The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 15, 1898, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 1898. BRAZILIAN CRUIS ERS PURCHASED Uncle Sam Secures Two Vessels T hat Spain Tried to Get. INSPECTING BIG STEAMERS No Time Lost by the Auxiliary Board in Beginning Work. Liners St. Louis and New York Examined and Found Fit for Naval Service. Many Offers Received From the Owners of Ali Kinds of Steam The Warships Built in England and Well Equipped for Us¢ as Commerce Destroyers in the Event of War. j=g=g=e3oFcEeFo3--F-2-3-2:2=F =20 =] o @ CHILE WILL NOT 3 SELL WARSHIPS. Regagal Copyrighted, 159, by James Gordon f Bennet VALPARAISO, Since 1 received first disr the pos: cruiser O'H March 14— he Herald's ng about my dis- which I sident Chile f selling the of her war- azuriz told e of the erior, Navy ction and Se- prom- March coming Errazuriz persona had o bed ped b= b= =4 b=3 e o b= o o fed o f = & o b=y o b= b= <o nd Mi o their re: . therefore I can get no in- S by sev- n that there lat report purchased the s say that Chile mation from them to-da however, b formed, am ir eral prominent truth in t has is no that Spain O’Higgin would not dare to sell the O'Hig- gins, as the sale might cause an outbreak throughout the coun- try against the Government. As evidence that Chile does not in- tend to sell any of her ships it is mentioned that Costa Rica tried to buy the old wooden c offering $30, offer was flatly re- Pilcomayo, The LUOOOO0O000CVOVVIGRVVOVTVNOTOO0VTOVHVVOOTORTHLD Y CGUCHUTT VIR VTOTDV0 Call Office, Riggs House, Washington, March 14. ons closed to-day A week's negotiat by the triumphant purchase by the Navy Department in London of the o fine cruisers buiit and building at ick for the Brazilian ment. Possibly the officials took more pleasure in closing up the business in this manner because of the knowledge that Spanish agents had been striving to secure these very ships, and that to , they would be of much greater value in case of trouble than to the United States. The next ques- how to get the ships home, and not vet been settled, according ecretary of the Nav States flag will be hoisted new ships within a week bably, and just as soon as the crew be put aboard the Amazonas will rt for the United States. The other 1 will follow at the earliest pos- sible moment. The terms of the sale are secret. ilability of the two Brazilian st brought to the attention of ‘the vy Department by Mr. Laine, agent of the Maxim Nordenfeldt Com- pany, who was authorized to dispose of these ships building at Elswick and two others in course of construction in France. Mr. Laine said to-day that the two ships purchased would be a most d ble acquisition to the Amer- jcan navy, as they were the latest and best products of the famous Arm- strong s. One of the spips is com- plete in every respect, has her coal supply and ammunition on board, and an be raised at any time. There trouble in bringing this ship an adequate force from the jocal yards can be secured for the serv- It is said the coal and ammuni- ion on board passed with the sale to the United States. The ammunition is not of the kind In use by the American so that the supply of ammunition ry adjunct to the new S. other ship has been inched, but it will take some time nake her ready for sea. Mr. Laine s, however, that there will be no difficulty in bringing her over immedi- ately if it is desired to make the move without delay, as the hull of the ship is so well along that she could be towed nd her own sail power utilized for the :am be no 1ps. trip aci g The two Brazilian ships will be ex- tremely valuable additions to the United States navy in either war or Jeace in the opinion of Secretary Long, P who acknowledges they have been bought by the United States. They are steel sheathed and coppered, with twin The Amazonas is rated at 38600 screw tons displacement, with an indicated horsepow under natural draft, of 7000, which is calculated to develop twenty knots speed. Thus, while the ship Is about the size of the Charleston she is much faster. Her armament is also much more formidable-mnot so much in caliber, for the main battery is made up of six 6-inch guns, but these guns, as well as the 4.7-inch guns, are of what is known as 50-1 caliber length. giving them an