The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 13, 1898, Page 2

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 189 been well fulfilled. . It is not strange that they have found more important evi- dence than their Spanish colleagues, who, moreover, began work many days later. Captain Peral insists that all the available evidence tends to prove there was no column of water heaved up- ward, such as should accompany any explosion of a submarine mine or tor- pedo. My naval friend is disposed to admit there was not, but he is familiar with the action of submarine explosions, and he tells me that while a mine capable of destroying the Maine, if submerged to a depth of ten feet, would probably spout a column of water 100 feet in the air, one placed thirty-five feet below the surface would cause little more super- ficial disturbance than a slight upheaval or bubbling of the water. Compared with the facilities enjoyed by those conducting the American in- vestigation, the Spanish divers have been at great disadvantage in other re- spects. They have no accurate knowl edge whatever of the intricacies of the | Maine’s construction. They know noth- ing of the numbering of her several frames or the details of her plates. Our | naval divers, on the other hand, have| had ready at hand the most perfect de- | tails and drawings that could be fur- nished by the Construction Bureau of the Navy Department, and the expert guidance of men most familiar by actual | experience with all parts of the ship. | Again Captain Peral lays stre the united testimony of fishermen that no dead fish have been found floating | in the harbor since the explosion. His argument is that any heavy explosion under water would have killed the fish in large numbers. The American divers, to a man, have remarked that there are no live fish| either in the harbor, at least in the neighborhood of where the Maine went | down. This is so unusual as to have | been a matter of open wwmment among them. While doing submarine work in the vicinity of Key West or Tortugas | they were surrounded by fish which armed about them in thousands. TIt| a well-known fact that the dead bodies | still under water have not been preyed upon by fish, and all the divers agree that they have not seen any. Havana fishermen find their catches | outside of Morro Castle. As one of them remarked to me: “No self-re- | specting fish would care to swim in the dirty waters of the inner bay.” The naval authority whom I have | been quoting consented, at my request. on sy THE OREGON T0 60 SOUTHWARD Valparaiso the Destina- tion of the Battle- Ship. Could Be Dispatched Thence Around the Horn to Cuba. . PPEEPEPPPPOOPRIOOROO® War Department to Let an Enormous Order for Shot and Shell. Special Dispatch to The Call. Call Office, Riggs House, Washington, March 12. | The sending of the Oregon, now at Mare Island, away from San Francisco is an exhibition ¢f the farsightedness with which the Secretary of the Navy is observing the situation of to-day. The vessel's orders are to cruise down the Pacific Coast, touching from time to time at various ports where cable connection exists to receive any orders that the department may have to give. In this way it is expected that she will | work as far south as Valparaiso, Chile, | where she will await orders. | Valparaiso is very much nearer Cuba | and to Admiral Sicard’s fleet than is Mare Island, while if it should be de- sired to send the ship to the Asiatic station, this can be done almost as conveniently from Valparaiso as from San Francisco. At Valparaiso the Or- egon will be where she can be most usefully manipulated in case of an emergency. { The Nashville arrived at Key West to-day, while the Marblehead arrived at Tampa. The naval officials will not state the purpose of the Marble- head’s visit to Tampa. The war talk has had the usual re- sult of bringing before the War anl Navy departments a perfect flood of suggestions and inventions. Many of these are most remarkable, dealing with balloons, flying machines, kites and the like, centipede-like steamers with manifold propellers and, torpedoes of fearful and wonderful construction. All of them are given attention, and are offered to the proper authorities for in- vestigation, but not much is expected from them. The War Department will on Mon- day open bids for one of the largest HEAVY SLUMP , IN STOCKS ON WALL STREET Belief That War Is Near Results in. a Stampede to Sell Holdings. the present war scare. The total of stocks. tion cleared. cordingly. ® ® moralization was developed. rate. @ @ ® @ ® ® ® [O] ® ® \;.J close. 