The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 5, 1898, Page 1

L Tall VOLUME L SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1898. - Vg CITY AND HARBOR OF MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, the PRICE FIVE CE IS SPAIN BUYING SHIPS IN PREPARATION FOR WAR? e e Uiy of Spain’s East Indian Posscssions. suburb of Tondo, on the north of the river Pasig, which flows in on the left. g many of its old-fashioned brass cannon. Capital and Chiet City On the right is seen the famous old castle IS FULLY ALIVE TO THE DANGER Whatever the Government of| Spain Does the Administration » at Washington Will Be Found Ready- Call Office, Riggs House, Washington, March 4 Prominent Republicans, Senators and Representa- ti who have called on the President during the last dz two left the White House with a different view of the attitude of the admin- istration than they had held Heretofore it has intimated in some before. been quarters that failed to appreciate the real avity of the situation aris- ing from the Maine incident ind that all was not being done which ought to be done in preparation for possible contingencies. But there is nobedy who is more deeply with the seriousness of the outlook. In the course of conversation with him one of the Western men commented on the Maine incident and be- gan to congratulate the Pres- ident oh the manner in which the clouds seemed to be breaking away. 0000000000000 C00000000000000000000000 the President © impressed than the President © © | solution of the general Cuban © | problem, and that no matter what o may be the discoveries of the Board © | of Inquiry the question of the es- © | tablishment of peaceful conditions O in Cuba will remain, pressing with o | greater force for settlement day by © day. If anything is to be done by €| the administration toward carrying | into effect the promises implied in © | the President’s message it is felt © | that action will have to be taken soon. P Should intervention be determ- O | ined upon it would have to be un- Q| dertaken before the deadly Cuban © | summer begins, and this limits the time for action to the two months intervening before the first of May. © On May 1 the yellow fever sets ©|in at Havana and conditions be- come intolerable for those who are o not acclimated. To make any kind © | of a demonstration after that time g‘ it is thougkt might only result in a o | humiliating fiasco. ©| There is another consideration © | which has weight with the Presi- dent. The time set for the evolu- o | tions of the North Atlantic squad- © | ron in southern waters expires in ““Jt looks as though the compli-|the last week of April. The squad- cations were passing away, and|ron was sent south in the expecta- though things would 1othly adjusted.”’ The President had been chatting | pleasantiy up to this time, but his face at once grew grave and he re- marked earnestly: ‘“Yes, superfz-f now be tion that its presence would be serviceable in bringing to a satis- | factory conclusion the administra- | tion’s negotiations for a settlement of Cuban troubles, and the idea of calling the squadron home with no cially, all may look well; but we | result accomplished except the loss | cannot tell yet. The outlook is not ciear by any means.”’ One of fairs. his manner that carried the pression. It is not alone the tragedy in Havana harbor and the complica- tions growing out of it that give the administration anxiety. The President realizes that the time is those who were in the company said the conversation gave | him an entirely new view of af- It was not so much what the President said as the soberness of his face and the earnestness of | im- of one of its sh.ps does not appeal to those who are responsible for | the maneuvers. Whatever may be the decision as to the cause of the Maine disas- | ter, it is believed that events are shaping themselves rapidly toward interference by the United States. | The preparations for strengthen- ing the coast defenses and for put- | ting the army and navy in prime | condition are no longer concealed. | The administration is not looking‘ forward to offensive opzrations, but“ | it intends when the time comes for very close ‘at hand when something may have to be done toward the| Continued cn Second Page, Done There | Copyrighted, 1508, by James Gordon Bennett. HAVANA, March 4—The Herald- | Call dispatch boat arrived here this evening. Other vessels that left Key | West this morning turned back on ac | count of the heavy sea, but seeing the | Dewey steam on toward Havana turned again and followed. The court of inquiry is expected on ;the Mangrove to-morrow and may hold |a session in the afternoon. Captain | Sigsbee expects the hearing will be con- cluded not later than Tuesday, when the | committee will proceed to Washington. | They may vote on the cause of the ac- | cident before leaving here; if not, then before reaching Washington. | Ensign Powelson and three divers will | be before the court here, Powelson ;hcing the only witness of great impor- | tance. He has prepared a diagram { showing the condition of the Maine after the explosion. This is said to be | important in detail, and comprehensive. | It will be placed before the court at the | first session and Powelson will go over it explaining the lines and plates. The Spanish divers were again at work this afternoon for about an hour. The American divers went over the ground with them, so it is not believed | that either the American or the Span- | ish divers found anything. The Maine is rapidly sinking, and it is feared when stripped of the heavy upper works may topple over. The starboard smoke- stack was taken away to-day and taken into the gulf and thrown overboard. The Bache is expected to-morrow to take the unidentified bodies to Key West for burial. One body, not identi- fied, was taken from the wreck this | morning terribly mangled. Another | body, which may be that of Merritt, was | found in the warrant officers’ mess- | room this afternoon. It was tightly wedged