unusual range and power. In addition to this they have ten 6-pounder quick-firing guns, four 1- pounders, four Maxim machine guns and two boat or field guns. The tor- pedo tubes are three in number. The coal capacity is 8§50 tons, giving her an effective steaming radius of 8000 knots, a most valuable feature, inasmuch as it would enable the ship to cross and recross the Atlantic without coallng. Such a vessel used as a commerce de- stroyer would be vastly more effective than what appears to be more powerful craft, because of her ability to get along on long cruises without touching in at neutral ports to coal and thus ex- posing her to capture. to Govern- | The cruisers carry no armor in the ordinary se, but their machinery is protected from the fire of guns by an arched steel deck just below the water line, varying in thickness from 12 to | Craft at New York. Spectal Dispatch to The Call. NEW YORK, March 14—The Auxil- tary Cruisers Board of the United States Navy, which was appointed to acquire ships of the merchant marine for use in the event of the breaking | out of the wa- met for organization | to-day in the Havemeyer building, where it has secured temporary quar- ters. Permanent quarters will be taken later, as the board will have a great amount of work to do here. The board inspected the St. Louis and the New York of the American | line this afternoon. The visit to the| | St. Louis was a short one. The steam- 3.5 Inches. The battery has an unusual train, being arranged to fire three d and three astern of the principa gu dangerous deficlency in the en- gineer branch of the navy has been brought to light strikingly in the fact that it ble to secure a staff ¢ s to bring back to the United States any of the ships purchased abroad. short time ago, when orders were given to rush the work of putting the cruiser Chicago in shape for active service, the engineer in chief proposed that he would have thy in three months instead mated. To do this he would work forces day and night, and to keep them at work he would place an engineer officer aboard the ship, to stay there day and night. Passed As- | ngineer Dixon was chosen for . but he had not been em- ployed more than a week before it was ry to detach him in order an engineer officer to act as a member of the board appointed to ex- amine auxillary cruisers. This state of affairs has been brought the attention of the House Naval Committee, but so far it is feared without meeting that degree of success which it was hoped for, in the shape of an amendment increasing the number of engineer officers in the service. HUNDREDS TRYING JOIN THE NAVY. But Great Care Is Taken in Selecting Recruits, and Few Applicants Are Accepted. WASHINGTON, March 14—The newly established recruiting station at the navy yard here shows great activity. The emergency methods of accepting any man who = s application has not yet be- come necessary, and, therefore, the work is slow. During the past few days there Ezve been two men accepted out of the hundreds of applican _Everything which is available as fight- ing material is placed in a condition to be used readily, and Captain Robinson stated that orders had been received to prepare for quick movements. Rations sufficient for several days have been put In port- able shape, and within half an hour after recefving orders to move, the entire bod of the marine corps could respond to the call. To-morrow there will leave for the Min- neapolis, which is at League Island, two corporals, 256 Though the two ne regiments which have been autho: d to be formed exist as yet only on paper, they can be filled within sixteen hours, and two hours later could be formed in marching order. HANNA'S ENEMIES HARD AT WORK can Convention in Ohio. CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 14.