5 @ nial had a quieting effect. @ [o}aloloofololooXolooJoROIOROROXOLOJOICROJOJOROROOXCROROXOXOXOKO)] captain replied, “but I am not going to admit that I have received any orders from Washington. In my official posi- tion 1 cannot say anything. But what- ever the orders we cannot sail just yet. to give me his personal theory as to |orders of shot and shell for heavy cal- | 1120 211 the ammunitior and coal to how the Maine was blown up. It shouid be understood distinctly it is not as-| serted that this is the theory held by the | Naval Court of Inquiry, though it is not | unlikely to be so. There is a well-known | type of submarine mine, very powerful | in execution, a specimen of which may | piercing, shot capped; 149 8-inch armor- | ., )50k far down into the after maga- | be seen in Newport, R. I, at the tor- pedo station. Oddly enough, of the| three men chiefly instrumental in its de- | velopment, one is Lieutenant Holman senior lieutenant of the Maine, who | narrowly escaped with his life, while an- other is Commander Converse, now | here in command of the cruiser Mont-| gomery. The third is Lieutenant-Com- | mander McLean, now in charge of the | Newport torpedo station. This deadly device consists of two main sections, The lower one is a mine. It contains in four chambers, equally distributed. | 144 pounds of gun cotton, wet and dry, | combined in proper proportion to se- | cure the greatest execution. This mine | is connected by wires with a floating or | partially submerged device, the features | of which are a projecting lever or trig- | ger, which, on coming in contact with an obstruction, acts upon a set of stiff | springs, which in turn release a ham- | mer, connect the circuit and explode the | gun cotton in the mine attached below. | Such a device as this is hardly more | bulky than an ordinary domestic wash boiler. It could readily be carried to | its destination in a small boat and then | put overboard, the proper depth having | first been ascertained by a simple con- trivance attached to it, like an ordinary | sounding line. The lever or trigger | would then remain harmless until the | natural swing of a ship completed the contact, when the mechanism would act promptly on the detonators and the en- tire charge would be exploded. This, in brief. is my informant’s theory of how the Maine was blown up. The idea of any mine connected by wire with a shore firing station is gen- | erally believed to be untenable, and in well informed circles there is a growing disposition to abandon the theory that the Maine was deliberately moored in a position previously mined for the pur- pose of her destruction. No mere irre- sponsible miscreant, however, would have been capable either of construct-| ing, procuring or operating such an in- | fernal machine as is believed to have | destroyed the Maine, and just here is one of the knotty points in the problem for those who desire to eliminate the element of direct or indirect Spanish re- |1 iber guns ever given, including armor- piercing projectiles and deck-piercing torpedo shells. The number and char- acter of these follow Nine hundred and thirty-nine 12-inch deck-piercing shells, weighing 1000 pounds each; 1241 12-inch deck-piercing shells, weighing 800 pounds each: 481 10-inch armor- piercing shells; 150 8-inch armor-pierc- ing, sheet capped. These projectiles are for the heavy fortification guns now mounted along the coast. The purchase is not to be nade under the fifty million defense appropriation bill, but is in anticipation of the fortification bill, which grants $940,000 for a reserve, supply of projec- tiles and powder. As the making of the heavy projectiles will take consid- erable time, the contract will be let ahead of the passage of the bill as- surances having been given from men in Congress that no guestion would be aised as to the regularity of this pro- ceeding. The entire amount is de- stalled, and those to be put into place during the coming year, a full quota of projectiles and powder. The 12-inch shot are among the larg- | The Oregon has to take on board one | The cost of a single round | pypqdred of these shells for each of her | est made. of this class of projectiles is $511. Aside from the large order tc be placed on Monday, the emergency bill willpermit additional orders to meet the require- | ments of such fortification guns as may be mounted for emergency. The present order is for rhe actual nesds o the guns now mounted, witnout refer- | ence to any existing emergency, al-| though it has been made all the more | imperative by the Spanish crisis. { The Oregon, steaming at the rate of | ten knots an hour, would be able to run from this city around the Horn to Kev | West in eighty-one days. She would be compelled to coal at least three times on the trip. It is an open question whether it would.be altogether safe to | take a battleship of the Oregon’s si: through the narrow