by the chest and was not re- covered. It may be taken out to-mor- | row. The American divers having exam- ined more or less thoroughly the ward- room of the Maine and the senior and junior officers’ mess-rooms, to-day tried to effect an entrance into the petty officers’ compartment in the hope of finding some bodies there. However. each day the belief grows stronger that few if any more bodies will be recov- ered. : Captain Sharp, who is in charge of the Merritt & Chapman wrecking outfit, ap- preciates the difficulties of the situation better than others. He will not specify any time when the big guns will be re- leased. It is necessary to first remove the top of the turrets. These are held in place by steel bolts, which must be ~qout loose. The best informed people COURT OF INQUIRY TO RESUME WORK IN CUBA’S CAPITAL It Is Not Believed the Work to Be Will Require Very Many Days More. here think a month will elapse before the turrets are opened. In the meantime work on the minor details of the wreck will proceed with all possible speed. The discipline on board the Spanish cruiser Vizcaya is very high, which greatly gratifies the Spaniards A hurricane which swept over the port of Batabano, on the south coast of Cuba, opposite Havana, has done great damage. It destroyed a hut in which were quartered a number of soldiers be- longing to the Castilian battalion, kill- ing two of the men and wounding twenty-five others. Thousands of trees were swept away and the ships in the harbor were obliged to put hurriedly to sea to avoid being wrecked. Senator Proctor returned this after- noon from Artemisa earlier than ex- pected, leaving there Miss Clara Barton. Superintendent Elwell and two Red Cross Society doctors, with orders to assist in establishing a relief depot. The Senator was enabled to see a part of the country which he had not visited, where tobacco and bananas were once the staple. WORK AT THE MARE ISLAND NAVY YARD Twenty-Five Additional Men Re- quired, Including Ship-Fitters and Shipwrights. VALLEJO, March 4.—Cards were sent out this afternoon for twenty- five additional workmen, including ship-fitters and shipwrights. It is expected that these men will be put to work on the Charleston, now lying alongside the wharf. The Philadel- phia is lylng in midstream with noth- ing being done to the cruiser. There is no unusual activity at the yard. The only department reporting an increase in numbers is that of the department of construction, which dur- ing the past three weeks has had an increese of some sixty 0dd in the work- ing force. The men to be taken on within the next two or three days are for this department. The department of ordnance, having in charge all the ordnance and ammunition, has only a force of twenty men, though should a large shipment of powder and shell be | made to the Mohican it would not ne- cessitate an increase in the working force of this department, as the greater portion of the work of transferring the stores would be made by the crew from the Mohican, if that ship car- ries the stores to China. LONDON, March 4.—It was re- ported to-day that Spain had pur- chased two cruisers which the Arm- strongs have been building for Bra- zil, the Amazonas and a sister ship, the Barrozo, of 4000 tons each, 23 knots and 10 guns. Later, when Armstrong’s manager was asked as to the truth of this report, he denied it most emphatically. ‘“The Ama- zonas left the Tyne yesterday with a native crew for Brazil,” he said. built by us, is ready to sail.” Spain is alsonegotiating for and will probably secure two cruisers of a similar type which have been building in France for Brazil. These are presumed to be the Deodoro and the Floriano, which are building at La Sienne, Toulon. These are small but powerful battle- ships. Their tonnage is only 3162, but they carry four 10-inch rifles in turrets in addition to two 6-inch and four 10-inch guns and good second- | ary ba: s. Their coal endurance, howevey, % s 1 and their forte would seem to be coast defense oper- ations, or cruising near the base of supplies. The Spanish Government is also endeavoring to secure guns and large supplies of munition in England and on the Continent for immediate use. The Government of Spain seems to have funds, for it is understood to be paying a large part of the purchase money in cash, giving good security for the balance, these being the only terms upon which the Armstrongs would deal. Some weeks ago Spain attempted to purchase ships and supplies in England on credit from prominent firms having close rela- tions with the Government, but after inquiries the firms refused to give credit. Since then Spain has raised funds from unknown sources. Diplo- mats in London express the belief that French financiers are helping the Spanish Government, although this is denied in a Madrid dispatch which says Spain is without money other than that needed to send the fleet already started across the ocean. It is known that Spain is trying to purchase three other ships which will be rebuilt by the Armstrongs, but she has not yet succeeded in making a bargain, consequently there is still time if the United States wishes to forestall her. The Amazonas and Barrozo, the two cruisers said to have been pur- chased by Spain, are sister ships of 3450 tons, 7500 horse-power and an estimated speed of 20 knots. They were built to order for the Brazilian Government at Armstrong & Co.’s yard, Elswick, the Barrozo being jaunched August 25, 1896, and the Amazonas December 4, 1896, while a third one is still on the stocks. They are sheathed with wood and coppered, thus avoiding frequent dockage and enabling them to keep at sea and maintain their intended speed. Their dimensions are 330 feet 10 inches length, 48 feet 9 inches beam and a mean draught of 16 feet 10 inches. The protective deck ex- tending clear fore and aft is 3 inches thick. The normal coal supply on 3450 tons displacement is 700 tons and the bunker capacity is 850 tons, calculated to give a steaming radius of 8000 knots at