—James W. Holcomb, one of the members of the Republican committee of fifteen in this city and an active lieutenant for Senator Hanna in the recent Senatorial contest before the Legislature, 1s authority for the statement that the Bushnell and Kurtz forces the marshaled for another battie. Delegates to the next Republican State Convention will soon be chosen. Those | from the county will be selected in coun- ty convention next Saturday. Mr. Holcomb says t that May try to cap- ture the County Convention, and that the Bushnell and Kurtz men wiil do the same the State over. With the State Conven- tion in their hands, the alleged plan is to indorse the action of the Republicans who bolted Senator Hanna in the Legislature, condemn the election of Senator Hanna as brought about by improper means, and appoint a_ State Republican Com- mittee which will be antagonistic not only to Senator Hanna, but to President McKinley, one of the alms being to har- ass the President as much as possible if he comes up for re-election. MOVEMENTS OF THE WAR VESSELS. The Marblehead Was Ordered to Key West Simply to Take Stores on for the Atlantic Squadron. WASHINGTON, March 14.—It is now stated at the vy Department that the Marblenhead, pa Saturday night, was ordered to that place simply to take on some stores for the North Atlantic squadron. The tor- pedo boat Foote arrived at Charleston yesterday on her way to Key West to join the flotilla. The Fern sailed yes- ing, it is presumed, dellvered all the stores for the starving reconcentrados which have so far been received from the central reiief committee in New York. from Tortugas to Key West yvesterday. Curacoa. The training ship Essex has sailed from New York for Portsmouth. HURRY ORDER FOR A SIX-INCH GUN. ‘Weapon to Be Shipped From Brook- lyn to San Francisco for Use on the Philadelphia. NEW YORK, March 14—A hurry order was received at the Brooklyn Navy-yard to-day from Washington for a 6-inch gun to be sent immediately to San Francisco. The gun is a large rapid-fire breech-loading rifle which has been on the receiving ship Ver- mont. The work of transferring the gun commenced at once. The officers at the navy-yard were reticent as to what the gun was needed for at San Francisco, but it was re- ported that there is something wrong with one of the guns of the cruiser Philadelphia and this gun is intended to replace it. The gun will go by rail direct to the Mare Island Navy-yerd. 6 privates and two musiclans. | Seek to Control the Coming Republi- | vhich arrived at Tam- | terday from Sagua for Key West, hav- | The battleship lowa came over | The gunboat Annapolis has arrived at | ship was constructed under the super- ision of naval experts, and all of the Jfficers composing the board were fa- miliar with the plan of the vessel. The New York was next visited. She was constructed when the company sailed its ships under the British flag. The New York was at one time in the reserve of the British Admiralty and vas built under the supervision of Eng- 1ish officers. The inspection of all ves- sels on which the Government has op- tions by reason of the subsidy act will be proceeded with as rapidly as pos- sible. | Captain Rodgers has very positive in- structions to make thorough inspec- tions and immediately report. He has been directed to examine all steamships available for auxiliary cruisers and | transports, fast tugs for use as rams and steam yachts that could be quickly | transferred into serviceable torpedo- boats. He has been instructed also to telegraph his recommendations to the | Secretary of the Navy, so that action | v be taken without unnecesssary de- It was said by a member of the board this morning that the department's | orders were “hurry up” orders and that the work of the board would be com- expeditiously as pleted as possible. | How s teil. “Possibly,” he added, | be through in three days.” | , Another member of the board said: | | “Just as soon as our mission here was | announced we began to receive offers | from the steamship companies. The | | owners of all the available American | steamships in the harbor, I believe I| |am safe in saying, have placed their | vessels at our disposal. Merchant ves- sel tugs and yachts are included in | this. We had a particularly large nym- | ber of yachts offered to us, and we will, | | no doubt, enter into negotiations for a | | number of these. | | Captain A. Griscom, president of the | International Navigation Company, | owners of the American line, was in | consultation with the board in refer- ence to the St. Louis. What the result of that consultation was could not be learned. It was sald by a member of | the board that nothing had been decid- | ed. The St. Louis Is advertised to saili | on Wednesday, but it was