The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 24, 1898, Page 2

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1898. A TORPEDO D TORPEDOES AND MINES FOR KEY WEST’ Elaborate Submarine Sys- tem to Protect the Lower. Coast of recting its offic muni e proved unavailing. Im e preparations along the Flori PEOOEOOOOOOEO®®E mation on the subject. any i Governme: every pt The s s and other explosives ir thin a radius of thirty mi tile fleet might see weather. they will be explodec fortification at the Tortugas. [© @® NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—A Key West (Fla.) special to the Herald says: The result of the order recently issued by the Navy Department, di- rs not to give information regarding the movements of vessels or hold interviews with members of the press, has almost been construed to mean that all social intercourse between and citizens must be restricted to ordinary compliments of the day. All efforts to obtain the slightest information from officers of the Maine or cal attaches at this place who up to vesterday were more com- n effort to investigate the truth of v to the effect that the Government was making active but secret i neither affirm nor deny the report the Iam t. in anticipation of an early rupture with Spain, is taking ble precaution to protect this point. em of defense proposed contemplates the placing of submar- < anchorage, either voluntarily or through stress of These torpedoes are to be connected with the shore, whence but a few of the surrounding Keys are in- habited the aim of the Government will be directed to protect only its A most persistent rumor which has been in circulation here for the S DEFENSE Florida. naval officials the report circulated coast. While the authorities positively declined to give however, that the da convinced, n the waters of all harbors and les around Key West, where a hos- to the effect that Consul-General Lee was, to leave Ha- His mission is said to be to confer with past few da vana for the United States. the authorities at Washington. Yesterday it was reported that he had sailed from Havana on board some Government vessel for Tampa, ere a special train awaited to take him to Washington. The Herald correspondent at Havana gave a flat denial to that report by cabling the presence of Consul Lee at Havana last night. To-day the rumor again finds persistent reiteration, with a few slight variations. to-night emanating apparently from Jacksonville state that arked on board the torpedo boat Cushing at Havana and route to Key West, where he will meet General Proctor, former was coming here by rail, and who has been s en Secretary of War, wh ent by President McKinley to confer with the Consul-General. [OJOJOXOXOXOXOIOIOIOXOXOJOJOLOX O O XOXOXOXOXOY O XOXOJOYOIOIOXOJOJOIOJOOJOJOJOX O ) PEOOOEO®OOOEO®O®®E OJOJOJOOICROROROXOROXOXOXOXOOROJOXOIOXOIOJO] ighting ship in the navy. We are| much in need of men here, especially ship fitte and iron workers. We are going to have plenty of work here from indications.” Ref ng to Senator Morgan's reso- :sting the construction of a hip equal to any in the world, med the George Washington, to be done in a year, Com- wor modore Farquhar said the work could the not be done in that time in the best equipped yard in the country. The Tredegar Iron Works, in this v, are working a large force making solid shells of large size for the Gov- ernment. The managers of the works they have received no hurry or- but they have been working a 11 force on these projectiles for | months., Lieutenant Marye of the! army is here inspecting the projectiles turned out. An agent was here to- day from Norfolk looking for iron- | molders and found all of that class of | workmen engaged. A\ OUTSDE EXPLISION l | tion. Even from these to her extreme | stern there is scarcely a plate in her frame that is not sprung or shivered so severely .as to preclude hape that she can ever be made worthy of reconstruc- tion. | Thic is what the divers say, and what | all naval men tell you, though they tell | you even that, as they tell elsewhere, | with the understanding that they must | not be quoted. The strict orders issued | by the department have sealed all lips. | One of the great turrets of the Maine, containing its huge ten-inch guns. has | not even been located vet by the divers. | It seems to have been blown completely free of the ship, and will probably be found ultimately buried in the mud at some distance from the side of the wreck. It is this turret which was lo- cated directly above the magazine con- taining the ten-inch ammunition. In contradiction of the narrative told by a