The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 30, 1898, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1898. ARMORED FLEET TO ASSEMBLE Vessels to Be Selected to Stand Off the Span- ish Ships. | There Will Probably Be an Im-| mediate Junction of the Best Craft in the Commands of Sampson and Schley. NEW YORK, April 29.—The Wash- ington correspondent of the Herald sends the following: Immediately fol- lowing the receipt of the official infor- mation announcing the departure of the Spanish fleet from St. Vincent iling ers were issued to the flying squad- ron, under command of chley. - These orders are the result of a discussion by the Naval War Board of the strategical considerations entering into the departure of the Spanish men- of-war. tion of the fly- it is generally con- experts having knowl- of the board that the to an immediate armored vessels under and those com- ral Sampson, and formidable force at where they can attack made by the upon the American blockading squadron )an ports. point l position resist any rned to- ions have ten the com- an steamer 1 probably be ready Tte St. Louis and Harva e at Tomp- s will be sent ng duty. The Paris expected momen- York, will be supplied six-pounders, were 0 act as a scout. n & of ar- been in desire to have at hand a be depended on to de- 1ight be sent to this of y Spain. For some the Herald has ted, the 1as been carefully consider- lity of forming this d it needed but the depar- s to cause the h action to appear press- Spanish shi hley’s fleet, as at pres- not sufficiently strong to meet the Spanish vessels, even the , composing four armored hree torpedo boat destroy- ips, the Minneapolis e on scouting duty to pick up any Span- ish merchantman which they might hap- pen to meet. Commodore Sthley, there- fore, has at Hampton Roads only the armored cruiser Brookiyn (the flag- ship), the first class battle-ship Massa- chusetts and the second class battle-ship Texas. Under Rear-Admiral Samp- n's command are the armorad cruiser Mew York (the flagship), and the first class battle-ships Iowa and Indiana. The junction of these vessels with those of Commodore Schley’s force will place under Rear-Admiral Sampson’s command four first class battle-ships, one second class battle-ship and two ar- mored cruisers. Commodore Schley would retain command of his force as a division under Rear-Admiral Samp- son In withdrawing armor-clads from the Cuban blockade the force on that duty | while it would be greatly weakened would still be of ample strength to de- stroy Spanish vessels in various ports and enforce the blockade as strictly as it is now maintained. It will be poss- ible to retain on blockading duty all the protected cruisers, gunboats, con- ed gunboats, etc., now in Cuban , and these vessels would still be erior to those of Spain there. It is erefore considered practically, feasible nd desirable by the naval experts that 1 armored fleet should be formed at once, in view of the fact that it is not at all certain where the Spanish fleet bound 15 It is appreciated at the depart- | when the armored fleet is it will be desirable to attach to it a number of sea-going boats to act as patrol boats and prevent Spanish torpedo boat destrovers and Spanish torpedo boats from attempting to sneak in on the vessels at night on stile errands. The Scorpion, for- merly the Sovereign, which is now at Hampton Roads with the flying squad- assembled ron, will be one of the vessels detailed to this duty As to the point where the armor-clads will be stationed, nothing can be learn- ed, but it will undoubtedly be in south- ern waters, so that they can be equally convenient to Cuba and Porto Rico and | to Northern points of this country, While they are stationed at that point six vessels, which will be engaged on scouting duty, the scas endeavoring to obtai.. informa- | tion fm:ccrning the whereabouts of the Spanish fleet. The Minr.capolis and Commodore | will be steaming about |- | therefore successfully meet a | night, called attention | occasioned by the | legislative provision. | Cartagena, the squadron will be pre- | | pared, consisting of the Vittoria, the Columbia will probably be retained in northern waters, while the St. Paul, St. Louis, New York and Paris will be | sent to the Canaries and possibly near the coast of Spain to ascertain the po- sition of Spanish men-of-war. Recog- WEYLER AS AN ORATOR Tries to Justify His Rule of Ruin in Stricken Cuba. \ Tells Spain’s Parliament That the Country Should Now Take the Offensive. Could Have Kept His Promise to Have 50,000 Veterans to Attack the United States. | pectal Dispatch to The Call. MADRID, April 29.