The herald. [microfilm reel], March 18, 1898, Image 1

About The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
""j Domble Sheet
TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR. NO. 169.
■• _____ _____ AMUSEMjENTS
jos AnftelesTheater ~\ * w^ftEUE Tr ~ UMR
Two Nights Only—Tuesday and Wednesdny, March U and 23-Mstlnee Wednesday
Wm. A. Brady and F. Ztegfeld, Jr., present three great attractions in one
SBeautirul jrfnnn ~3fc<d The Popular France
The Laugh- ~f e_„ (__ m a l _ And tho Sensation ot 771. S*„, nne J t k a Cherub
ing Success &ay dJeeetver tho Tluiatr.eal Season W*» **ar "
Seats now on sa'e i'rlees, 2be, -iilc. "Sc. 11.00. »1 _jj> Telephone Main 70.
L_._ rw. ■ , «, m. WOOD, lessee and Treat,
os Angeles* Theater If, a wyatt. Manager
THREE NIGHTS and Saturday Thursday, M Altt'll 24
Season's Greatest Success ■ . . dfcemO
n His Beautiful Comedy p , -tf Direction of
Jirama O/IOrO JXCrOS Henry C. Miner
Seats on sain Monday, March 21st. Prices 2 r ic, Stic. 7oc tI.MO, »l !*>■ Telephone Main "0
__pssw ____ 1 0< Angoien' Society Vaudeville Thoator*
P/__pA a m TONIGHT— Hig hit of ournenshow. The European
lfA l||\s3l& a. • star, I.INA HANI'ZEK, premier rlunscusc de Ai de-
WVfc fer GEO 11. WOOu. somewhat different comedian.
DRAWEE, modern Jugglcr.asslsted by MISS MARIE
vlM«WwlM\\M oKEVIIXK. inn relined ami brautiful
H~ mcnt oFo W. DAY, monologue comedian, The
astern star. FILSON and RRROL.Aroerlca'n representative society sketch artists in tttilr former
real success, Men v«. Women. jiATTHKWS and HARRIS, CARL DAMMAN TKO"Ph. Startling
dditlonaifoatnres by thegrea. equestrian "tar, OAIITIKR. I'rieos never changing— livening
■served seats, Wir, .Vie: gallery 10c. Matlneei Wedu»s<lay. Beturday end Sunday, Tel Main IM7
iVilshire Ostrich Farm twelfth and urand aye.
. . Srand jive Cars to Sates . .
5 minutes from City Jfall and principal hotels
%trtch {Plumes, Collarettes, ffioas &or Sale
THE ONLY PLACE WHERE OSTRICH EGGS CAN BE BOUGHT—OPEN ALL DAY
CiPF.N ALL DAY. =r=
JzL«Z-iPlumed Slants Plucked
MORROW AFTERNOON Children accompanied by parents free
1
Istrlch Farm . . South Pasadena . .
" NEARLY 100 GIGANTIC BIRDS OF ALL AGES.
Open dally to visitors Tips, Plumes, Boas and Capes for sale direct from tbe producer.
B.—We have no agency in 1-os Angeles, and have lor sale the only genuine California feath
on the market. The most impropriate present to send east.
;allfornla Limited jS==ra=
e~ I '* *** I
Via Santa J'e Monte \ ssest
ives Los Angeles 8:00 a.m. Tuesday and Friday 2)on't I
ives Pasadena 8:25 a.m. Tuesday and Friday § S
rive Kansas City 6:to p.m. Thursday and Sunday $ Tffiss St \
-ive St. Louis 7:00 a.m. Friday and Monday I ' 5
ive Chicago 9:43 a.m. Friday and Monday f, „ M|| ., ~,„,,, lmu J
This great train, with Its famous dining-car lorvlce. is run lor passengers with first-class
rets only, but no charge beyond the regular ticket and sleeping-car rate ls made. Dining
s serve breakfast leaving Los Angeles. Vestlbuled and electric lighted. All the luxuries of
dcrn travel.
Jfite~Shaped TJrack...