admitted by | an official of the company this morning | | that he did not know whether or not she would. Lieutenant-Commander | Kelly declined to say that the steamer | would be held in this port. With Havana distant only eighty | | miles from Key West and 1250 miles | | from New York, the United States p a naval proces- | on going between this country and Cuba with very little difficulty and small expense compared with Spain, | | which is about 2000 miles away from | | the center of operations. This close | proximity to Cuba gives this country | | a decided advantage for its naval ves- | sels and transports, as they may al- ways be sure of getting fuel, without | which modern ships of war are more | | helpless than those of forty years ago. | The possessions of Spain in the West | | Indies, other than Cuba, are Porto Rico | | and the Virgin Islands, but neither of | the latter have any military impor- | tance, and the blockade and capture of | Havana means the loss of the “ever | faithful isle.” With a navy numerical- |ly only half as large as that of the United States, and this being still fur- ther crippled by the fact that some of its best ships are undergoing extensive repairs, which may keep them out of | active service for many months, the re- mainder of the fleet of Spain is handi- capped for the want of coaling stations. Ships leaving any port of Spain will consume one-half their coal supply, and coaling at sea from colliers is at | the best very uncertain, and becomes | hazardous when in hostile waters. The | armorea cruisers, torpedo-boat destroy- | ers and transports would become of no | value whatever in a very short time, while our ships would have a picnic time making excursions to Havana. The mercantile steam tonnage of the Unlted States and Spain, from which | auxiliary cruisers and transports could be drawn, was given in The Call re- | cently as taken from Lloyd’'s of 1896. | Later figures from the same source supplemented with Navy Department | data increase the number of available, especially for the United States. ; The appended tables give the name, tonnage, year of build and speed of 128 | | screw steamers in the merchant serv- ; ice of the United States, and 39 in that | of Spain, built of iron or steel, and | taking only cognizance of such as have a continuous sea speed of twelve knots and over, and of more than 1000 tons' register. | should be able to kee | | { AVAILABLE SCREW STEAMERS OF U. S. Fl g H H NAMES. s St. Louls 02 679 2728 | | 5,018 | Alameda . 3168 | Australia | 2w City of Augusta .| 2,870 City of | 2 Clity of Wi 2,684 El Norte 4,659 El Rio 41665 1 El 8ol 4523 1 El Su 4,658 8 H 2,701 5 Louisiana 2,849 15 Mariposa 3165 B Newport 2,735 1. Santa Rosa 207 | 1884 | 15 Atlanta. 2,095 | 1506 | 143 Fairfax 2,851 | 1891 | 14 Gloucester 2,542 | 1808 | 14 Howard 2,561 | 1895 | 14 Venezuel 21863 | 1889 | 1433 Advanc 2,605 | 1983 | 14 | Tsla de Luzoa. Algonquin Allianca, City of Lo Comanche Concha Conema Diriga ar Guyandotte . Herman Winter Iroquois Jamestown John _Englis. Matteawan Seguranca State of Californi Vigilancia Yucaten Yumeri . Chattako Excelsior . Nacoochee Ohio ... Tallahassee Alamo .. Caracas Chatham . City of Kingston. City of Seattle of Peking. Richard Rio*Grande. Saturn .. Starbuck . Cherokee ity of Macon Gate City... George M. Elder. Acapulco . Alglers . City of Sidney City of Topel Conemaugh Colon . Colorado Corona Curacoa Decatur H. Finance Fontabella Maverick v York iagara Oregon . Orinoco . Philadelphia ka Miller Sterlin Valencla .. ‘Washtenaw NAMES. Alfonso X111 Reina Marla Christt Alfonso_ XII.. ¥ on XI1T e P. de Satrustegui. Monte Video. Antonfo Lopez - Buenos Aires.. Cataluna . Montserrat . Ctudad de Cadl: Colon: ...... Covadonga ..... Isla de Mindana; Isla de Panay Sento Domingo Rarcelona Cadiz . Conde Wifredo. Manila 5 San Fernando Santa Barbara Santiago Pio IX Santan: g Baldomera Iglesihs.. Catalina_ ... Cindad Condal Euskaro ... Gaditano . Habana Madrileno Martin Saer Mexics . Miguel M. Pinillos. Navarro Palentino . Panama RESUME OF STEAMERS KNOTS' SPEED. 