The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 8, 1898, Page 2

2 THE S MILLIONS FOR NATIONA FOR TWO ADDITIONAL ARTILLE HAWLET'S BILL PASSED [NTHE HOUSE All Parties United in the Wave of Pa- triotism. Political Lines Forgotten When the Country’s Honor Is Involved. So the Measure to Provide Men to Man Defenses Is at Once Approved. ONLY THREE DISSENTERS But the True Spirit Is Aroused in the Breast of Every American Statesman. Special Dispatch to The Call. all Office, Riggs House, | Washington, March 7. The spirit of patriotism was ram- pant in the House to-day and by al- most a unanimous vote the Hawley bill providing for two additional regi- of artillery was passed under spension of the rules. No effort was made to obstruct action, but Bailey, pleaded for more | the fc minutes allowed , and because it was r the bill had been passed, ed a filibuster against Dis- trict of Columbia 1 tion that con- tinued ail day. Bailey desired to speak in favor of the biil, but could not get time. Hull, in opening the debate, explained briefly the necessity for these men to | man the coast defenses of the country. By July 1, he said, 244 big guns and 232 mortars would be moun . These guns required eighteen men each to handle them, and in time of war sixty. There { 4025 artillerymen all told in the service. The guns emplaced July 1 would require 7000, regardless of any the Democratic leade time than gi exigency that might arice. Even if no exigency arose these’ men, he in- sisted, would be necess: to care for the fortifications and guns upon which we were expending millions of doilars. The charge that this bill was an at- tempt to increase the standing to used possibly to overawe citizens, he said, he considered too friv- olous to discuss. Cox, in opposing the bill, said he| would vote as cheerfully as any man | in the House for this bill, if it were needed for the national defense as a | easure, but he argued that the | 1t, as commander-in-chief of my, had authority to detail men the other branches of the ser- from vice, the cavalry and infantry, and that such details could man and care for | the coast defenses without increasing permanently the standing army. Belknap (R.) of Illinois, a son of ex- Secretary of War Belknap, and McClel- lan (D.) of New York, a son of Gen- eral McClellan, both warmly advo- cated the passage of the bill in brief speeches, and Hay (D.) of Virginia cre- ted the first open enthusiasm by de- ng himself in favor of taking every step necessary now to prepare for the emergency which confronts the coun- try. Jo: (D.) of Virginia, the other Democrat who opposed the bill, in- sisted that the bill was not a war meas- as it had been recommended for 1 years. afroth of Colorado caused a round of applsuse when he expressed his re- L 2 single voice should be raised uch a bill at such a time. 4 no denying the fact that relations with Spain were on War ought to our She eve of a rupture. be averted, if possible, but we ought to prepare at once, he said, for every emergency. Williams (D.) of Mississippi said that while his voice was now as ever for peace it seemed absolutely eerthin that Spain was forcing us into war to extri- cate the reigning family from the des- perate strait into which it was placed by the futile attempts to subjugate Cuba. He was for Cuban belligerency und Cuban independence, and if war was to come as a result of our sym- pathy for those who were struggling for their freedom he would not refuse to give his vote to any measure de- signed to prepare us to meet the en- emy. The time for debate expired at this time, ana Balle§, who had not been able to gét the floor, asked for unani- mous consent for;three minutes. Hepburn (R.) of Iowa objected. Lewis (D.) of Washington attempted to offer an amendment prohibiting the use of these two regiments to suppress | strikes. The bill was then passed without di- | vision. i The great chorus of ayes was offset by three voices on the minority side— Cox (D.) of Tennessee, Jones (D.) of Virginia and Todd (Fusionist) of Mich- igan. District of Columbia business was then taken up, and Bailey, as a method of resenting the refusal to accord him the privilege of addressing the House on the artillery bill, inaugurated a fili- ‘buster. two hours. When the confusion on the floor became such that order was called for the Speaker requested all members to take their seats. Bailey retained his place on the floor. Roll call followed roll call for | Again the Speaker requested members | to take their seats. “I take my seat,” said Bailey, as he finally sat down, “because the rules of the House require jt.” “The Speaker exercises no authority except that conferred by the rules,” said the Speaker. “He holds no other authority and he exerts none.” There were several exchanges after that, after one-of which Bailey, to the accompaniment of Republican jeers and Democratic applause, declared that he could not be badgered by the Speaker. | have come to the surface. MR. CANNON OF ILLINOIS. SLOW WORK OF THE COURT OF INQUIRY There May Be a Purpose in Prolonging the Inves- tigation of the Maine’s Destruction. HAVANA, March T7.