passenger on a harbor ferry boat on the night of the explosion, who as- serts that he distinctly saw a great col- | umn of water rise at one time, Inspector Perez of the harbor police to-day as- serted positively that no such column of wate- was visible as is usually caused by a submarine explosion of a torpedo or mine. Inspector Perez, on the night of the explosion, stood on Machina whari watching through a glass the Ward Line steamer City of Washing- ton, moored close by the Maine. When | the explosion occurred the glass fell from his hands, but despite the blinding flash he insists there was no upheaval of water, but only a seething, booming vol- | cano of fire, followed by an awful rain of iron and blazing timbers. Local newspapers are not permitted to publish any news concerning what is going on in Washington, and all Ameri- can papers coming by to-day’s mail have been called for by the censor, who will seize all containing any disturbing news. So far as I can ascertain, the Spanish authorities are making no ‘attempt to find out if a plot to blow up the Maine existed. They seem to take it for granted that there was no foul play and that the explosion was the result of ac- cident. I have, however, heard army officers use the following cxpressions: “Hemus salido com nuester proposit que el Maine no saldra del porto.” (We have carried out our purpose that the Maine should not leave this port.) Consul-General Lee has received the following communication from a recon- centrado of Havana: Honorable General Fitzhugh Lee, Consui-General of the United States: Continued from First Page. | under Major Rivera. killed and many wounded | the ship may precipitate a c: There can be no better occasion than this to express to a great and generous | nation our feeling of sympathy and | gratitude. Those of us who, thanks | to Divine Providence, have survived | after the hateful work of reconcentra- | tion because the American heart was | inflamed with immense and pious pity | for our inisfortune, come to you, | worthy representative of the American | Government, to let you know that you | make it known to the noble nation that | you represent that we join you in your | grief for the horrible incident of the | Maine, and we raise pleadings to the Most High to take to his bosom the souls of the victims of duty. LOS RECONCENTRADOS. Havana, Feb. 15. Meanwhile, the rebels are unusually active. Only yesterday, near Candelaria, in this Province, the rebel chief, Mayia Rodriguez, defeated a Spanish battalion Major Rivera was have been taken to Candelaria. From all Prov- inces come reports of engagements. THE PRESIDENT IS IN_FEAR OF WAR. Apprehension That the Sagasta Gov- ernment Is Not Strong Enough to Hold Weylerites in Check. NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—The Her- ald’s Washington correspondent sends the following: President McKinley | has not wavered from his determination to soberly and judiciously weigh all the evidence as to the Maine disaster be- fore coming to any conclusion as to the cause or shaping any new Cuban policy. There is no denying that he is soli- citous as to the outcome. He realizes that any decision of the court of in- quiry which will not clearly establish that the catastrophe was the result of an accident occurring in the interior of n Cuba or so crystallize public opinion in this country as to force a rupture with Spain. He is not unmindful of the possibili- ties of the situation, as clearly indicated by the military and naval preparations which have been made and which are now in progress. The President and all of his advisers nevertheless very much deprecate war talk and are coun- seling conservatism and prudence in all quarters. There will be no change in the gen- eral Cuban policy until the. Maine mys- tery is thoroughly cleared up. I was told to-day that the President, fearing he might further aggravate the situa- tion, has determined to hold back the Cuban correspondence which is being prepared for transmission to Congress until the responsibility for the Maine disaster has been fixed, unless the de- liberations of the court of inquiry should be unduly prolonged. Even if the result of the investigation restore peace in Cuba, but the authori- ties have doubted the ability of the Ministry to do so in the face of the bitter opposition of the old regime. If, as suspected, the Weylerites are respon- sible for the blowing up of the Maine, it is assumed that these men will make further trouble for the Sagasta. Gay- ernment, not only in . Cuba, but in Madrid. Especially is it believed that this would be true if Governor-General Blanco should