15 knots. RESUME OF TONNAGE OF STEAMERS. TONNAGE. Gver 10,000 tons.. 5000 to 10,000 tons. 4000 to 5000 tons.. 3000 to 4000 tons 2000 to 3000 tor: 1000 to 2000 ton: The United States Navy Department has for a number of years Inspected such of our merchant steamers as were suited for auxiliary cruisers and other purposes in time of war, and a list of those adapted for war purposes was some time ago made public, giving de- tails and proposed armaments. This 1ist of twenty-one steamers Is as fol- lows: AUXILIARY CRUISERS OF THE UNITED STATES. ARMAMENT. & NAMES. H 1 AUIOEN Saratoga Seneca Yucatan Seguranca Vigilanca . Advance Alltanca, City of §; City of Peking Gity of Rio Janeiro: o s mmmmmmmnmne! | To seven steamers no batteries had been decided upon at that time. In October last the Navy Department had added forty-six more steamers to its available list, including those newly built on the Atlantic, and such stanch ships as the Alameda and Mariposa on this coast.- This makes eighty-four merchant steamers available for auxil- fary cruisers., a fleet more than twice as large as the entire roster of Spanish merchant steamers exceeding a speed of twelve knots. The Pacific Coast re- serve of auxiliary crulsers will not in all likelihood be needed for there are enough avatlable craft on the Atlantic to form a cordon around Havana, and where such tugs as the Laurada, Dauntless and Silver Heels, of less than 50 tons burden, have succeeded in run- ning the blockade the hundreds of tugs and other steamers would not fail to carry over and land a muiltitude of soldiers and all the war material needed. Some Leading Questions Are Asked in the Commons. Michael Davitt Desires to Know About Offering Fleats and an Alliance. Mr. Curzon Diplomatically Dodges Questions, and Says a Reply Is Inexpedient. Special Dispatch to The Call. LONDON, March 14.—In the House of Commons to-day the Parllamentary Secretary for the Foreign Office, Mr. Curzon, replying to Michael Davitt, anti- Parnellite, who asked the Government whether Great Britain had offered to lend men-of-war to the United States in the event of a conflict between the United States and a European power, said that the Government had not made such an offer. Answering a series of questions which Mr. Davitt put with a view of eliciting whether there have been any Great Britain and the United States or whether Great Britain had offered to mediate in the Cuban crisis, Mr. Curzon sald these questions were of such a na- ture that it was inexpedient to reply to them. Mr. Curzon’s reply that Mr. Davitt's questions were inopportune was re celved with loud cries of “Hear, hear! from the Unionist benches. Mr. Davitt in an interview on the subject said: “I put the question as to the ships because the subject was not proceeded with last week. I want- ed to elicit the truth. I knew, of | course, that the statement made to the effect that warships would possibly be loaned was as absurd as the rumored alllance, and I received exactly the an- swer I expected. Mr. Curzon is too clever a diplomat to give any answer which would dispel the idea that an American alliance is on the tapis, as, of course, it rnever was. Mr. Curzon knows it, but it serves England’s pur- pose to let the Continental nations think it is possible In the near future.” TWO NATIONS THAT SYMPATHI_ZE”WITH SPAIN. Austria and Germany Are Friendly With the Castilians and Would Aid Them. LONDON, March 15.—The Vienna correspondent of the Standard declares that Austria and Germany sympathize 3iz | with Spain, the former being actuated by family ties between the two reigning houses, and the latter by a grudge against the United States. The corre- spondent adds: “The Chinese question is much more practical for the United States than the Cuban, but America has no naval base in Chinese waters. Why should not Spain make peace by offering the United States a naval sta- tion in the Philippines? Spain would lose nothirg thereby. On the contrary the Philippines would be more assured to her than before, and the Americans would be enabled to act from that base in conjunction with England and Japan.” SAW THE MAINE AS SHE WENT DOWN Arthur Bachman an Eye-Wit- ness of the Fatal Disaster. | | Heard the Explosion and Ran to the Wharf Overlooking the Harbor. Arthur Bachman, the manager of the firm of Bachman & Ehrmann, arrived in the city Sunday afternoon from Cuba, and tells the story of the sinking of the Maine from the standpoint of an eve wit- ness. On the 15th of