—Another day| with Ensign Powelson and the divers— that in brief summarizes to-day’s ses- sion of the court of inquiry. As has become quite usual of late, Powelson was the first witness summoned when the court resumed business about 111 o’clock this morning. He remained with | the court in close conference less than an hour, then two of the Government's expert divers, Rundquist and Schloter, | who have been working during the week at the forward end of the wreck direct, under the supervision of Powelson and Wainwright, weresommoned from thei work and called before the court of in- quiry. The testimony of these divers covering their more recent discoveries | was gone over in great detail and illus. trated by drawings prepared by Powel- | son, the ensign, who has become £0 | conspicuous in the work of the court that he is now almost as familiar a figure on board the Mangrove as Cap- | tain Sigsbee. | Chief Engineer Howell of the Maine | was before the court also for a few minutes during the morning session. From this time on until the court has | finished its work at Havana its time is | likely to be given almost exclusively to | Powelgon and the divers. i These amphibious fellows are doing | splendid work now and their reports will doubtless strongly influence the | views of the court of inquiry. Andrew, who is one of the sturdiest of naval divers among the Americans, has made a remarkable record of actually work- ing under water a total of about twen- ty-eight hours in one week. Others | have done nearly as well. These men, in addition to their regular pay as en- listed men in the navy, receive extra compensation of $1 20 per hour for all time actually spent in submarine work. Their task has been a peculiarly ardu- ous one owing to the inextricable con- fusion of the whole interior of the ship after the explosion. Life lines and air pipes are continually becoming fouled on some projecting piece of wreck- age, but since much of this obstructive material has now been removed and loaded on lighters their task is grad- ually becoming easier. All the Ameri- can divers usually stop work for the noon hour. The Spanish divers, how- ever, not infrequently go right ahead with their work after the Americans At such times the lithe figure and bronzed face of Gunner Charles Morgan may always be seen perched on the end or side of the divers’ barge for all the world like | the lone fisherman in Evangeline. He is watching the progress of the Spanish divers, and nothing these active fellows bring to the surface ever seems to es- cape his sharp eyes. When one man recently came up with a six-inch pow- | der cylinder and showed it to Morgan the latter actually secured a snapshot photograph of the diver in the act. The utmost good feeling seems to prevail between the Spanish and American di- vers. They work harmoniously side by side. The probable duration of the court’s sojourn in Havana remains a more profound mystery than ever. “How long is the court likely to stay here?” was the question I put flatfoot- ed to Captain Sampson this afternoon on the deck of the Mangrove. “I wish you could tell me that,” was the reply of the court’'s president. I made one more cast in hope of landing some definite information. “But, cap- tain,” I said, “‘Should you think it pre- mature if a person like myself, desir- ous of closely following the court’s movements, should venture to pur-| chase a ticket for Key West by next‘ Wednesday's steamer.” I record Captain Sampsons some- what oracular reply just as he gave it | papers in_the United me. “It might be easier,” said he, “for you to purchase a plentiful supply of summer clothing.” I have recorded the answer. I am not bold enough to try to interpret it. Assuming, however, that for good reasons the Washington authorities are not quite prepared to receive the court’s report, it will readi- 1y be seen that no better way could be devised to protract the court’s session until the time should be ripe for its re- port than by calling the divers before it from day to day and studying draw- ings and diagrams prepared by Powel- son illustrative of their progress. This plausible process of making haste lowly could be protracted -easily enough until one’s summer clothes were all worn out. Nevertheless T am disposed to believe Captain Sampson’s remark was intended in a Pickwickian sense at present I understand, because a summer wardrobe available in Ha- vana is not at all extensive. Although the apparently reliable re- port heard here to the effect that Spain’s alleged demand for the recall of Lee was known at the