channels of the | straits of Magellan, although an ex- | ceedingly rough passage of 800 miles might be avoided by the cut off. - | Should war with Spain be declared | before the Oregon arrives at Valpa- | raiso, the authorities of Chile would be | called on to determine whether coal is | \’cunlrabnnd of war. Should the deci- | sion be in the affirmative the battleship could only receive a supply sufficient to enable her to steam to the nearest | home port, which is San Francis Should the question arise while the ship | | was applying fcr coal at some port on | | the Atlantic, the ruling might be that | Key West was the nearest home port. | Spain may have some good cruisers | | ana several armored ships of modern | | type, but there is no vessel in the Span- | ish navy that is the equal of the Ore- gon. In fact, the United States battle- ship Indiana, which is frequently men- | tioned as the “pride of the American | | navy,” is not quite up to the Oregon's | standard. ; There is some talk in the navy that Lieutenant Commander Carlin may go | to the Oregon as executive ‘officer. | | be taken on board, and all the prepara- tions t0 be made for sea. It would be a week or more before we could get away in any case.” In the ward room the officers are quite as inconveniently situated as the captain. The hatchway in the center of the floor is open and through it one zine, where the ammunition is being stowed. On deck the sailors were rolling the | great shells along toward zine hatch. the maga- “They are the daisies,” marked the petty officer in charge of the operations proudly. “With these we can smash anything which comes | within range.” They are certainly ugly looking cus- tomers, these great steel projectiles. The muzzles of the two thirteen-inch guns in the after turret are close by, pointing upward and looking anxious to receive the shells. No armor in ex- istence could withstand the impact of these missiles at close quarters. Each igned to give all the heavy guns NOw | one weighs 1250 pounds and contains & | bursting charge of wrxty pounds of powder. Placed upright beside a man they will reach nearly to his shoulder. big guns, or four hundred in all. That makes over two hundred tons dead weight, to say nothing of the ammuni- tion for the eight eight-inch and four six-inch guns, and many smaller weap- ons with which this tremeéndous fight- ing machine is equipped. It is no easy matter to get a vesse! of this size ready | for sea, and though leave has been | stopped and all hands are working their hardest, it will be some days be- fore the barges will leave the side of the Oregon, before her decks will be washed clean and her paint restored to its pristine whiteness. Then she will be ready to meet the foe and to do whatever Uncle Sam may direct. SPAIN PREPARING FOR WP 03 COMMIERCE Continued from First Page. that Spain during the past week sent a circular note to the Cabi- nets of Europe to the effect that' the Spanish Goverment hoped the | rebellion in Cuba would be com- pletely suppressed by April 1, adding that if foreign interference had not stimulated the insurgents and supported them with arms, ! men, money and ammunition there NEW -YORK, March 12—Under the pressure of heavy liquidations stocks to-day experienced the heaviest break that has occurred during sion were about 325,000 shares, which, at the same rate, would make 800,000 shares for an ordinary day’s session of five hours. treme decline was from 2 to 5 points. ly rate at the start, under what appeared to be a bear attack, soon it was evident that quite general liquidation had set in. was a preponderating sentiment among a large class of traders that in view of an early decision in regard to the cause of the Maine dis- aster and the military preparations, it would be a gogd idea to be out This sentiment was encouraged houses, which advised their customers not to buy before the situa- The attitude of London and Paris toward our securities also con- tributed to the uneasiness, for it is assumed in the street that lead- ing banking interests abroad are kept fully advised in regard to the uation, and their operations in American stocks will be governed ac- Hence a very weak London market, gsuch as there was to- day, was the opposite of encouraging to traders on this side, and, in- fluenced by a variety of more or less grounded rumors, a state of de- Accordingly, as the session advanced prices melted away at a rapid St. Paul broke 4% points from 88 to 85%, Burlington 3% from 891 to 863, Rock Island 2% to 80%, and Northwest 4% to 113%. Man- hattan, which was in a measure influenced by the rapid transit deg cision, dropped 4% to 94%, and Metropolitan street railway 3% to 135. Louisville and Nashville lost 33, touching 45; Reading, common, 