February, the night of the fatal disaster, Mr. Bachman was | standing in front of a hotel in the city of Havana, with a number of friends, when he was startled by a terrific explosion, which shook the city and echoed and re- echoed from the direction of .forro Cas- tle. | "I was standing across the road from the Hotel Inglatera,” he said, “with two American friends and a number of Span- lards. As far as I can recollect it was about 9:45 when we heard a terrific explo- ston and a low and horrifying rumbling noise which immediately followed. “At first we thought it was another out- break of the Insurgents, and we started down the street in an opposite direction. We hadn’t gone far, however, when a assing Englishman informed us that the gutlles ip Maine was on fire in the har- bor, and that the explosion was the re- sult of the flames spreading to the maga- s, ZINES: dered a cab and drove to the wharf, where hundreds of people had already as- mbled. S he ity of Havana, by this time, was in a state of excitement and uproar. Some thought the city was on fire, and alarms were sounded from all section: Some thought the insurgents were form- ing on the outskirts of the city; and half the people In thelr excitement didn't know what to think and, selzed with ter- ror, rushed frantically in all directions. "t last the truth about the explosion spread, and people began to flock to the wharves to get a glimpse of the sinking vessel. “When T arrived” sald Bachman, “the forward part of the vessel or bow was hidden from view, and the stern, as much of it as was discernible, was entirely in the flames. Lights were shooting heaven- ward Jike so amny rockets, and the sky was one blaze of light. “Those who witnessed that awful spec- tacle wil carry recollections of it to their dying day. The distant groans of dyin men. the calls of help from the wound: and the drowning, the dispatch boats ply- ing from the doomed ship with their grewsome freight to the Havana shore, are sights that will forever bring before the recollection a picture of horror. “The Spaniards who were on the wharf that night and were living witnesses to the sinking of the battleship had no other expression but that of the sincerest sor- row for the ill-fated saflors, and the doomed vessel, and did all in their power to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded —_————— RUSSIAN SAILORS LANDED AT CHEMULPO. Proceeding With a Quantity of Stores to the Capital of Korea. YOKOHAMA, March 14.—The Japanese Parliamentary elections are proceeding quietly and it is expected that the Gov- ernment will have a majority. Russian volunteer steamer has ar- rived at Chemulpo from Port Arthur and has landed a quantity of stores and fifty- seven sallors, who proceeded to Seoul. negotiations for an alllance between | | be any fighting on the Pacific Coast, CREAT BRITAY | THIS CITY D INCLE S NOW WELL PROTECTED Some 8San Franciscans Have Feared Spanish Warships. Assurances Given by Officers That Great S eacoast Guns and Monitors Can Defend the Harbor. Call Office, Riggs House, Washington, March 14. It is understood that several petitions | from San Francisco have reached the Secretary of the Navy asking that the Oregon be kept there. It seems that some of the San Franciscans are fear- ful that the Golden Gate city will not be sufficiently protected against the at- tacks of Spanish men-of-war. But they need have no fear on this score, for ord- nance officers of the War Department declare that the great seacoast guns and the monitors Monterey and Monad- nock would be entirely sufficient to de- fend the harbor. Furthermore it is the present intention of the Navy Depart- ment to keep the Charleston and Phila- delphia at San Franclsco. Orders have been sent to rush work on the Charles- ton and have her ready for commission | by the first week in April. The Phila- delphia is expected to be ready for serv- ice a few days after that. California members of Congress with whom The Call correspondent talked to-night have varfous opinions to offer as to the best mode of defense of San | Francisco against possible attack. | They do not apprehend that there will | but are confident that San Francisco would be in no danger in any event. Senator Perkins believes that the geo- graphical situation of the