American consulate last night I know Lee knew nothing of the story until the news- States queried correspondents here about it. It s now reported here, nevertheless, that Spain did ask his recall, but has since with- drawn the request and the incident is therefore closed. * MONTGOMERY 0 BE SET 10 CUBA'S CAPITAL Continued from First Page. ; watch officers, Lieutenant Field and Ensigns Steiguer, Spear and Osborne; surgeon, Dr. Curtis; paymaster, Ramsay ; chief engineer, Reeves; assistant engineer, Alfen. The ship carries a crew of 228 men of all classes. Secretary of War Alger had a con- ference with Speaker Reed at the latter's hotel early this morning. The Secretary of War called upon Mr. Reed about 9 o'clock and re- mained with him half an hour. They went over the existing situation thoroughly and reached a perfect understanding. The Speaker as- sured the Secretary that the House would promptly act upen any measure deemed necessary by the administration in preparing for an emergency. He assured the Secre- tary that the House could be relied upon to support the administration. DEATH AT LOS GATOS. William De Witt Tisdale Passes Away After a Long Illness. SAN JOSE, March 7.—Willlam De Witt Tisdale, a retired banker of. this city, dled at his home at Los Gatos last even- ing after a lingering fliness. Mr. Tisdale was born in Utica, N. Y., in 1845. He arrived lnaCall!ornla with his parents in 1850, uated from Sanf Bjasa College 1h 1863, and then ongaged i mining in Nevada County. Tisdale came to this city in 1871. He became cashier when the First National Bank was or- ganized in 1574, and subsequently became its president. He was heavily interested in the Electric Improvement Company nd the San Jose Water Company. Three S 5ah DLBatih racspeielt Hin 't o tire from business. A widow and four children survive him. FRANCISCO CALL, TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1898. - DEFENSE [NCREASE OF RY REGIMENTS, THE ARTILLERY No Time to Be Lost in Carrying Out the New Bill. Plenty of Good Men Ready to Join the Two New Regiments. Lieutenant - Colonels Williston and Sinclair to Wear Eagles—Others ‘Will Be Promoted. Speclal Dispatch to The Call. NEW YORK, March 7.—A Wash- ington special to the Herald says: No time was lost to-day by the War De- partment in making preparations to carry into effect the immediate pro- visions of the artillery bill and to in- crease the strength of coast defenses and the supply of war material in an- ticipation of the national defense ap- propriation Dbill. These preparations were: Telegraphic Instructions to officers in charge of the sixteen general recruiting stations and at army posts to enlist de- sirable men for the new Sixth and Sev- enth regiments of artillery. Instructions to commanding officers of artillery posts to furnish lists of privates eligible for appointment as non-commissioned otficers of new regi- ments and to commandants of all posts to hold troops in readiness to move at a few hours’ notice. Transmission to the nominations of Lieutenant-Colonels E. B. Williston, Third Artillery, and Wil- Ham Sinclair, Fifth Artillery, to be colonels commanding the new artillery regiments, and nominations of result- ing promotions throughout the artillery branch of the service. Selection of temporary headquarters of new artillery regiments, the Sixth at Fort Slocum, N. Y., and the Seventh at Fortress Monroe, Va. Encouraged by the passage of the ar- tillery bill by the Senate on Washing- ton’s birthday, the department had made every arrangement to facilitate the rapid organization of the addi- tional regiments, and was consequently prepared to carry out the provisions of the bill as soon as it passed the House. The enlistment of artillerymen for the new regiments will be an easy mat- ter and the department authorities be- lieve that 1610 additional enlisted men can be recruited within the next two or three weeks. During the last two or three years recruiting stations have been obliged to reject the applications of more than 1000 eligible men per month, and at this time there is likely to be no difficulty in readily procuring a full complem of men of intelli- gence and milit aptitude. As fast as new men ar# enlisted at recruiting stations and army posts they will be sent to the recruit rendezvous at Fort Slocum, N. Y., Columbus Barracks, Ohio, Jefferson Barracks, Missouri and Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Thence the re- cruits will be detailed to the head- quarters of the new regiments at Fort Slocum and Fort Monroe and the bat- teries of the five old regiments. ““To be armed for war,” said General Miles, “is likely to insure peace. The passage of the artillery bill and propo- sitions for appropriation for national defense are only steps that should have been taken long ago when there was no war cloud on the horizon. With the new facilities we shall be able to adequately equip and man the new sea- coast fortifications and purchase guns and ammunition. The department will immediately place contracts for all necessary supplies and will employ manufacturers not regularly equipped for ordnance manufacturing that the work may be hastened. No one is more happy than I to see this new evidence of wisdom on the part of Congress. 