attempt to punish the guilty persons if they can be found. It is this phase of the situation, it is believed, which has prompted Consul- General Lee to quietly notify Ameri- cans in Havana that it might be well for them to take their families to a place of safety, as indicated by the dis- patches to the Herald from there this morning. Officially, however, nothing is known at the State Department about such warnings. Assistant Secretary Day said this evening that no instruc- tions to this effect had been given to Consul-General Lee and that up to this time he had not informed the depart. ment that he had advised Americans to léave the island. The authorities all ad- mit, however, that the situation is ex- tremely delicate, and until there has been an improvement they probably would not advise Americans to take their families to Cuba if their opinion should be asked. In response to in- quiries they still advise shippers that there is nothing alarming in the present situation which would make it unsafe to send vessels to Cuban ports. Secretary Gage, Secretary Long and Attorney-General Griggs all positively declared to-day that they saw nothing alarming in the present situation. The same conservative view of the situation is taken by leading Republican Senators in close touch with the administration. WRECKING EXPEDITION STARTS FOR HAVANA. Sails Two Days Ahead of Time on Urgent Orders From Wash- ington. NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—Imperative dispatches from the Navy Department | gave a sudden impetus to-night to the expedition contracted for with the Mer- | ritt & Chapman Wrecking and Dredg- ing Company. Preparations were pro- ceeding quickly looking to the depart- ure of the expedition Friday next, but the dispatches ordered an immediate start, and after extra exertion the wrecking tug R. J. Merritt and the deep-sea barge Frederick Sharp left Stapleton, S. I, shortly after 11 o’clock to-night, bound for Havana. Captain Frederick Sharp is in charge, with fifty experienced wreckers and two deep- sea divers. Two other divers left by rail on Tuesday. The tug and barge are provisioned for a ten-day voyage, but it is expected that they will reach Havana in less than a week. It is the most complete wrecking expedition ever put into service. Captain Sharp is one of the best known wreckers on the coast and commands a crew of picked men. The Merritt is a seagoing tug of the heaviest type. She is commanded by Captain Ddvis Walcott. The barge is seventy feet long, fitted with a double set of gear and supplied with derricks, 16-inch hawsers, heavy chains, etc. Thirteen pumps are carried, ranging from five to twenty inches in diameter, the largest with a capacity for pump- ing eighty barrels a minute. Upon the receipt of the urgent orders of the Navy Department to-night mes- sengers hurried into Thompkinsville for supplies, and in a half hour wagons laden with provisions were on their way to the company’s yard at Steple- ton. While the stores were being load- ed the bunkers were being filled with codl and the crew, summoned unex- pectedly, was reporting for duty one by one. Not a moment was wasted unnecessarily and the expedition steamed away two days ahead of the time originally scheduled, but accord- ing to orders. HUNDREDS OF MEN SEEKING TO ENLIST. Crowds of Volunteers Throng a Military Headquarters at St. Louis. NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—A St. Louis special to the Herald says: Over 600 men have applied to the armory of the First Regiment of the Missouri Na- tional Guard asking to be allowed to enlist, While the regiment is now full, papers have been circulated there and a majority ‘of the applicants have signed the roll. Members of regiments have been ordered to report every night for drill A call has been issued for Sunday, when the Busch Zouaves will be organ- ized. They will be commanded by Cap- tain T. Ross Roemer, who was formerly a captain in the Cuban army, but who returned to St. Louis a few monthsago. As soon as organized it will report to Governor Stephens as ready for duty when the President calls upon Missouri for troops. Ex-Sergeant Zucker of Company F, First Regiment, has opened a recruiting station for volun- teers and already a large number have called and signed their names. Dr. Helwig of the City Dispensary stdff has also begun enlisting recruits. The : greatest excitement prevails around the armory, which is the head- quarters of the First Regiment. The regiment is complete on a war footing, with a full equipment for campaign. It could be moved within twenty-four hours. At Jefferson Barracks a sham battle was