DONE IN A DAY
ON THE TUESDAY AND SATURDAY SPECIALB
addition to the regular train service the Santa Fe runs on every Tuesday and Saturday a
elal express train, taking In Redlands. Riverside and tho beauties of Santa Ana Canyon,
yes Los Angelos at ta. m; leaves Pasadena ut 0:25 a. m. Returning arrives at Los Angeles at
5 p. in.. Pasadena' :M» p ni , giving two hours stop at both Redlands and Riverside.
9-, /j, . . /% ON THIS TRAIN AFFORD 3 PLEASANT
Ohe Übservation \\>ar opportunity for seeing the siuHTb
San *Diego and Coronado SSeach
THfc MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOT IN THE WORLD
0 dally trains, carrying parlor cars, make the run ln about four hours from Los Angeles,
lon Tuesday and Saturday nights the Coronadp Special will run. The ride ls delightful,
•ryiug you for seventy miles along the Pacific Ocean beach.
Santa Fe Route Office, 200 Spring St., corner Second.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
STS SOME RAIN AND PRATS
POR MORE
lico Reports Made More Frost Than
It Has Any Use For —Fruit
Is Ruined
JTOCKTON, Cal., March 17.—Special tel
hone messages to the Mall from all over
,n Joaquin county and from points In
erced, Stanislaus and Sacramento coun
>s indicate that the ruin of last night
.s been pretty general throughout the
in Joaquin valley. From nearly every
ilnt the report comes that the rain has
ien a great blessing, but that showers oc
slonally will be needed to Insure ilrst
xna grain crops. The outlook on the
hole, however, is good and farmers are
bllant over the prospects. It ls conceded
at the usual showers which come In
prll and tho fore part of May will keep
c soil sufficiently irrigated to assure tho
rgest grain crop for some years in San
laquln, Stanislaus and the northern part
: Merced counties. The report comes
tat on the west side of Modesto there was
l inch and a half of rain, with .63 of an
eh at Farmington, .61 at Montpeller, with
dl half nn inch of snow, and nearly an
eh of rain at Linden, and all the way
om a quarter to half an Inch at other
•aln raising points ln this part of the val
y. In Stockton the rainfall for this storm
as .53 of an inch.
STONE FRUITS RUINED
CHICO, Cal., March 17.—There was a se
:re frost, here this morning, as a result
which the apricot, cherry, peach and
mond crops are practically ruined. As
it it Is imposlsble to estimate the extent
the damage. It is thought that the prune
Op escaped wlh slight damage. At 4
dock this morning the temperature fell
26 degrees.
T. L. Bohlunder, manager of the Rancho
hlco orchards, said today: "Our almond,
inch, apricot nnd cherry crops were al
oet if not entirely destroyed by this
ornlng's frost. If we escape another
ost I believe we will have a fair prune
op. The grain crop looks very promls-
S-"
FROST IS FEARED
REDDING, Cat., March 17.—The recent
ild spell has as yet had no material ef
ct on fruit ln Shasta county, although
osts are still feared by orchard men. The
iow is lower in the foothills than at any
evlous time this winter.
Southern Pacific Earnings
SAN FRANCISCO, March 17.—The Ex
aminer says: A statement of the earnings
of the Southern Pacific company for Janu
ary last and for the lirst seven months of
the fiscal year has Just been Issued. The
gross earnings of the company for Janu
ary last were $4,367,707, which represents an
Increase of *702,097 over the same month
of 1897. The net earnings In January were
H. 496,595, or an Increase of J433.273 over
January, 1897. The gross earnings for the
seven months ending with January 31st
last were 132,838,221, as against 130,117,882
for the first seven months of the fiscal
jrear ending with January 31,1897. The in
crease In gross earnings is (2,720,339. The
net earnings for the seven months were
113,512,519, or an increase of 12,009,074 over
the same period of the last fiscal year.
The major portion of the Increase ln earn
ings came from local business in Cali
fornia.
Afraid of the Scale
OTTAWA, Ont., March 17.—The bill pro
hibiting nursery stock from entering Can
ada from the United States passed the sen
ate today.
INDEX
• TO TELEGRAPHIC HEWS
• A St. Helena laborer murders his
i fiancee for her refusal to agree to an
• early marriage, and then kills hlm
• self*
• The San Joaquin rejoices over the
• rainfall; Chlco ln mourning because
• frost has spoiled the fruit crop pros
' pects.