—In the Cortes to- day General Weyler, in a clear voice | and amid marked attention from the | whole house and the galleries, apolo- NO SPIES ON THE PURITAN A Fireman Arrested Be- cause His Mind Is Not Well Balanced. Deemed Best Not to Permit Him to Be at Large on the Monitor. Trivial Incident Gave Rise to the Sensational Story of Treason on the Vessel. Spectal Dispatch to The Call. KEY WEST, Fla., April 29.—There is absolutely no foundation for the sen- sational reports cabled from here that a case of treason has been discovered ALLIES IN THE PHILIPPINES Aguinaldo Will Head a Movement to Free the Islands. Former Insurgent Leader Sails With Commander Dewey’s Squadron. English Newspaper Declares That Our Fleet Cannot Reduce Manila Fortifications. Special Dispatch to The Call. LONDOu, April 30.—A dispatch to the Daily Mail from Singapore says: Com- modore Dewey was accompanied by Jose Alexandrino, & prominent officer under Aguinaldo. Alexandrino has a magical influence in the Philippines and will head the popular movement to throw off Spanish rule. A naval battie is expected to occur to-day (Friday) in Manila Bay. Her Majesty’s ship Bona Ventura has sailed, presumably for Ma- nila. The Daily Mail says this morning: “We have private information that the strength of the defenses of Manila and Havana is much underrated and that no bombardment can be attempted by the American commanders with much chance of success. The entrance to Manila Bay is mined and ten-inch guns have been mounted. “A few weeks ago, before the Hong- kong Supreme Court, Attachio, the Minister of the Interior in the pro- visional government, applied for an in- junction to restrain Aguinaldo (the in- surgent leader) from departing with BATTLE-SHIP INDIANA, Reported by Blanco to Have Run Aground. nizing the possibility of the Spanish fleet | proceeding to Porto Rico. it can be pretty definitely stated that one of the American liners, either the St. Louis or | New York, will be sent to that neigh- | borhood with instructions to report to | the department or Rear-Admiral Samp- | son the appearance of any Spanish ship. | The St. Paul, which is armored and can of the auxiliary cruisers of Spain, will prob- ably be sent over toward the Canaries, and the Paris and either the St. Louis or New York will probably join her in scouting the seas in that vicinity. Under instructions which will be given the commanding officers of these scouts it is expected that they will ob- tain information not alone by sighting the enemy itself, but by speaking neutral | merchantmen when they may chance to | meet. As the American liners have an extremely large coal capacity it will be possible for them to remain at sea for quite a long time, and to report to the department when they secure any in- formation. By this maans the Spanish authorities will be kept in a state of anxiety and suspense, not knowing but that the vessels may be under orders to capture merchantmen plying along their | own coast. It is not going too far to say that the American liners will pick up | any Spanish merchant vessels which | they may run across. “ | ROUGH RIDERS TO ROUND UP THE DONS. Arizona’s Quota of Cowboy Riflemen | Leaves for Whipple Bar- | racks. { BISBEE, Ariz. April 29.—The Cochise | County quota for the Arizona cowboy cavalry left for Whipple Barracks this afternoon. It consisted of seventeen | cowboys from this vicinity—rough | riders and fine shots. One of the men at a practice ride and shoot got his | mustang to bucking. The horse bucked | the bridle off and broke both cinches off the saddle, and the rider put three bullets-into a tomato can fifty feet off | while his animal was doing the turn. The horse was unable to throw him. This is a sample of the material com- posing this cavalry. Large crowds were at the depot to bid them fare- well. This cavalry is picked for duty at the front in Cuba. and will leave for New Orleans on Monday or Tues- | day under command of Major Alex O. | Brodie to help round up the Spanish in Cuba. o Favors a Large Standing Army. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., April 20.— | General Brooke, in an address to the | Young Men's Business League here to- | to the short- | sighted policy of the Government in not maintaining a larger standing army, stating that the army was now | halted at Chickamauga because of the | insufficiency of numbers and intimated | that the delay in invading Cuba was | due to the unpreparedness of the army, lack of necessary | | “Let me venture a prophecy as to the | result of the war,” said he. “Many | wives wil} become widows, mothers will lose sons and sweethearts their | lovers before this business is over.” | o Squadron to Leave Madrid. | LONDON, April 20.