fought to-day, and it is under- stood it will be repeated daily. should show that the disaster was due to treachery the authorities believe it will still be possible to avoid war unless Spain takes a stand which will make no other course possible. In the opinion of administration officials the imme- diate cause for danger is the political situation in Spain and in Cuba. They have information to confirm the Her- ald advices from Havana this morning that there is a strong suspicion that the volunteers—anti-American and Wey- lerite—are likely to make trouble in case the investigation proves that the disaster was due to design. It has been the earnest belief of the officials here that if the explosion oc- curred from the exterior it ‘was the work of a Weylerite, It is this element that has caused most concern here. The administration has the most friendly and cordial relations with the Sagasta Ministry and has never doubted its sincerity in its efforts to GOVIN ACCUSES THE ENEMIES OF AUTONOMY NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—Senor An- tonio Govin cables the following: HAVANA, Cuba, Feb. 23, 1898, To the Editor of the Herald: Words at- tributed to mc regarding Messrs. Sagasta, Canovas and McKinley are entirely false imputations of the enemies of autonomy. They think that 1 am a_ strong supporter of the new regime and they intend to Jdis- credit it by means of falsehoods. 1 have always regarded Senor Sagasta as an advocate of justice and liberty for Cubans. Cuba is already a free country under the Spanish flag. GOVIN. PR o ) Troops Held in Readiness. KANSAS CITY, Feb, 23.—A dispatch to the Journal from Leavenworth, Kans,, says a state of tension exists at Fort Leavenworth to-night, caused by the receipt of telegraphic orders to have the entire command in readiness to move at twenty-four hours’ notice. Preparations have been completed for any emergency, and it is sald that the organizations of infantry and cavalry can be moved on six hours' notice, - | not notice. STROYED BUST DATIV ARMY CIRCLES General Shafter Arrives and Consults With His Staff.. Guards and Patrols Have' Been: Doubled at the Presidio. S A} Each Post Has Provisions and Equip- ment Sufficient for a Six-Months’ Campaign. General Shafter, U. S. A., command- ing the Department of California, was in the city yesterday for the first time since the orders directing extra meas- ures of vigilance in guarding the maga- zines and high-power guns went into effect, He had a busy day at army headquarters consulting with the mem- bers of his staff and officers stationed at the Presidio. He did not make a personal inspection of the works de- fending the harbor of San Francisco, as he found it necessary to go south on the evening train of the Southern Pa- cific. General Shafter was engaged for some time with Lieutenants Noble and Miley of his ‘personal staff, Colonel James M. Moore, chief quartermaster; Colonel John B. Babcock, adjutant gen- eral, and Major Edward Field, artil- lery inspector of the department. Much of the business related to routine mili- | tary duty, and had no special signifi- | cance. General Shafter is satisfied | that the measures taken to guard the | guns and munitions of war at the Pre- sidfo are ample. Colon€el Moore, chief quartermaster of the department, who promptly pro- vided the transportaticn for the ammu- nition recently sent to Lime Point and ather forts of the harbor, will leave for San Diego to-day or to-morrow. Although army officers stationed in this city and vicinity are reticent’ in glving out information as to the tac- tics they will pursue in case of an emergency, nevertheless it is a fact that important instructions have been recelved from the War Department, and the commanding officers of thesev- eral posts in the harbor are seeing that these instructions are being carried out to the letter, At the Presidio every- thing appears quiet on the surface, but there ig an undercurrent of activity go- ing on that a casual observer would The guards have been doubled, and every precau- | and patrols | gencies. The troops stationed at the Posts in the harbor are in readiness at a moment's notice to respond to any emergency, and if occaslon requires to move to points where needed. A six months'. supply.