7%, touching 15%; Reading, first preferred, 2%, touching 36; cific declined 2% to 22, and Pullman Palace Car Company 6% to 165. Sugar lost 25, selling down to 120% and closing at 121%. There was a slight rally in some of the specialties, but interna- tional issues, as a rule, closed at about the lowest. There were sharper declines in bonds than have occurred on any day except during the first slump, immediately after the Maine disaster. fon Pacific issues were the most active. ment bonds of 1926 lost 1% per cent, the lowest sales being at 121%. Final bids were at a decline of 1 per cent Among the stories that were circulated was one that the Montgom- ery had been blown up in Havana harbor, and another that Germany had decided to oppose interventioh in Cuban affairs by this country. Again, the story that Spain had secured a loan of $60,000,000 from the Rothschilds received some credence, but it was denied later and the de- re- | | would at the present moment be no sponsibility for the disaster. The officers and crew on board the cruiser Montgomery are unusually vigi- lant, especially after nightfall, but in this particular their neighbors on the Span- ish cruisers, the Vizcaya and Ogquendo, ! are not one whit behind them. Small boats plying in the harbor must keep at | a respectful distance after daylight from | the Yankee ship and from the big Span- ish men-of-war. One of the . Mont- gomery's officers tells me that in all his experience he has never seen on a Spanish war vessel such vigilance and activity as now prevails on the big black fighters just astern of our’cruiser. -~ All day long these Spaniards are swinging | their turrets and handling their guns. All night long they are watchiul, alert and suspicious, almost as if they were in | a hostile rather than a loyal port. WONDERFUL LEDGE OF GOLD DISCOVERED. Prospector Arrives at Phoenix With Specimens to Bear Out His Story. PHOENIX, March 12.—Michael Fitzpat- rick arrived this evening from the Har- qua Hale Mountains bringing news of the discovery by him of one of the most won- derful gold ledges of Arizona. His story is borne out by the specimens at hand. Fitzpatrick also brings the news that shortly after his discovery three men, who had been working a copper claim near by, raided his claim with shotguns and drove him from the place. Fitzpat- rick and an officer will leave in the morn- ing for the mine. Z With Captain McCormick in command, Carlin as executive officer and Nichol- son as navigator, the Oregon in a bat- tle would add luster to the annals of | the navy. A Spanish man-of-war looking for a brush need omly come | within easy range of the Oregon’s 13- inch rifles to be accommodated. There was great bustle and activity | upon the big battleship yesterday morning. Three or four scows, laden with coal and ammunition, lay along- side and all hands were busily at work transferring their contents to the depths of the ship. Aft sailors were laborfously hoisting. heavy shells, one by one, whilst forward the atmosphere was thick with coal dust. White- ‘painted ships, from a picturesque point of view, are very effective, but when it comes to coaling up sailors would de- cidedly prefer the somber, unattractive black. The beautiful White-painted sides of the ironclad were streaked with grimy stains, sailors were not to be dis- tinguished from stokers, and every port and aperture which led below was her- metically sealed. After threading devious passages and paseing through numerous water-tight doors, Captain McCormick was dis- covered in his_comfortably furnished cabin below. Everything was closed up, the paint. work was covered with newspapers to protect it from the in- sidious coal dust, and the captain had the air of a man sentenced to solitary confinement. Ry 2 ‘“Have you seen the telegram from ‘Washington in The Calil this morning?” Captain McCormick was asked. “It states .that orders have been sent for | you to sail at once, and ‘that your des- tination will probably be 'the Philip- pines, your mission thé destruction of the Spanish colonies there.” “Of course I saw the message,” the insurgents left. So far as the correspondent has been able to ascertain the document has not elicited any replies. The opinion that the United States is not honestly attempting to preserve peace and keep the war party.an control is widely dis- seminated in Germany and finds ready credence, not only in the newspapers but in official and dip- lomatic circles. One newspaper interviewed the United States Em- bassador to Berlin, Andrew D. White, and printed his opinion that the majority of Americans are anxious to maintain peace. But the newspaper added that Mr. ‘White’s opinion was not supported by facts, and says that the vote of Congress was unanimously