• Kid Lavigne and Jack Daly, at
• Cleveland, light twenty rounds to a
• draw; bouts at Chicago and at Lynn,
Mass. •
• Blanche K. Bruce, the most cele
• brated Afro-American, with the pos
• sible exception of Fred Douglas, dead
•at Washington.
W. S. Pullman's marriage comes as
• a surprise to his friends, but the
• beauty of the bride Is sufficient to ex
cuse the young man's haste.
i The report of the Maine court of In
■ quiry is probably now on its way to
Washington; officials express great
anxiety lest the newspapers gain some
inkling of Its contents.
Secretary Alger has pigeon-holed
the San Pedro bids, and is accused of
cßerlshlng an Intention to divert the
funds to Santu Monica; the scheme Is
not expected to succeed, but more de
lay seems certain.
Senator Burrows of Michigan be
lieves that a crisis in Spanish affairs
is at hand; whether or not the sena
tor's opinion Is correct, the govern
ment is losing no time In making ■
preparations for a struggle.
Cuban Correspondent Lane produces
a letter, alleged to have been written
by General Weyler, asserting that a
"terrible punishment" had been pre
pared forany American warship which
dared to enter Havana harbor.
Senator Proctor addresses the sen
■ ate relative to the experiences of his
• recent trip; his dispusslonate state
■ ment produces more effect than all i
• the sensational publications of the
• years passed since the Cuban lnsur- .
■ rection began; the conditions prevail- .
' Ing on the Island pass the power of i
■ words adequately to portray.
• The most slgnlflcent development In •
Spanish affairs ls the formation of a .
squadron to rendezvous at Hampton •
Roads; the movement ls one of de- >
fense, pure and simple, and not for •
offensive operations; the state depart- .
ment definitely given to understand •
that Spain will Indignantly repel any ■
claim for Indemnity based on the de- .
structlon of the Maine. .
Secretary Long states plainly that <
the movements of United States war- .
ships are not ordered In consequence <
of demands or suggestions of the •
Spanish officials; the new fleet at •
Hampton Roads will provide for the I
defense of the northern coast towns; .
General Miles says the army ls ready >
for any emergency, and he believes •
that a crisis is rapidly approaching.
THE HERALD
PIGEONHOLED
Alger's Action on Bids for
. San Pedro
NEW SCHEME ON FOOT
TO DIVERT ALL THE FUNDS TO
SANTA MONICA
ALGER'S AID IS NOT ENOUGH
To Defeat Improvement of San Pedro,
But Seems Certain to Cause
Annoying Delay
Special to The Herald
SAN FRANCISCO, March 17.—
Secretary of War Alger's delay in ap
proving the recommendation of the
United States engineers that the con
tract for building the San Pedro break
water be awarded to the Chicago con
tractors, Heldmaier & Neu, on their
bid of $1,303,198.54, has given rise
to a story that he will discourage all
improvements at San Pedro. The
corollary of this is that he would
urge congress to recognize Santa
Monica as the deepsea port of South
ern California, provided a breakwater
is built there by C. P. Huntington at
his own expense. This story has
been circulated rather freely of late
because of the fact that a few days
ago the New York Railroad Gazette,
in commenting upon the appropria
tion of $400,000 made by the house of
representatives for the beginning of
work at San Pedro, went on to say:
"There has been a strenuous con
test in congress between the promot
ers of this (San Pedro) harbor and
those who desire to have the govern
ment's money spent on a harbor at
Santa Monica. At the last named
place, it is said, an offer has been made
by interested parties to do the nec
essary work of deepening and protect
ing the harbor without charge to the
government."
The words "interested parties," as
used guardedly by the New York pa
per, are generally conceded to mean
the Southern Pacific people. Hunting
ton cannot control the traffic of South
ern California as surely at San Pedro
as at Santa Monica. He has a $500,
--000 wharf at the latter place, and has
spent a great deal more money in
other improvements. These im
provements will be practically a great
loss to him in a short time after San
Pedro's harbor is improved.
When the commission, of which
Admiral John C. Walker was the head
recommended San Pedro, Huntington
was bitterly disappointed, and has
never ceased in his efforts to try to
defeat the improvement scheme for
that harbor.