-of .clathing and equip- ment is on hand at each post, and in case a larger supply is required it can be obtained from the general depot of fl_ltE quartermaster’s department in this city. %7, i The military organization of the De- partment of California.comprises the First Infantry, Third Artillery and four troops of the Fourth Cavalry— about 1800 men and 12 pfficers. The Presidio is the largest post in the army, and ig garrisoned by four bat-, (teries of the Third Artillery, four troops of the Fourth Cavalry and eight companies of the First Infantry,’ Col- onel: Evan Miles, who commands the Dost, 13 a ‘war veteran who entered the regular service'in August,.1861. The colonel served with the Fifth ~Army Corps, Army ofthe Potomac, and: was engaged in the battles of Second- Bull Run, Antietam, Fredricksburg, Chan- cellorsville and Gettysburg. His un- blemished record shows that in case of hostilities the Presidio under . his administration will be safely guarded. The next officer in rank:at the Pre- sidio is Lieutenant Colonel Edward ‘Williston, who commands the artillery forces at the post. \oionel Williston entered the service from California in August, 1861. For gallant and meri- torious services at Salem Heights, Va., in the Gettysburg campaign, in the battle of Winchester, Va., he earned the brevets of captain, major and leu- | tenant colonel. March 13, 1865, he was brevetted colonel for gallant and meri- torious services during the war. Colonel Marcus P. Miller, Third Ar- tillery, commands Angel Island. Col- onel Miller is another war veteran, having entered West Point from Mas- sachusetts in 1854, and was graduated in 1838. He served in the War of the Rebellion and took an active part in the battle of Malvern Hill, campaign from Winchester to Richmond, and | battle of Dinwiddie Court House. He earned the brevets of captain, major and lieutenant colonel. For gallant and meritorious services in action against Indians in the lava beds of California, April, 1873, and special gal- lantry and military ability in action against Indians at the Clearwater, Idaho, July, 1877, he was brevetted col- onel, February, 1890. In army circles of this department |the war talk is largely discounted. | The veteran officers who were engaged |in the battles of the Civil War. reason | that a conflict is possible, but not | probable. They are content to leave the question of declaring war to Con- | gress and the executive department of | the natlonal Government. The younger officers grow indignant at the thought of hostilities between Spain and the | United States, and fancy that all the | war talk emanates from sensational | press correspondents. It passes their | comprehension that Congress should | think of permitting war without con- sulting the army. Colonel John S. Mosby, the noted | Confederate leader of cavalry, takes a | keen interest in the war news. He | does rot entertain the thought that the Spanish Government had anything to do with the disaster to the battle- ship Maine, but holds that Spain has every reason to avold a confliet with the United States. “Spain is in a position,” said the Colonel, “somewhat similar to that of tion is being taken to meet all emer- the North when the Civil War came. tleman of polish and fine attainments. \ NS \ W E MAINE PORTENDED ILL TO AMERICANS Spaniards in Havana Had Said - That February 20 Would Long Be Remembered. NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—A dispatch to an evening paper from Key West says: Spanish boasts that something would happen on the 20th of February that would cause the Americans to remember the day were heard in Havana for some time before the Maine disaster by Mrs. G. E. Alexander, who arrived from Havana to-day. She is one of many Amerifcans who have considered it advisable to leave Havana within the last few days. Another arrival to-day is Mrs. Brunner, the wife of the Marine Hospital Inspector in Havana. She is in Key West, en route to her home in Georgia. The fact that her husband thought fit to send her away from Havana is one of the best indications of impend- ing trouble there. “I did Dot fear myself,” said Mrs. Brunner, “but my husband felt that it was better I should come away. He had no intention of sending us north until after the sinking of the Maine. Then he grew anxious. After several Americans had procured health certificates from him to send their families away he came to the conclusion that the children and I were safer out of Havana. I was not disturbed at any time, but after the riots there last month Americans generally came to the con- clusion that Havana was not safe. The arrival of the Maine gave us a sense of security, but when she was sunk, the condition of affairs was worse than before.” Mrs. Alexander also was sent out of Havana by her husband, who feared for her safety while there. Mrs. Alexander said: “The feeling against Americans began to grow most bitter about the time the President issued his proclamation calling for supplies for starving