re- garded as a clear indication that war is coming and the Americans want it. _ Wants $60,000 Damages. $ William Johnson has sued the Market- street Railway Company to recover $60,000 damages for the death of his infant daugnter, Hulda, who was killed by an electric car on Mission street, between Fourth and Fiith, on January 30 last. sales for the short two hours’ ses- The ex- Prices dropped away at a live- but There by many commission [OJOXOFOOYOJOXOIOXOJOYOLOXOXOFOXOXO] Missouri Pa- Atchison and Un- The new 4 per cent Govern- compared with Friday's ® ACTIVE AT ALL - NAVAL CENTERS |Demand ‘for Machinists Greater Than the Supply. . Three Shifts of Men Engaged at the Washington | Yard. [ o i 5 » Portsmouth Queried as to Its Supply of Goal for Ships of War. Spectal Dispatch to The Call. Call Office, Riggs House, | ‘Washington, March 12., | There is general activity atthe Wash- | working twenty-four hours continuous- ly. The completion of the big guns there is being accomplished with all possible haste” The rush has led to a large demand for machinists of all | kinds, which up to now has not been An enlistment office for blue met. | Jackets was opened at the yard to-day. | Thirty marines have been detalled from | | the yard to go with the Columbia or | the Minneapolis. They are held in | readiness to start at a moment’s no- | tice. Some of the 4-inch guns have been | completed this week, and were shipped to Indian Head to be tested. Not a day passes but that guns of some caliber are finished and taken down by the tug | Triton to. the proving grounds to be tested. Two or three of the monster few finishing touches to be put to the ‘b;eech mechanism, are ready to be test- ed. PORTSMOUTH, N. H.,, March 12— Orders have been received at the Ports- mouth Navy Yard from Washington to ascertain how many warships could be Icm:«led here and the quickest possible | time which would be required to sup- | Ply a vessel. The Washington authori- ties have been informed that four bat- tleships and seven cruisers could be coaled at the navy yard here at one time, and that 20,000 tons of coal could be supplied. The work of equipping the fortifications is proceeding steadily. NEW YORK, March 12.—The enlist- ing of skilled mechanics, machinists, seamen and iron workers was contin- { but all applications from apprentices, landsmen and coal passers were refused, as there Is already a full complement of these classes. The torpedo boat Sti- sea. The work of transporting ammu- nition from the yard to the steamships down the bay was continued to-day. WATERTOWN, Mass.,, March 12.— Fifty more mechanies will be at work at the arsenal on Monday, and night work in the machi rt; T Be bagins. nery department e ——— EMERGENCY ORDERS FOR THE VESUVIUS. Dynamite Cruiser to Be Placed in Fighting Trim and Safl South- ward. NEW YORK, March 12.—A Jackson- ville (Fla.) special to the Herald says: It leaked out to-day that emergency orders had been received by the Vesu- vius here, and that she will be placed in fighting trim at once. There is some trouble about the air valves of the big dynamite guns, and the vessel may have to be sent to Baltimore or Nor- folk for repairs to them. All extra grates, etc., are to be taken out to-mor- row to make room for ten tons of am- munition now on the way. She will sail on Sunday er Monday morning, it is stated to-night, for a sudden trip down the coast.. The full battle detail of men has been finally settled and the ‘quarters” drill has been pushed; also work with the dynamite guns and rapid-fire batteries. Several six-pound- ers are to be added to her armament amidships. V [OXOXOJOYOXOOJOYOXOJOXOFOLOJOXOXCXOXOTOJOXOXOIOFOJOYOXOXO ington Navy Yard, three shifts of men | 13-inch guns, with the exception of a | ued to-day at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, | letto has been put into condition for | RELIEF VESSEL Twa Cargoes of Supplies for the Starving Re- concentrados. Will Not Be Distributed Until Early in the Present Week. Seamen of the Fern Generously Contribute Their Dinner to the Sufferers. Copyrighted, 1895, by James Gordon Bennett. | MATANZAS, March 12.