the most economical speed. The armament consists of six 6- inch rapid fire guns of 50-caliber—or 25 feet in length—located so as to fire three ahead and three astern. There are also four 50-caliber 4.7- inch rapid fire guns, ten 6-pounder and four 1-pounder Nordenfelt rapid two fire guns, four Maxim guns, landing guns and three torpedo tubes. The two armored coast defense ves- sels ordered by Brazil from the Forges et Chautiers de la Mediter- ranee, have been named Marshal Deo- doro and Marshal Floriano. Their construction has been delayed owing Carnegie’s Case Hopeless. NEW YORK, March 4—The Morning Telegraph says that Andrew Carnegle, who is at Cannes, is suffering from a complication of diseases.and that his case is hopeless, to changes which the Brazilian Navy Department desired to introduce in the design. They are of 3112 tons displacement on a draught of 18 feet N e e “The Barrozo, her sister ship, also | THE UNITED STATES MAY HEREAFTER BE A BIG PURCHASER spondent sends the foliowing: plating similar action. the administration official time—that, not anticipate war, POPPPPPPPPPPPPPOOPPOQCOOCOOPOPOPOPS® PR TRy Czuu.u effect until now. SR AR R R R R R R R R CIRCRCROR SRR R CROR R OR R RO ORCRCRCR RO RS 00000000009 D Q0000000000000 00000000000606066006006 0 POPOPPPCOPPPPPPOPIPO0POPPOOOQPOOOIOSS THE PRESIDENT PREPARING FOR WAR WITH SPAIN NEW YORK, March 4.—The Herald’s Washington corre- The report that Spain has purchased or was negotiating for warships being built by the Elswick Company of England for Brazil, and for other ships under coastruction, has aroused great speculation here as to whether this Government was contem- | PPOP0000000 0900000000000 000000000000000 PP00PPP9000009000000000900000900000000009009 With a view of ascertaining the facts I called to-day upon a high official of admission—made for the first while the President does timn is a possibility of ‘hostilities g g out of the Cuban problem and the Maine disaster, and that he pro- poses to be prepared for it. There has been ample evidence of this in the extensive preparations, patent to everybody, which have been in progress for some time, but there has been no official admission to this POOOPPPPP000P0000090000900000000600 PPPPPPPIPPVPPPPVPPV999POCPOPPOPQOQOOOOOOPES® President McKinley Gets Ready for the Worst and the Relations of the Two Powers Have Taken a Most Hostile Aspect. LX3 and obtained the he recognizes that 220002922229222089. ') AMERICAN FLEET NOW AT HONGKONG THREATENS MANILA There Will Be Eastern and Fighting in the the Western Seas if War Should Come. NEW YORK, March 4— The Herald's Washington cor- respondent telegraphs: Eight men-of-war which are prac- tically completed in foreign ship- yards have been offered for sale to the United States. The President has given considera- tion to the advisability of plac- ing an option on them. +Eb bbbt + + + + + + + + + + + + It is understood that the department proposes to order the cruiser Baltimore. the flagship of the Pacific station, to re- enforce the Asiatic squadron. She will carry to Hongkong a large supply of powder and projectiles for the United States ships in those waters. Secretary Long has ordered a board to examine the merchant vessels of the United States to determine what changes will be necessary to transform them into auxiliary cruisers. Anticipating - an appropriation by Congress, orders were given to-dav under which the plans for four coal sheds at Key West were prepared and completed in great haste, and the sheds will be fitted, as soon as built, with fuel for the North Atlantic squadron. It is admitted in naval circles that the matters referred to above, which have been engaging the attention of the President and the members of his Cabi- net, are the most important attempted up to this time. A high official of the administration told me to-day of the President’s consideration of the propo- sition that this Government follow the example reported to have been set by Spain and purchase some of the ships now under construction abroad. 1 learned from him that the Navy De- partment -has been carefully watching the construction of ships abroad through the eyes of its naval attaches at London, Paris, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Vienna and Rome. This surveillance has been maintained for two months, but more especially since the Maine disaster. Through these naval attaches and from ship-builders themselves the Secretary of the Navy has learned that he can now purchase two small-sized battle-ships, two. ored cruisers and four torpedo boa&a comparatively small prices. Bui have promised that they can deliver the vessels to agents of this Government at this time complete in every respect, and all that will be necessary for the administration to do will be to order the necessary de- tails of officers and men to proceed to the shipyards, go on board the vessels and take them to any point which may be desired. The builders have urged that the pur- chases be made at once, as they say that a declaration of war between the United States and Spain will result in the en- forcement of the neutrality laws and prevent the sale of the ships. These battleships and armored cruisers have been built by English and German firms for Governments which are now unable to pay for them, so that this Government would have no difficulty in obtaining the vessels by simply putting down the necessary amount of cash. The torpedo boats have been offered by the Thornycroft ~ Ship-building Company, whose boats are recognized by experts to be among the best in the world. ‘While I was unable to learn the names of the ships which have been of- fered to this Government, there is rea- son to believe that among them are thrre powerful ships under construction at the Vulcan Works, Stettin, Germany. for the Chinese Government. These three ships are of 800 tons displace- ment, contracted to make 10.5 knots and will be able to carry not less than rooo tons of coal in their bunkers. There is also reason to believe that in