reconcentrados. This was regarded by the Spanish in Havana as actual intervention by the United States, and it greatly embittered the Spanish against us. We knew there would be no safety for us if a serious outbreak occurred. There were many boasts uttered by the Spaniards that the 20th of February would be marked by an event that would make the date remembered by Americans; but we never connected this prediction with any danger to the Maine, as we were expecting an outbreak against our fellow-countrymen in the city. “That there is any connection between the boasts and the disaster I am not certain, but the fact that two weeks previous the air was filled with rumors of dire happening to occur on a date only five days removed from the time of the disaster to the Maine is ofitselfthought to justify the belief that there was some toreknowledge of that hap- pening among the Spaniards of Havana.” A number of other Americans who fled from Havana have passed e R R R g Rk R R R R R R e R R The®North did not want war with ni foreign nation, and so gave up Mason | and Slidell after they were taken from | a British ship. In the South we hoped:| that the North would not surremder | the prisoners. We wanted to see Eng- | land get in and blockade Nm‘thern; ports. The Government at Washing- ton was ready to make any reasonable | concession to avoid war with England. Spain is bending her energies to sup- press the rebellion in Cuba. She would | have everything to lose and nothing to | gain in a war with the United States. “If war comes I shall offer my ser- vices,” continued Colonel Mosby. “Yes, my health is all right, barring the loss | of one eye. I am stronger now than | when I went into the army in 1861. I could endure the hardships of a cam- paign in Cuba. At the time of the Virginiug affair, when war with Spain seemed imminent, I called on President Grant and told him that I was ready and willing to go. I assured him that | the men of the South were willing to support the Government of the United States in the field. While T was talk- ing to General Grant, Hamilton Fish, of the Cabinet, came in and .remarked | that the affair with Spain was in a fair way of adjustment without resort to war, I do not believe that Spain was wrong In the Virginius contro- | versy. She did what England or the| United States would have done.” *+ | SOBRAL SAYS HE HAS - NOT BEEN DEPOSED Insists That He Is Still Naval At- tache to the Spanish Legation. NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—Lieutenant Jose Gutierrez Sobral, who has been | naval attache of the Spanish Legation | in Washington, is quoted as denying | he has been relieved from his duties as | such. He made an unfavorable criti- cism of the United States navy recent- ly in an interview printed in the Her- ald apropos of the Maine disaster. His remarks were regarded as indiscreet and his conduct was disapproved by Senor Dubose, Spanish Charge d’Af- faires in Washington, who declared that Lieutenant Sobral had ceased to be an official of the legation about two months ago. He was said to be now only a private citizen. Las Novedades, a semi-official press organ jof the Spanish consulate in this city, printed this paragraph to-day: . “Lieutenant Jose Gutierrez Sobral, in a polite note of yesterday's date, begs us to make it known that notwith- standing the statements in the Ameri- can préss to the contrary,-he con- tinues to be naval attache of the Spanish Legation in Washington, as o C CAPTAIN CARLOS DE LA CASA. It transpires that Captain C. de 1 legation in Washington, D. C., has been sojourning in San Francisco for the past four weeks as the guest of Felipe de Castro, the Spanish Consul in this city. Captain de la Casa is an artillery officer, of experience and a gen- a Casa, military attache of the Spanish He recelved a Call reporter most courteously at the residence of the Spanish Consul at 1306 Polk street last evening, but declined to speak of the relations between Spain and the United States or to discuss the disaster to the battle-ship Maine beyond making the ‘statement that he had called on the admiral of the United States navy and the general commanding this department of the United States army to express his sympathy. ‘When the distinguished Spanish officer arrived here some weeks since he made his representations to the naval and military authorities of this de- partment. Since then he has participated in some social functions and passed the time agreeably with his old friend Felipe de Castro. ‘When it was suggested to the captain that he had had opportunity’ since his arrival in California to make many military