—Fifty tons | of previsions, medicines and clothing | were brought to this city to-day to re- lieve the sick reconcentrados. The sup- plies came in two cargoes from the | | United States, the Fern bringing thirty- | five tons from Key West, and the bal- |ance coming on the British tramp | steamer Bergen from New York. Both | consignments were discharged this af- | ternoon, but are held under customs in- | spection. They will be released the | first of the week and disposed of sub- | | Ject to the order of Consul Brice, who | already has done much to relieve the | suffering in this city. Clara Barton, representing the Red Cross, and Louis Klopsech of the Chris- tian Herald, came down on the morn- ing train from Havana to investigate | the condition of those for whom the AT MATANZAS, goods are provided. Several members | of Congress and a delegation of Amer- ican residents of Havana accompanied | Miss Barton to this city and a formal | call was made upon Governor Don Francisco Armas y Cespedes, who has himself contributed liberally to the sup- port of the reconcentrados. Gover- nor Armas announced himself in sym- | | pathy with the work of the Red Cross | | and promised co-operation. | The presence of so many Americans soon became known to the reconcen- | trados, who fairly mobbed Hotel Lou- vre. The visitors were assured by the Governor that conditions had much im- proved of late and while there was stiil | much suffering, all the inhabitants | would again be self-supporting after the close of the next rainy season. The supplies brought in to-day con- | sist of flour, corn meal, potatoes, smoked meats and clothing. More than | this, nearly a ton of quinine was land- ed. This will be freely distributed among those in need of it, but great precaution will be taken to see that it does not reach the insurgents. The | Fern concluded discharging her stores | this evening and at once proceeded to | Sagua La Grande, where supplies will | be landed to-morrow. ~Captain Cowles | will take the Fern back to Key West | | on Monday. | An incident of the day must not go | without mention, it showing the ma- | terial of which the saflors of the navy are made. The crew of the Fern learned | that supplies would not be available for sevéral days, and in the meantime | many ashore were hungry. The result | was that no dinner was served aboard ’(he Fern, permission being obtained to take the food to the reconcentrados. Captain Cowles would not cheapen the | deed by serving a second dinner, but | the crew will lose nothing by the sacri- | fice. | Doctor Hubbell of the Red Cross So- | ciety will remain in Matanzas over | Sunday, consulting with Consul Brice | as to the best method of distributing l supplies. Disgusted the Spaniards. | | HAVANA, March 12.—The news of | the recrudescence of the revolution in the Philippines was received here with great disgust by the Spanish residents and with corresponding satisfaction by | the insurgent sympathizers. —_———— To Investigate Brown’s Charges. NEW HAVEN, Conn., March 12.—-The executive committee of the Intercol- giate Track Association met here to-day. A sub-committee was appointed to in- quire into tne charges made by Captain Brown of the ... .rsity of California | alleging professionalism in Eastern col- lege athletics. President Sullivan of the Amateur Athletic Union is in conference with the committee concerning the regis- tration of amateurs. Action on these questions will probably be taken at a meeting to be held on March 2 in New York. _——— Fort Hancock Fully Manned. cock, at Sandy Hook, presented a war- like appearance to-day. The two bat- | teries of seventy-five men each from Fort Slocum, David’'s Island and two battalions from Fort Wadsworth ar- rived there to-day. With these 300 men there are now more men at the fort than at any time since the civil war. ——————————— Court chaplains, when they preach before the German Emperor, must con- dense the sermons so that they can be delivered in fifteen minutes. Long ser- mons, he says, makes him weary. NEW YORK, March I2.—Fort Han- | CHANNEL MUCH T00 SHALLOW Report Concerning the Approach to Mare Island. Two Hundred Thousand Dol- lars the Probable Cost of Dredging. One of the Nation’s New Battle-Ships to Be Built on the Pacific Coast. CHANGES THT PRESAGE W Departments of the Gulf and of the Lakes Formed. Those of Missouri and Texas Abolished by Algers Orders. to Reach Commanders Instructed Their Headquarters Within Three Days. Specfal Dispatch to The Call. Call Office; Riggs House, ‘Washington, March 12. The Naval Committee of the House did not reach any conclusion to-day relative to the number and location of the dry docks to be authorized in the | naval appropriation bill, which is the | main question left open. The general opinion in the committee seems tofavor three of four new docks. The Bunce Board recommended new docks at Portsmouth, N. H., Boston, Algiers, La., and Mare Island, Cal., and an en- largement of the dock at League Island, so that it will accommodate the largest battle-ships. The Pennsyl- vania delegation is stralning every nerve to secure an entirely new dock at League Island. Docks capable of battle-ships would have accommodating | to have a| | depth of channel leading to them of thirty feet, and Commodore Matthews, of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, who | was summoned before the committee | to-day, rather