—The Cadiz cor- | respondent of the Times says: When | the battle-ship Numancia arrives at | Alfonso XIII, three torpedo-boat de- | stroyers and three torpedo-boats, to | leave immediately. | A S T i Read “The Story of the Rise of the | Christlan Scientists” in next Sun- | day’s Call. | against criticism. With much warmth | b; | regarding the attitude of Argentina in | lexpectmg an American man-of-war for gized for prolonging the debate, plead- ing that he could not allow the oppor- tunity to pass of defending himself and sternness he defended his political and military acts of severity in Cuba, showing that he deemed them virtually necessary and that they were justified v the results they produced. So much as this the case, he declared, that had he been allowed six months longer he would have entirely crushed the in- surrection and would have realized the promise he made to Senor Canovas del | tillo that by April. 1898, he would > in a position to offer him 50,000 vete- to attack the United States. ieneral Weyler severely criticized the | home rule policy in Cuba and the time | selected for decreeing it, and he con- | cluded a passionate appeal for a dis- | play of energy, urging the G.vernment to take the offensive vigorously on both land and sea, as remaining on the de- fensive was ‘“the worst possible policy with such an enemy. The Duke of Tetuan General Azcarrage d ared that the | Conservative party alw approved | and accepted the responsibility for the acts of General Weyler in Cuba. These | declarations afforded Senor Moret, Sec- | retary for the Colonies, an opportunity of avoiding a debate with Weyler, Se nor Moret declaring that such a course would be unadvisable at present and | would better be left for “a day when | statesmen can find time for discus- | sion.” SAYS HE SIGHTED THE BATTLESHIP OREGON. | But the Captain of a British Steamer Was Probably Mistaken in the Vessel. Copyrighted, 189, by James Gordon Bennett. VALPARAISO, Chile, April 29.—The captain of the British steamer Orissa, which arrived here this morning from Liverpool, states that on April 20, twen- ty-four miles this side of Cape Pilar, he met the United States battleship | Oregon, steaming toward the Atlantic. Nothing has been hearc here of the gunboat Marietta. Winter has set in with heavy rains. NEW YORK, April 29.—The Herald and the Navy Department have re- ceived advices that the Oregon and | Marietta were coaling at Punta Ar- enas on April 17, and as Punta Arenas is farther east than Cape Pilar the cap- tain of the Orissa must have been mis- | taken as to the ship he sighted. BUENOS AYRES, April 29.—United States Minister Buchanan had an in- terview with President Cuestas to-day | d Lieutenant | the war. He was told that the republic would continue its cordial relations with the United States and Spain. He also sounded the President as to the| attitude of the Government in case the | battle-ship Oregon and gunboat Mari- | etta should put into this port for coal | and supplies. President Cuestas re- plied that the Government will proceed according to international treaties. Should the two warships put in here they will be allowed to remain twenty- four hours and may take on sufficient coal and supplies to carry them to the nearest port of the United States. ACTIVE OPERATIONS IN THE CANARIES. Spain Has a Garrison on the Island ‘While the Natives Are All Loyal. GALVESTON, April 29.—Captain Presser of the British steamship Neth- ergate, which arrived from Las Palmas, Canary lslands, to-day, said that when he sailéd on the 11th there was not an armed vessel of Spain in the port, but that day a transport arrived from Spain with 2000 soldiers, and he was informed the garrison embraced 25,- 000 men. Among the troops, he said, are several engineers who will put up modern guns shipped from Spain six months ago. These will be placed in fortifications commanding the harbor. Spaniards and natives in the Canaries, he says, are ioyal, and will fight for Spain. The English element has been ome time. 'HEAVY FIRING HEARD IN THE BAY OF FUNDY No Warships Known to Be There, Yet It Gives Down East Men a Scare. Head. dently heavy and rapid. taken part in an engagement. The Minneapolis left bound west. merchant vessels. NEW YORK, April 29. says: Fundy. Nova Scotia and New flag in the bay for months. EASTPORT, Me, April 29.