observations which might prove acceptable to his country for future use he raised his hands in protest against this line of inquiry. ‘While no deep significance i8 attached to the presence in San Francisco of the military attache of the Spanish legation, it may be readily tfccepted @s a fact that the officer in question has had opportunity to observe at. leisure the general line of harbor defense and ‘to form a pretty accurate estimate of the number, caliber and location of the guns guarding the en- trance to the bay. It 1s expected of the military officer of a legation that he will in his travels in a foreign country make and note such observations as may be useful at sonie future time to the military or naval departments of his own country. It is quite natural to suppose that Captain de la Casa has not neglected his official duties in this regard. It is not expected that he will take the newspapers into his confidence, but it should cause no surprise if it should be disclosed that Spain-has accurate maps and recent data re- lating to fortifications on the Pacific Coast of the United States he has received no notice or order to the contrary. We oblige Senor Sobral as requested. —_——— Twenty Corpses Found. HAVANA, Feb. 23.—To-day has been the quietest since the explosion. The wounded are- all doing well, except Frederick C. Holzer, who is slightly worse. The divers have been continu- ally at work, but the results of their labors, so far as they would throw light on the cause of the explosion, are kept strictly for the court of in- quiry. \ “ It is reported that twenty bodies have been found under the forward hatches, but only three have been re- moved owing to the mass of chains and wreckage In the way. The Olivette's passenger list for Key ‘West to-day was larger than usual. . e ‘Will Be Floated To-Day. PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 23.—Impera- tive orders were issued to-day to the painters working on the cruiser Min- meapolis, in the drydock at League Island, that they must finish her so that she can be floated at high tide to- morrow. The force of men has been enlarged; they worked until dusk to- night and will resume at daylight in the morning. The navy-Yard was crowded to-day with men desiring to enlist, but only a few were accepted. CZARINA SERIOUSLY ILL. She Is Stricken With Smallpox and Great Alarm Is Felt. . NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—A special cable to a morning paper fyom Vienna says that the Czarin® has been stricken with lpox. She is in a delicate condition through Key West, en route north. RSN RN NSRRI RERRRRRRRERRRRRRRS ERFEEEEE R LT PR AR RS TR “GOD HELP SPAIN,” SAYS REAR-ADMIRAL GHERARDI. If a Torpedo Sunk the Maine, Her Navy Will Be Wiped Out of Existence. NEW YORK, Feb. 23.—A Bridgeport (Conn.) special to the Herald says: “If the disaster to the battleship Maine was caused by accident, well and good, but if it was an actoftreach- ery and the immediate cause was a tor- pedo or mine, God help Spain,” said Rear Admiral ‘Bancroft Gherardi (re- tired) to me to-day. — “We have the cleanest navy in the world,” he continued, “not only the cleanest, but we have the best fight- ing blood of any navy in the world. The boys would ask for but twenty- four hours- with the Spanish navy. I have the greatest respect in the world for the British navy, and so have the rank and file of our navy, but we are not afraid even of thém, and certainly we can have considerable confidence in our ability to uphold the honor of the country in a meeting with Spain's navy. “As to the defenseless condition of the Connecticut coast, I do not care to say much now. It is going to be better some day, but even now the peo- ple of this State need not feel inse. cure, for it would not be an easy mna“- ter for a foreign squadron to enter Long Island Sound. War is to be avoided if possible. Those who talk the loudest about it have no conception of its herrors.” Admiral Gherardi said that there was no special significance in his visit to the Navy Department. He is on the retired list, but is subject to active duty for the next five years in case of necessity. i M S - Detroit Sails. MOBILE, Ala., Feb. 23.—The United States cruiser Detroit left here to-day for Key West, ADVERTISEMENTS. 00D HEALTH Is the working capital of humanity. He who loses that is wrecked indeed. Is Jour health failing you, your strength, ambition, Vigor, manliness wasting away? (ERS Far Eap?” N DR. SWEANY. For the speedy, safe and permanent cure of all | NERVOUS, CHRONIC AND PRIVATE igenses of Men and Women. YOUNG MEN. 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