startled the committee by his statements as to the depth of | the channel to at least one of the pro- posed docks—that at Mare Island, Cal. He said the channel was not over twen- | ty feet deep for two miles, and that it would require $200,000 to dredge it to the requisite depth of thirty feet. . The channel at Boston is only twen- | ty-seven feet deep, and the channel at League Island is about the same depth. This complicates affairs more or less | considerably, and when the committee | adjourned to-day little progress toward | | a conclusion had been made. The committee has decided that one of the three battleships it decided to authorize yesterday shall be built on the Pacific Coast. These great war vessels, which are to be the peers of any afloat, are to cost $3,000,000 each, instead of $2,000,000, as reported yester- day. Chief Engineer Melville appeared be- fore the committee to-day, and urgent- ly recommended an increase of 100 mi the engineer officers of the navy. He said such an increase was imperative- ly necessary. These additional engi- neers, if authorized, would have to be appointed from civil life. Representatives Russell, Hill and | Sperry of Connecticut were before the committee to oppose the recommenda- tion of the Ordnance Bureau for the es- tablishment of a Government cartridge factory. The bureau recommended an appropriation of $50,000 for this pur- pose. The business of making car- tridges is a large industry in Connecti- cut and Rhode Island, and the repre- sentatives from those States opposed the provision for a Government factory as a menéce to their own industries. |ARTILLERY ORDERED TO SOUTHERN PORTS. Three Batteries Now at Fort Riley to Move Within Three Days. JUNCTION CITY, Kans.,, March 12.— Orders were received at Fort Riley this afternoon at 2 o'clock ordering the three batteries of artillery at this post to the south. Battery B of the Fourth Artillery, Captain Anderson,” goes to Fort Monroe; Battery F of the Fourth, Captain Taylor, goes to Savannah, Ga., and Battery ¥ of the Fifth, Captain Riley, to New Orleans. The orders are such that if will compel the movement of these batteries to their new sta- | tions not later than Wednesday of next week. Major Randolph, who is_in command of the artillery post at Fort Riley, has not been ordered elsewhere. There is great excitement here and at Fort Riley. Telegraphic reports stating that the troops are en route are erroneous. GINLEY’S SLAYER ARRAIGNED. Nearly Collapses When Taken Into the Chico Courtroom. CHICO, March 12—William Son, the slayer of Willlam Ginley, was arraigned in Judge Warren’s court this morning. Two days’ confinement has been a severe trial to Son. While the complaint was being read to him he trembled violently and could hardly stand. His relatives have ignored the telegrams sent to them, and Son feels that he is to be deserted | this Special Dispatch to The Call. Call Office, Riggs House, ‘Washington, March !2. The War Department to-day promul- gated its order creating the Depert- ments of the Gulf and of the Lakes, and abolishing the Departments of the Missouri and of Texas. The Depart- ment of the East will embody the States on the Atlantic Coast, including North Carolina. The Department of the Lakes will include Wisconsin, Mich- igan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and" Tennessee, with headquarters at Chicago. The Department of the Gulf will comprise South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisi- ana and Texas, with headquarters at Atlanta. General Brooke will command the Department of the Lakes, and Briga- dier General Graham the Department of the Gulf. Ths Western States included in the Department of the Dakota have been transferred to the Department of the Platte, while, to maintain the present proportions of this department, the northern sections have been thrown into the Department of the Dakota. No changes have been made in the De- partment of the Columbia, the Depart- ment of California or the Department of the Colorado. SAN ANTONIO, Tex., March 12.