1 have long labored to show the necessi- ties of our defenseless condition, and 1 begin to see some results of my efforts.” SPANISH DIVERS FIND PROOF OF AN EXPLOSION President of Continued from First Page. land nor sea. The Spanish press and public men carefully foster this delusion. Private advices received by Americans here that the admin- istration discourages the thought of demanding a sharp accounting from Spain and intimating that the testi- mony developed by the Court of In- quiry has been negative rather than positive causes intenre but sup- pressed indignation in the American colony. The return of the Court of Inquiry to Havana and the further testimony elicited has not brought forth any evidence to show the al- most absolute impossibility of explo- sion having come from the inside. On the contrary it confirms and re- enforces the previously expressed be- lief of every one cognizant of the fact that a mine of some description caused the wreck. There is no real reason why the court should waste any more time taking testimony. It has now as much evidence as it will ever have and enough on which to base a rea-onable conclusion. As previously cabled, all hope of raising the hull of the Maine and floating her out of Havana harbor has been practically abandoned. One of the divers who knows more about the condition of the vessel below the water. line than any other man tells me that the Maine will find a grave in the mud of this harbor. PRy L Came to California in ’486. GILROY, March 7.—Mrs. Caroline Pat- terson House, wife of Ezekiel House, died last evening, aged 55 years. Mrs. House came to California in 1846, just ahead of the noted Donner party. Her father died on the summit 01’ the Sierras. She re- sided in Sacramento until 1858, when she married Ezekiel House, a resident of Gil- roy Township, Twelve children were born to them, eleven surviving her. © ° ©© 090©000g L °.. ¥ - - PLENTY OF POWDER AND PROJECTILES McNAIR MAY COMMAND THE FLEET. special to the Herald says: In view of the strained condition of affairs be- tween the United States and the Span- ish kingdom the actual status of our representatives in . Spanish ports in the event of war being declared by either nation becomes a matter of timely interest. It seems somewhat ex- traordinary, but it is a fact of history that many wars, and among them some of the most important in history, have been inaugurated without the formality of a declaration of war on either side. Not infrequently the first intimation one of the belligerents has had of a state of war has been tha blockade of a port, or the capture of a peaceful merchantman on the high seas, or some other overt act indicat- ing that a state of war had material- 1zed. From present appearances it seems that any declaration of war must of necessity come from the Spanish side of the controversy. It is impossible to foresee just how a state of war will be indicated, whether by an attempt to blockade some exposed port—and it may be asserted without fear of con- tradiction that our coasts are full of just such places—or by the seizure of some merchantman in a Cuban port, or perhaps the spark may be lighted in the harbor of Havana itself by an at- tack on some small warship flying the Stars and Stripes in that port. In whatever shape the outbreak does be- gin the first duty of the United States Government will be to see that the various Consuls, Ministers and others in our diplomatic service are insured safe conduct to their own country, to- gether with such records and papers as they may see fit to carry with them. In case of an outbreak of hostilities between the two nations there is not much doubt that the first papers sub- ' mitted for action by our Government will be a presentation of the passports of Consul-General Lee at Havana. Should war be unavoidable there will probably be seen a ‘sight such as his- tory will search in vain for precedents; our numerous Consulates and other diplomatic stations will undoubtedly be turned over to the care and custody of Englishmen holding a similar p tion nearest at hand. It has come to be the feeling throughout the world that these two English-speaking na- tions should shake hands in the face of all misfortunes which may come to either nation. A declaration of war is not a neces- sity for that expensive game to begin, for just as soon as either side to the controversy feels that forbearance has ceased to be a virtue so soon a state of war will