted it. To this is added a number of re- ports, including a letter from Acting Secretary Meiklejohn and General Miles, the latest being a letter from General Miles, written yesterday, in which he s “My Dear Sir: Refer- ring to our conversation this morning, 1 have the honor to state that batteries have been placed in position in new fortifications at Portland Head, Maine; | Grovers Cliff, Boston harbor; Fort Hancock, approach to Philadelphia; ap- proaches to Washington; the coast of NorthCarolina: Charleston harbor; Mo- bile, Ala.; Galveston, Tex:: Fort Baker, Cal.; Fort Point, Cal, and Fort Stev- Or. Batteries will also be placed within a few months on new fortifica- tions at Great Diamond Lake, Port- land, Me.; Fort Constitution, Ports- mouth, N. H.; Long Island Head, Bos- ton harbor; Dutch Island, Narragan- sett Bay, R. I.; eastern entrance to Long Island Sound, N. City, Del.; approaches to Baltimore; approaches to Washington: approaches to Savannah, Ga.; New Orleans; San Diego, Cal.; entrance to Puget Sound, Wasn.,, making In all twenty-six new seacost fortifications for the defense of the great cities of the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, where fortifications have been and are being erected and where artillery is required to protect and man these batteries. We are send- ing small detachments 6f men to keep them in fair condition and protect the ammunition, but these are not suffi- cient to man said batteries, hence the necessity for two additional regiments of artillery is imperative and requires immediate attention.” There are also reports from General Wilson and General Flagler, showing the necessity for the additional force. It seems probable that the bill which passed the Senate to-day to create ad- ditional regiments of artillery will pass the House without much opposition if it is reported while the Hcuse is in its present temper. The military affairs committee has jurisdiction over this bill, and Chairman Hull is now absent at his home in Iowa. No opposition is likely to be encountered from the ap- propriations committee. Chairman Cannon is heartily in favor of it, but he wants it distinctly understood that his support is in nowise based upon sentiment produced by the Maine dis- aster or any idea that the situation is at all critical. “I favor the bill,” said he to-day, “because I believe the guns in the for- tifications we are building should be manned.” 0fibfififi@fifia@fibfififiaflfifififlfifififi!fi(fio Y.; Delaware | OFFICIALS ARE MUCH RELIEVED Recovery of the Cipher Code and Signal Books. Captain Sigsbee Had Been Instructed to Carefully Guard Them. An Official Announcement From the Maine’s Commander That Re- moves Uneasiness. Special Dispatch to The Call. NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—A Washing- | ton special to the Herald says: There | is a feeling of relief in official circles over the recovery of the cipher code and signal books from the wreck of the second-class battleship Maine. Of- ficial announcement of their recovery was contained in a dispatch received | last night from Captain Sigsbee, the | vessel’'s commander who has placed | them on board the supply ship Fern. | These books will remain in the custody of the Fern's commander until the re- | turn of his vessel to Key West, when | they will be placed under the charge of | an officer and sent to-the Navy Depart- | ment. Appreciating the importance of pre- venting the books from falling into strange hands, I understand that the | first dispatch sent by Secretary Long | to Captain Sigsbee after the issuance of orders for the recovery of the dead | bodies of the lost sailors, directed that the wreck be closely guarded and no persons be allowed to appeoach it who had no business there. The Depart- ment was on tender hooks until the re- | ceipt of the information announcing the safety of the books. “Had the books fallen into the pos- session of the Spaniards,” said a prom- inent official to me to-day, “the result would have been extremely embarrass- ing to this Government. Of necessity, the first step taken would have been to adopt a new cipher and signal code and to have distributed them to all the United States men-of-war in the world. This would have taken time. “If war had been in progress during that period, the fact that our cipher and signal codes were in the pessession of our enemy would have been most embarrassing to the naval forces of this country, and the falling of any im- portant ciphers .into Spanish hands would have naturally resulted in giv- ing them an opportunity tc meet any surprise movement we might have at- tempted.” Cromwell Line Steamers Stop. NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—A New Or- leans special to the Herald says: New 'Orleans shippers are advised that no more Cromwell line steamers will sail for this port from New York until fur- ther orders from Washington. The United States cruiser Marblehead now here for the Mardi Gras suddenly stop- ped receiving visitors about noon and there was hustle and bustle aboard. It is reported that she has