—Intense excitement between 5:30 and 6 o'clock by the boom of heavy guns The reports were plainly heard here and the firing was evi- All sorts of reports are flying about the city to-night, but it is generally believed that the cruiser Minneapolis has Machias, Me., a The reports to-night came from the direction sh.ps would take in and out of St. Johns, which would be the course al the cruiser would prol, bly steam if coming from Machias. Rumors of the presence of Spanish gunboats coupled with the mysterious movements in these waters of the cruiser were held to account for the visit of the Minneapolis and many fancied that a Spaniard and the cruiser had met. Another theory was that the Spanish gunboat was after American The weather is very thick outside and nobody could see far enough to gain any idea of the cause for the shooting. -A Halifax, There is no news whatever in this city of firing in the Bay of It is utterly impossible that any Spanish gunboat could reach that bay, which is practically an inland sea, bounded by the coasts of Brunswick, without the fact becoming well known. There is no record of a Spanish gunboat ever entering the Bay of Fundy. American vessels in that water are infrequently seen, and so far as known there has not been a vessel flying the American There is none such there now. was caused here off Quoddy t 2:30 o’clock this afternoon -8 which in Fundy: Bay, 8., special to the Herald & BN RNRRNRNR RN RN RURBURNNNRNRRURRLRES on board the United States monitor Puritan. The rumors arose from the strange action of a fireman, with a Spanish soundine name, now under re- straint on the warship because of his eccentricities. The officers of the Puri- tan declare there is no thought of try- ing the man by court-martial, and that all the talk about treason is absurd. It appears that a few days ago the man in questicn was seen in one of the monitor’s turrets, and the man who saw him reported that he had his hand on the lock of the magazine, whereupon the fireman was placed under restraint. The crew of the monitor became ex- cited, and decl. red there was a Spanish | Through this the ex-| spy on board. travagant stories were concocted. The officers of the Puritan believe the man is a Cuban, and they assert posi- tively that he has never given evidence of any sort of sympathy with Spain, but they add, on the contrary, that when the Puritan was off Matanzas, the man was frequently heard to say he would like to get ashore and join the insurgents. The action of the officers of the moni- tor in placing the man under restraint was gulded solelv by the danger of al- lowing an unevenly balanced man to be at larg Preparing to Leave Havana. ‘WASHINGTON, April 29.—Diplomats here are making arrangements through their country’s consuls and agents at Havana for the departure of foreign of- ficials and colonies as soon as there is any indication of bombardment or any other move that will imperil the lives of foreigners residing in Havana. A British warship is now on the way to Havana. Germany, Italy and Austria also have ships in West Indian waters, in the vicinity of Havana, to take care of their citizens. It is understood that the foreign consul-generals and consuls have been given wide latitude in deter- mining the time when foreigners should leave. It is the expectation here that Admiral Sampson will serve ample no- tice on the authorities, both Spanish and foreign, before opening fire. $100,000 that had been remittel here by the Spanish Government for distribu- tion among the leaders of the late in- surrection. Other members of the coun- cil purpose issuing a disclaimer against Attachio’s action and expressing con- fiden.e in Aguinaildo. He and his col- leagues have devised a plan of going to Manila in their own vessel and have a large supply of ammunition and | arms.” | The Hongkong correspondent of the | Daily Telegraph says: A -uinaldo, the | insurgent chief - nd his colleagues are elaborating a plan to make a descent in force near Manila. They have secured | a vessel for the purpose and have been | plentifully supplied with a2 s and am- | munition from the American squadron. | | WAR MEASURES \ BEFORE THE SENATE. WASHINGTON, April 29.—At to-| day's session of the Senate the report | of the conferees on the naval appro- | priation bill was presented and agreed | to. The measure as perfectel carries | a little more than $57,000,000. No other | business of general importance was | transacted. o) | On motion of Aldrich of Rhode TIs- land it was decided that when the Sen- | ate adjourn to-day it be to meet on | Monday next. | The bill to promote the efficiency of the revenue cutter service was passed. | At 1:35 p. m, on motion of Allison, | the Senate went into executive session | and at 4:15 p. m. adjourned. 3 s | Big Payroll at Mare Island. i VALLEJO, April 29.—The pay roll of the construction and repair depart- | ments for labor during the first half of | April amounted to $63,000, and during the three months ending March 31 Pay- | master Barry has disbursed to the em- | ployes _of all the departments of the ‘ Mare Island Navy Yard $332,000. The brick masons are now laid off because | the appropriation for repairing the buildings damaged by the recent earth- quake has not yet become available. } Spanish Men | Copyrighted, 158, by James Gordon Bennett. | | | | Special cable to the Herald from a | Spanish source: HAVANA, April 29.