exist. For pelitical pur- poses nations of Europe have generally exerted their efforts to make the ‘iother feller” begin the fight officially. It will be remembered with what suav- ity the German Prime Minister egged on the French Emperor to a final dec- Jaration of war, a just precedent to the tremendous eiruggle which has gone down to history as the “Franco-Prus- sian” war. Events which have ma- terialized within the last few days in- dicate beyond a doubt that in case of war with Spain the United States will strike a sudden and heavy blow at Spanish possessions in the Philippine Islands. And it goes equally without saying that the signs of the times in- dicate a willingness of Japan to assist us, morally at least, in that part of the world with an eye to the immediate future of those productive islands as an extension of its policy with regard to Formosa. Of ~ourse it is easier for a King to declare war than it is for a constitutional President, but our Pres- jdent has shown such good sense in this, as in other important matters, that the country stands prepared to uphold him in whatever he shall deem best for the country’s good. And what is vastly more to the point, Congress will fall into line in the same direc- tion. In this case “whatever the Presi- dent does is right.” It may be stated that prudence will dictate the speedy home coming of our various Consuls NEW YORK, March7.—A Washington | HOW CONFLICTS ARE GENERALLY PRECIPITATED In the Event of War With Spain the First Duty of the United States Would Be to Protect Its Diplomats. and other representatives on Spanish territory, for experfence has shown that the average Spaniard is somewhat prone to treachery and taking the law into his own hands when he sees a good chance. HAVANA IS QUIET .. BEFORE THE STORM. ‘While Spaniards Make Merry Ameri- cans Besiege General Lee for Information. Copyrighted, 153, by James Gordon Dennett. HAVANA, March 7.—It may be the quiet preceding the storm, but the fact remains that Havana is quieter to-day than at any time since the Maine dis- aster. Carnival merrymakers filled Central Park last night, giving no thought to trouble. Americans were disturbed by the wild rumors from New York and Washington, and Consul- General Lee was besieged for informa- tion. He was indignant at the reckless use of his name, and declared he had heard nothing about being persona non grata to the Madrid authorities. tCln thle contrary, the relations were ex- remely pleasant. The Consul- received a hysterical dsma:;]fgi::e{:el sensational press to give protection to correspondents threatened with depor- tation. Rumor mentions the names of only three correspondents, two of the New York Journal and one of the New York World, and they have for three years espoused the cause of the insur- rection. They have been in the field with the insurgents and have expected to be ordered from Cuba for some time. It is said they will be instructed to leave on Wednesday’'s or Saturday's steamer, and if Lee’s advice is followed they will go without a protest. The Havana papers are moderate in tone, being satisfied with chronicling the VER Bt ORDERS ARE CINDER VAT Prompt Action Has Been Taken by O’Neill. Seized Advantage of All Opportunities to Equip the Navy. Has Also Gathered a Large Supply of the Latest Im- proved Guns. VESSELS NOT DEFICIENT Uncle Sam in Much Better Shape for War Than Has Been Gener- ally Supposed. Special Dispatch to The Call. NEW YORK, March 7.—A Washing- ton special to the Herald says: Next in importance to the negotiations for ships were the orders given to-day by Cap- tain O'Neil for large supplies of powder and projectiles and the consideration that official is giving to the purchase of guns. Captain O'Neil has taken ad- vantage of every opportunity since he has been chief of the Bureau of Ord- nance to equip the navy with an ample supply of munitions of war. He has been moving quietly in the matter, but at the same time he has been. gather- ing large supplies of guns, powder and projectiles together, and the navy is not so deficient in this respect as recent re- ports indicate. His work to-day con- sisted in sending instructions to the Dupont Powder Works and the Cali- fornia Powder Works to hasten the work of completing navy contracts on hand and to supply the service with brown powder for guns of all calibers from 1-inch up to 13-inch. Captain O'Neil’ would like to secure smokeless powder, but he appreciates that the manufacture of this material takes time, while brown powder can be turned out very rapidly. According to a proposition recently submitted by the Duponts, they are able to furnish the Government with 1,000,000 pounds of powder in three months without increasing their pre: ent capacity. At the present time their capacity is 15,000 pounds per day. This sheuld be doubled within thirty days. They say that