city renders it practically safe from the attack of hostile war vessels. As a member of the Naval Affairs Committee he feels that he should not give a too free ex- pression of opinion on matters which he may be later called upon to consider in his official capacity, so when he was asked for his views to-night on the safety of San Francisco in case of war he said: “San Francisco would be well protected by our coast batteries and the monitors without the assistance of the Charleston and Philadelphia.” Congressman Hilborn, as heretofore stated, is a firm believer in the monitor type of battleship. He believes in coast defense vessels rather than cruis- ers. Congressman Loud.says that the inland situation of San Francisco ren- ders the city practically safe from shells. ““A hostile ship,” he continued, “must stand out to sea beyond the bar and could not get closer than four miles to our coast line. Therefore the Buan- jards must shoot seven or eight miles. It seems to me that the work of our coast defense guns would be effective at four miles’ range. I do not believe a hostile war vessel could inflict much damage by shelling San Francisco. The city of Charleston was bombarded at much closer range than would be possi- ble at San Francisco, yet Charleston did not suffer much from the shells. I am a firm believer in the efficlency of the big coast defense guns. It seems to me, however, that all of this specu- lation is idle. Our San Francisco peo- ple are in no danger whatever. 1 do not believe there will be war with Spain and if there is the city and harbor of San Francisco will be amply protect- ed.” & VE-INCH GUN ot FOR SAN FRANCISCO. Tests Made at the Watertown Arsen- al Before the Modern Piece of Ordnance Is Shipped. BOSTON, March 14.—A 12-inch dis- appearing gun carriage stands in the setting-up shop at the ‘Watertown Ar- senal and to-day a 12-inch breech- loading gun was mounted upon its huge arms. To-morrow the carriage will be tested by means of block and tackle, and if it works perfectly will be dismantied and boxed for shipment to California. While there is much war talk in the air, the shipping of this modern piece of ordnance to the Pacific Coast does not seem to corroborate statements that war is at hand. : In the course of another month it Is expected that another 12-inch carriage will be completed. It is to be sent to Washington. To-day a large number of ‘men worked on the 12-inch carriage in the carpeter shop and boxing stores. The gun is_thirty-five feet long. It Is made on the tube, sleeve and ]ackt'at principle. It throws a projectile twelve miles. The projectile ‘weighs 1000 | pounds. There are two classes of pro- jectiles used in this gun—the heaviest mentloned above, and the other about 750 pounds. The trunnions in which the gun rests are at the extremity of the arms which carry the gun from its re- cumbent to its firing position, the di- rections and elevating being insured by auxiliary bars near the breech of the gun. The recoil of the gun on firing | throws it from “battery” to the load- ing position below the level of the par- apet, a counter-weight being lifted to put the gun to its firing position when again discharged. The length of the arms is about fifteen feet. The breech mechanism is the same as in all our breech-loading heavy arms interrupted screw action. The gun weighs about fourteen tons. It took five months to construct the gun. It requires 350 pounds of smokeless powder, which is equal to 700 pounds of black powder, for each charge. The total cost of each discharge, including wear on the gun, is figured at $1000. SENATOR MASON CHALLENGED TO FIGHT. Refuses to Consider Seriously the In- vitation of a Spanish Editor to Battle With Swords. WASHINGTON, March 14.