—A squadron, made up of three armored ships and | three small ones, attacked Matanzas day before yesterday afternoon, firing | seventy-two shots. The city did not suffer any damage nor was any person | wounded. Some shells fell into the city, but none exploded. After a few shots had been fired by the squadron all the city was filled with bands marching through the streets, playing national and Cuban air: B were applauded by the people, whc hoisted flags and cried “Viva Espa Here come the northern barbarians | Women enthusiastically waved hand- | kerchiefs and fans, and men and wo- men ran to behold the spectacle of a 0 | bombardment, shouting ‘“Fire your shells! You can’t kill anyh | The batteries of the city wered by firing their guns. Foreign Consuls protested because the bombardment | had been begun without previous an- nouncement. The Consuls of Austria and France have made a formal pro- test. The city of Havana remains abso- lutely quiet, save for bands playing at Central Park. Every street is gay- ly bedecked with banners. During the day the American fleet off the coast draws an immense crowd, who look at it with spy glasses and opera glasses. They comment on the | blockade as sport. Havana beach has these last few days been converted into | a promenade. ‘A man with a large telescope o tripod offers a sight of the fleet fo cents. The rebel brigadier, Masso Parra, has gathered more than 4000 Cubans, who are already equipped and prepared to fight for Spain. They are all “presen- tados,” insurgents who have come in from the field. | Havana is prepared for battle. The enlistment of volunteer corps continu | It is estimated that there are now 8 000 men ready to defend their coun- try. Generals Blanco and Pando have | to the | United States, has cabled the Vatican | cite WATCHED IT FROM THE CITY and Women of Matanzas Saw the Bombardment. With Flags Flying and Bands Playing the Dons and Their f Ladies Defied Sampson’s Warships. been surveying personally the fortle fications of Havana. Sentry lines have been posted and civilians are not allowed to pass through them. Com- of defense have been formed district. Many distinguished and others have tendered their service The American ship Indiana, which stranded on Wednesday, has succeeded in getting off again with the help of two of the blockading fleet. It is ex- pected that the captain of the Spanish mail steamer Montserrat will reach Ha- vana from Cienfuegos this afternoon. A parade in his honor will start from Ursulinas Square, because he entere@ port, and, finding a blockade, escaped from the American fleet by sailing te Cienfuego: Advizes tl;eiH'aIy See. LONDON, April 30.—The Rome cor- | respondent of the Daily Chronicle says: Archbishop Martinelli, Papal delegate Roman Catholic church in the to abstain from all demonstrations of sympathy with Spain which would ex~ the Protestant sentiment of the United States against the Roman Cath- olics. R Bernabe Off to Madrid. TORONTO, Ont., April 29.—Captain Lopez, Spanish naval inspector from New York. and Lieutenant Espa, his assistant, arrived in this city yester- day and held a long consultation with Senor Polo y Bernabe. To-day the con- sultation was prolonged and the two naval officers left to-night direct for Madrid. Bismarck Offers Advice. LONDON, April 30.—Prince Bls- marck, according to a dispatch from Berlin, says Germany ought not to bind her hands by a neutrality declar- ation. Oregon’s Quota Ready. PORTLAND, Or., April 29.—The en- tire National Guard of Oregon, num- bering about 1400, will be in Portland to-morrow. man all this talk about like a sailor suit. large square collar cuffs; silk ribbon i cloth. Knee pants, The little likes to dress well. sailors of course the little fellow would to pay much—don’t need to either. Sailor suits for boys 3 to 8 years old; blue material (as worn aboard our navy) and shield, trimmed with black braid and soutache; French bow ; also with green collar and shield trimmed with white silk soutache on red inlaid with buckle and bow at the knee. With Uncle Sam and his You may not want ) partment ; spring and summer Mothers should visit our juvenile de- for example here’s something perhaps but few of them know about. Boys’ all-wool suits ; checks, plaids and neat brown mixtures; $2.45. S. N. WOOD & CO., 718 Market St. Middy suits for boys:3 to 8 years old ; nice blue ma- terial, green collar and vest trimmed with braid and sou- tache on red inlaid cloth. Knee pants with buckle and bow at the knee—a most suitable garment for patri- otic boys. ages 4 to 14; for wear.