— The official order of the Secretary of War creating a military department of the South and abolishing the head- quarters of the Department of Texas here, was received this morning by Brigadier-General William Montrose Graham, who, by virtue of the order, becomes-commander of the new depart- ment, with headquarters at Atlanta, Ga. The order created a great stir. It is the general opinion in military circles that the change will be perma- nent. General Graham said to-day: “This change was spoken of during General Bliss’ time as commander of the department. While I do not under- take to give a reason for the change I am inclined tg believe it is merely a redistribution of the territory of the department. The Department of the Atlantic formerly covered the vast area from Maine to Louisiana. The Gulf States have now been merged with the Departrhent of Texas into the new de- partment just created. “‘The change will have no bearing on post. Department headquarters and garrison are two different matters. Fort Sam Houston had no more rela- tion to headquarters than did Fort Bliss or any other post. * Fort Sam Houston will be the same as it ever was, only the staff officers and clerks are leaving. This post will stillibe in my department, and I shall visit it as 1 do other posts on the customary tours of inspection.” General Graham said that there had been no orders issued involving move- ments of garrisons in this State. The Light Battery has settled down to an- nual target practice near Kerrville, and the cavalry is now in the midst of its regular pistol practice at the range near Salida. The new order of things cre- ates great enthusiasm at Fort Sam Houston, and while the officers gener- ally speak guardedly concerning it the profound sensation which the news cre- ated tells plainly what every man reads in the instructions. General Graham and his staff will leave on Monday night for Atlanta. The orders gave but three days in which to pack up. It is pointed out that things could scarcely be put through in quicker time if hostilities had actually begun. The creation of the new deparyment and the departure of the commander and the chief quartermaster within three days are somewhat of a record breaker in army movements in times of peace. 1 WERE PLANTING MINES IN HAVANA HARBOR. NEWPORT NEWS, Va., March 12— According to Captain Greenmayer of the steamship Castilla, from New Or- leans to Hamburg, which is now coal- ing here, there is a network of mines in Havana harbor. Three years ago, he says, his véssel was about to steam into the harbor, when he was signaled not to enter. A pilot boarded the ship, and explained that the engineers were planting mines, and that it would be necessary for him to wait several hours before proceeding into port. Captain Greenmayer was then masterof the Albino. He was at one time in the by them. German army. The fatigue from overtaxed nerves is more intense, more depressing and more disastrous than anything known to-tired muscles. The greatest suffer- ers from this condition are women, | who are apt to receive criticism where they should have sympathy. Their condition is not due to perversity, but has its origin in serious malady The cause is found in the fact that the blood is impure and in its impoverished con- dition cannot supply the nerves with proper nourishment, which is needed to make them strong. The remedy for weak nerves is found in Hood's Sarsaparilla, because it pur- ifies, vitalizes, and enriches the blood, giving it power to build up the broken- down nervous system, strengthen the muscles, cure all blood diseases, and give health and vigor to the whole body. Special attention is invited to the following: 2 “I am much pleased to recommend Hood’s Sarsaparilla as the best medi- cine for the blood and exhausted nerves. I was troubled with rheuma- Hood’ all druggists. §1; six for $5. bt A A Ao e e A e e s A PR B A Nervous Is America's Greatest Medicine, because it accomplishes wonderful ADVERTISEMENTS. Weak, Tired tism for over two years, and physicians | Sarsaparilla had been to others who did me butl very little good. Finally my trouble became much worse and eventually I was obliged to lie in bed. The pain in my left hip and leg was very severe. The doctor said my leg trouble had developed into Sciatic Rheumatism. One of Hood's Calendars reached me and after reading of the benefit Hood's | were afflicted with rheumatism, I re- | sorted to this medicine. After taking | half a bottle of Hood's Sarsaparilla and | using a few of Hood's Pills, I was able to get up out of bed. In a short time | I regained the use of my legs and was able to walk. My nervous, stomach | and kidney troubles were also bene- fited by Hood’s Sarsaparilla and I now feel like a new woman. When ab- scesses broke out on my body I re- sorted again to Hood's Sarsaparilla, which purified my blood, built me up and strengthened my system in many respects. I owe my present good health to Hood's Sarsaparilla and Hood's Pills.” Before Taking Hood’s Sarsaparilla I could not sieep well. Now I sleep soundly, and feel rested In the morning. 1 cannot begin to tell the good Hood’s Sarsaparilla has done for me. I praise it wherever I go, and also think very highly of Hood's Pills. If I eat a hearty meal I take one of the pills, and it prevents all distress.” WNB}‘ITTON C. ESTELL, South- Sarsaparilla ures when all other medici: Prepared only by C. I. Hood & Co‘.i, ‘Apothecaries, Lowell, Ma nes fail. Sold by