—Senator Mason received to-day the challenge sent him by the editor of the Bpanish illustrated paper, El Cardo. ignoble Yankee Senator, who scolds like a woman and who has not the valor to fight like a man, and who would take a slap in the face without resenting it.”” The Amercan people are referred to as a “people who deal in pigs and whose flag Is the almighty dollar.” The Senator accepts the challenge in a jocose spirit. He says he will have to see the Marquis before he decides whether he will accept, but that it scarcely accords with Spanish modesty for the challenging party to name the weapons, as is done in this instance. LANDSMEN ENLISTED AT LEAGUE ISLAND. Orders Received to Recruit as Rapide 1y as Possible Men for Seamen and Coal Passers. PHILADELPHIA, March 14—To- day for the first time “landsmen” were enlisted for service in the United States navy at the League Island Navy- vard. Any able-bodied man who an- swered the physical requirements was admitted. The reason for this action, one of the officers of the shipyard said to-day, was that orders have been re- ceived from Washington to recruit as rapidly as possible 200 landsmen to serve as seamen and coal passers. DETAILS OF MARINES FOR THE CRUISERS. Two of the Drafts Are for the Phila- delphia and Charleston, Now at Mare Island. WASHINGTON, March 14.—Colonel Haywood, the commandant of the Ma- rine Corps, to-day made five details of marines for cruisers now being re- paired or ready for commission. There are two drafts of fort ~-five each for the Philadelphia and the Charleston at Mare Island, one of fifty-two for the Newark at Norfolk and two of thirty each for the Columbia and Min- neapolis at League Island. S HUNTINGTON'S BIG DRY DOCK AT NEWPORT NEWS. ‘Work Will Be Commenced To-Day on the Mammoth Concern That Is Needed by the Navy. NEW YORK, March 14—A Rich- mond (Va.) special to the Herald says: ‘Work will commence to-morrow on the mammoth drydock which Collis P. Huntington announced recently he would build at Newport News at a cost of $1,000,000. It will be the largest basin in the world, 750 feet long, 160 feet wide and 30 feet over the sill. It will hold two first-class battle-ships at. one time. MEDICAL TREATMENT TTHIS NEW APPLICATION OF THE COM- bined curative powers of both medical and electrical treatment, as administered by the skilled physicians of the Electro-Medical Insti- tute, cor. Market, Powell and Eddy streets, hag roven s wonderful success, exercising over isease a curative r mever before known to the Medical World. The Doctors of this Institute are curing all manner of Diseases so Quickly that those who bad lost all hope of Dealth are amazed at the wonderful results obtained through this new system of Electric- ity and Medicine combined. Immediate reliet s given and perfect oures spoeaily follow, many of which would have been impossible through electrical treatment slone or medical treatment aloe. Insomnis, Hysteria, Chronio s Headaches. Nervous Twich- ings, Palpitation of the Heart, Dizziness, Evil | Forebodings, Melancholia, Weak and Sinking Srelll, Nervous Debility and all its attendant ailments. The awful effects of neglected or improperly treated cases, producing weakness of and brain, dizziness, failing memory, lack of energy and confidence, pains in back, Joins and kidneys, and other distressing symp- toms. Our Electro-Medical Treatment is the only successful cure for 1 for nervous ailments. n"E"IlTI$ and all kindred diseases of the joints and muscles eld at once to influences. T‘nn“ of the Nose, Throat, Lungs and Stomach. Our special com- tarrh treatment never fails. Qiseases of all bined ca BLOOD AND SKIN ;oo eradica! from the systerm. "smis of the Heart, Stomach, Liver, Kidneys, Bladder and kindred treated by the Electro-Medical System th_untailing success. his Electro-Medical Combined s treatment is a boon to sufferers m all diseases peculiar to women. wanE if you caunpot call, and get the Doctars’ opinion of ‘your case. CONSULTETION FREE orshoser by letters. State Electro-Medical Institute MARKET, POWELL & EDDY STS, Entrance, 5 Eddy St. SAN FRANCISCO, CAL Wright’s Ifldian Vegetahie Pills Are acknowledged by thousands of persons who bave used them for over forty years to cure SICK HEADACHE, GIDDINESS, CONSTIP. TION, Torpid Liver, Weak Stomach, Pimples and purify the biood. The document {s printed and is sjigned by the editor, the Marquis de Alta Villa. The challenge is to a com- bat at swords' points and is preceded by a short column of personal abuse, in which Mr. Mason is described as “an Grossman's Specifc Mixfurs With this remedy persons can cure them- selves without the least exposure, change of diet or change in application to business. The medicine contains nothing of the least injury to the constitution, Ask your druggist for it. Price, $1 a bottle.