they can commence de- liveries within three weeks, and finally that thé Government could be placed in possession of 5,000,000 pounds of powder within six more. The California Powder Works also asserts that with some slight exten- sion of its plant it will be able to sup- ply the Government with all the pow- der that this Government may require. These two firms, however, are engaged on both army and navy contracts, so that as far as the navy is concerned their figures will probably have to be cut in two. However, the department officials feel confident that the navy can obtain all the powder it wants, and within such time that no embarrass- ment will be experienced. Relying on the judgment and discre- tion which Captain O'Neil has shown in the past. Secretary Long, I under- stand, has given that official authori to purchase all the munitions of war that he may deem necessary. It was in pursuance of these orders that such large orders for powder were given, and equally large orders for projectiles of all calibers were issued ENGLAND GIVES WARNING routine news here and in S the United States. There lsn:(‘)nn:l'rlil l’: the rumored resignation from the au- tonomist cabinet of Eduardo Dolz, Minister of Public Works. 3 SPAIN BACKS OUT _ WITH A WEAK BACK. Confesses the Request for the Recall of General Lee Was Made on a Misapprehension. WASHINGTON, March 7.—1t is learned that Spain’s suggestion of Lee’s recall was originally made upon a misapprehension, which was due to a newspaper report. This report was to the effect that General Lee had ex- pressed the opinion to a newspaper correspondent that the Spanish author- ities were responsible for' the disaster to the Maine. Accepting this report as to Lee's expression as accurate, the Spanish Prime Minister brought the matter to Minister Woodford's atten- tion, making at the time the suggestion that General Lee's recall would be gratifying to Spain. It did not require a great while for Spain to discover that General Lee had been, according to the United States authorities, incorrectly reported. Be- fore this discovery was made, howev- er, the reply of President McKinley re- fusing to heed the suggestion and ex- pressing a determination to keep Leeat his post was received. Spain then re- tired from her position, basing her re- tirement upon the ground that the original suggestion had been founded upon a misapprehension of facts. b S il Joseph Behrens Dead. SAN JOSE, March 7.—Joseph Behrens, a retired capitalist, died at the New York Exchange éesterday afternoon. He was a native of Germany, and 74 years of age. He had been in_California about thirty years, and for the past twelve years iived in this city. ‘e had no relatives in California. —_—— Chief Justice Davie Dead. VICTORIA, March 7.—Hon. Theodore Davie, Chief Justice of British Columbia, died this morning. The "cause of his death was heart disease. TO SHIP-BUILDERS. Must Not Sell Vessels Without the Sanction of the British Government. NEW YORK, March 7.—The Herald's ‘Washington correspondent telegraphs: Considerable importance is attached to the information received here to-day to the effect that Great Britain has notified the ship builders and gun mak- ers in her territory that no war ma- terial must be sold to foreign countries until her Majesty’'s Government has been consulted. Word to this effect was received by the representatives of the Armstrong and Thornycroft firms. which are now negotiating for the sale of warships and various kinds of war material to the United States Govern- ment. Its full significance is not defl- nitely known. The authorities, however, do not con- sider that Great Britaln will assume any attitude inimical to the interests ofthe United States, and when the time comes for completing the bargains for the purchase of ships, negotiations for which are now under way, no obsta- cle will be placed in our way by the British Government if the vessels are taken out of British waters before the commencement of w‘n.r. It is thought not likely Great Britain may desire to purchase the available ships for her own use in anticipation of some new movement she has on foot in regard to the eastern question. In this event s he would, of course, have first choice, and both the United States and Spain would be deprived of the oppor- tunity of augmenting their naval fleets of English construction. —_— Found Dead in Bed. SAN JOSE, March 7.—John Hannay, a pioneer nurseryr-n of Santa Clara Val- ley, was found dead in bed this morning. He had a contract for pruning an orchard at West Side, and his death occurred there. He failed to appear for breakfast this morning, and a search resulted in the .iscovery of his body in bed:. The deceased had been prominently identified with the fruit interests of this county for a quarter of a century. He was & native of Scotland and 64 years of age. l 1