orders to be ready to move at a moment’s notice. » Work on the powerful battle-ship Wisconsin RUSHING THE WISCONSIN. progressing rapiily at the Union Iron Works of this city. The Wisconsin is of 11,500 tons displacement, being of the Same size and type as the Iowa, Kearsarge, Kentucky and Alabama. Sheis d signed f:r a first-class modern battle-ship. Within a few montbs the great vessel will belaunched | American airs for the benefit of the 15 should the emergency of war arisz the contractors might be able to complete the work of construction in advance of the time appointed. Irving M. Scott remarked yesterday that no orders had bezn received from the Navy Department to hasten the work on the ship. The large force of men engaged in building the Wisconsin could be increased | sul-General, ; noon. should occasion arise for rapid construction. POEEOPPEPPPOEOOOOOOE® OO | Tun of several days to Havana before | her it was absolutely necessary to re- | VIZCAYA 'COALE Due Precautions Taken to Guard Against Cranks. There Will Be No Dynamite Found in the Bunkers of the Big Spanish Warship. NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—The © Spanish cruiser Vizcaya may-® leave New York on Thursday. © She can hardly finish coaling be- fore that time. Captain Eulate said to-day he did not know ex- actly when he would sail, and the Spanish Consul told me last evening that orders regarding the ship’s departure had not been received. Captain Eulate decorated the ship to-day in honor of Wash- ington’s birthday, and received on board Rear Admiral Bunce and General Merritt. Three sa- lutes were fired by the cruiser one of twenty-one guns at noon, to mark the visitor's observance of the holiday, and the others when Admiral Bunce and Gen- eral Merritt went up her side. [CXOJOIOXOJOJOYOIOXOIOJOOXOLOLOIOOXOJO) i Captain Eulate’s decision to take coal 1 on board her in spite of an early an- | nouncement from Spanish sources that he would not do so was in line with | his' assertion when he arrived that he was in a friendly port and had no apprehension regarding the safety of his ship. Two coal barges towed by a tug approached the Vizcaya soon after her crew had breakfasted below, and by 8 o’clock one was lying to the port and one to starboard of her, and she commenced the work of passing up fuel. Although HKer coal carrying ca- pacity is great, the long run from Spain to this vort had pretty nearly ex- hausted her supply, and as she has a fill the bunkers. Due precautions were taken to ascer- tain that the coal contained no explo- sive and that no crank or fanatic had | approached it. Captain Eulate ordered the coal through the Spanish Consul. Senor Baldasano notified the navy- yard of the arrangements he was mak- ing to supply the cruiser and a guard | boat was kept alongside the coal barges at Communipaw on Monday and until yesterday morning, when they. were towed to the cruiser. This coal was passed up in bags and baskets and was really subjected to two inspections before it reached the ship’s bunkers. A lieutenant was sta- tioned on each barge and the men worked under his direction. Another officer was stationed on deck, and it is believed the coal was poured out of the bags under his eyes. No one on board the cruiser ap- peared to entertain any fear regarding | an attempt to tamper with the coal. Indeed, they laughed over the work of coaling as they have laughed over the vigilance of the patrol boats which have surrounded them since the Viz- caya anchored. The work was con- tinued all day, except for half an hour during the visits of Rear Admiral | representatives of @'| boys, seeing gold braid on his haty followed him, jeering. He paid no at- tention to the childish demonstration, estimating it properly as the foolish- ness of children. The Vizcaya’s flags, of which she displayed several hundred, were taken down at sunset, and to-morrow she will show her ensign at half-mast once more as a sign of mourning for the Maine's crew. When night settled on the bay the big cruiser floated at anchor off Tomp- kinsville as if she had been in a mill pond. The sky was obscured by clouds, but hardly a breath of wind stirred, and every sound on board the vessel could be heard with almost startling distinctness ashove. Bugle notes, sounding clear and loud along shore, called the men to their quarters at 8 o’clock, and after that the only signs of life on the water were the patrolling launches that guarded her. Counsel-General Baldasano was seen this afternoon and asked if he was satisfied with the reception given to Captain Eulate by the representatives of the nation and city. “I. must be pleased and delighted with the reception. We received royal welcome wherever we went,” was the reply. “It has been said,” it was ventured, “that Mayor Van Wyck did not extend a welcome to Captain Eulate 'when you and the captain called at the City Hall.” “That should not be said. We en- tered the Mayor's office unannounced. He was. busy and his office was crowd- ed with men. He received us cordially, but we saw that he was busy and we soon withdrew.” “What do you think of the naval and police protection given to the Vizeaya?” “That is an evidence of the friendly relations existing between the two countries that we appreciate. of course, we could not and would not have asked for it, but that it was of- fered is a matter of gratification to all the Spanish Gov- ernment here.” “Do you care to express your opin- ion regarding the explosion that wreck« ed the Maine?” “Of that I can say nothing more than that Spaniards here, at Havana and in Spain are satisfied with the methods adopted by the United States Government for carrying on the invest< igation.’ HOURS FOR DRILL ARE INCREASED. Regulars and Militia of Missouri Are Well Prepared for Active Service. NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—A St. Louis Bunce and General Merritt. The Undine left the navy yard ‘at | half® past ten o'clock in the morning | with the Rear Admiral, Commander | Gilmore, his senior aid and flag lieu- | tenant, Aaron Ward. They arrived alongside the Vizcaya at ten minutes after eleven o'clock. A bugle summon- | ed for a guard of marines and when | they were lined up, Admiral Bunce as- | cended and was received by the Viz- caya's commander, with whom he ex- | changed salutes. Mingling with the cruiser’s officers, Commander Gilmore and Lieutenant Ward followed Ad- miral Bunce and Captain Euiate to the latter's quarters. The visit was brief, and after an exchange of courtesies | the admiral went over the side to the | music of “The Star Spangled Banner” played by the ship’s band. The gun- ners manned the secondary batteries, the admiral’'s launch moved a few lengths from the cruiser, a gun sound- ed and Admiral Bunce stood up hold- ing his cocked hat in his hand until thirteen reports were counted and the smoke curled above the flag trimmed Vizcaya. | Then he donned his hat and the| launch shot away. A | General Merritt, commanding the de- partment of the East, arrived a little later with Lieutenants Hale, Mott and Strother. He was saluted by fifteen guns as he departed, getting two more than Rear Admiral Bunce, although their ranks are really regarded as equal. The crowded ferry boats carried thousands of visitors to Staten Island to-day to see the Vizcaya. It was a holiday crowd, good natured and rich | in comment. Comparing the Vizcaya with vessels of the white squadron was the chief amusement. The sightseers carried fleld glasses, cameras and sketch books, and took away mary pictures of the cruiser. Some of them were rowed out toward her until the police warned them off. A party of ten careless young fellows approached as near as possible and sang patriotic Vizcaya's company. Senor Baldasano, Spanish Con- went on board before | As he walked to the landing in Tompkinsville crowds of ! | present strained relation between special to the Herald says: The hours for drill at Jefferson barracks, ten miles south of St. Louis, were increased, but Colonel Wessels, commanding the post, states that it has no relation to the the United States and Spain. Colonel Wes- seis says that he has received no in- structions from Washington. The hours for athletic drill have also been lengthened and there is unusual activ- ity at the post. Colonel Baldorf, commanding the First Regiment, National Guards of Missouri, which is located here, says that the regiment is now full and upon a war footing and prepared to move within twenty-four hours. It is fully equipped for a campaign and is one of the best drilled regiments in the country. Several meetings have been held in the last few days and hun- dreds of men have signed enlistment papers which were passed around at meetings, but no denunciatory speeches have been delivered. General Brad- ley, who led the Illinois coal miners against the operators, has written to a local paper stating that he is pre- pared to organize a company and re- port at any point for duty. EMPLACEMENTS ARE NOW COMPLETED. NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—A Raleigh, N. C, special to the Herald says: The emplacements for three 10-inch disap- pearing guns at Fort Caswell at the mouth of Cape Fear River are com- pleted. The guns are mounted. The building of barracks begins at once. Officers and men are looked for in two days to man the guns. No one is al- lowed to approach the battery. A bat- tery of regulars will occupy tents until the barracks are built. A battalion of naval reserves 285 strong is ordered to meet at Newburg for new inspection and instruction by Lieutenant P. O. Butler, U. S. N. P Words of Sympathy. At a meeting of the members of Pickwick Lodge of the Sons of St. George, held last Monday night, the subject of the disaster on the Maine was brought up and discussed, after which the following resolution was adopted: Resolved, That the members of Pick- wick Lodge note with deep sorrow the terribie disaster that befell our beloved country a few days since in the loss oi the warship Maine, and whereby so many of our brave sailors were suddenly hurled into eternity. Resolved, That this expression of our sympathy be sent to the San Francisco Call. 3