Secretary Alger is not friendly to
San Pedro. His action ln taking out
of the hands of General Wilson, chief
of the United States engineers, the
approval of the bid of the Chicago
contractors and pigeon-holing the
matter in his own office has not ceased
to cause unfavorable comment. Rich
ard Kerens of St. Louis, a member of
the Republican national committee,
and one of the owners of the Los An
geles Terminal railroad, is now in
Washington trying, with poor success,
to get Alger to approve this bid. The
$400,000 appropriation for begin
ning work at San Pedro, as passed by
the house, is tacked on to the sundry
civil bill, and it would not surprise
even some of the United States en
gineers out here if the appropriation
was defeated in the senate, and thus
cause more delay.
The engineers say they know noth
ing about the alleged offer of Hunt
ington to build a breakwater at his
own expense at Santa Monica. They
say they would not be surprised if the
story were true, but even with Alger's
manifest friendship, they do not think
Huntington can defeat the improve
ment of San Pedro, although he may
succeed in delaying the work yet fur
ther.
Director Crocker of the Southern
Pacific, when spoken to about Hunt
ington's offer to build a breakwater
at his own expense at Santa Monica,
said:
"I have only heard that a New York
railroad paper intimated as much not
long ago. I believe the paper in ques
tion is mistaken about the matter. I
don't believe Mr. Huntington has
done any such thing. If he has done
so, it is news to me."
Gold From Sea Water
NKW YORK, March 18.—About 92 ounces
of bullion, ln the proportion of one-third
gold to two-thirds sliver, and valued at
about $540, has been received at the assay
office In the Cones. It came from theElec
trolytlcal Marine Salts company of Boston,
and Arthur Ryan, Its president, claims that
the metal was extracted from sea waters
at North Lubre, Maine. Of the economics
of the process nothing was said. Assays
will be made, and upon them will depend
what la to be paid for theubllion.
LOS ANGELES, FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 18,' 1898
THE MOVEMENTS OF WARSHIPS
NOT MADE IN RESPONSE TO DEMANDS OF
SPANISH AUTHORITIES
Secretary Long States Bluntly That Nothing Can Occur Which
Will Change the Attitude of Firmness Taken by the
Government—General Miles Says the Army Is
Ready for Any Emergency
c_J» WASHINGTON, March 17.—(Special to The Herald.) "You can state officially for me that no ej,
f concessions have been made to Spain by the withdrawal of the Texas and the Massachusetts from the c jL
fleet at Key West. Furthermore, you can state that nothing can occur which will change the atti- i*
tude of firmness which has been taken by this government. »_L
■4* "Neither was the withdrawal of the Montgomery from Havana the outcome of any intimation <._U
U from the Spanish authorities. The Fern had to return to Havana for her diving apparatus, and it Jj,
U was thought that the Montgom
e|s the fleet."
i. Secretary John D. Long
,L this statement tonight to your
L the formation of the new "flying
.■L It had been charged that
X setts and Texas from the fleet at
L cry from Havana, was a symp
.is the administration, and a sly
■U cabinet, which had intimated
~L tion of a fleet at Key West. The
,|» charges, and made his statement
.4* "The formation of this new
._L concession. American interests
i_|e weakened. In the event of an
,$i em const would have been
.L battleship. The department has
X. points on the North Atlantic
J, squadron in northern waters.
1. to these demands. It is the
t _L made by a rfaval board, of which
c_L is chairman. The squadron will
■jL Roads at once. It will be com
.-li able vessels in the navy. The
•L sail from League Island navy
i-jj, Join the Brooklyn, which is now
setts will arrive in a few days. We will then have a squadron which can act on the defensive or of- JL
•Js fensive, and will be of great service in the event of war. JL
.2. "This preparation should prove to the country that the administration appreciates the gravity JL
,1s of the situation and is doing all it can to prepare for any emergency." JL
<§• It is understood that the real reason for the withdrawal of the Montgomery from Havana is that JL
the administration thought it best to have the Montgomery out of the way in case of an outbreak of
hostilities. The orders calling into existence this flying squadron are regarded as the most signifl- JL
ife cant event of the day.
4* _ THE ARMY READY TOR ANY EMERGENCY X
4, "" NEW YORK, March 17.—(Special to The Herald.) General Nelson A. Miles, commander-ln- J,
-$* chief of the United States army, returned to Washington today. Before his departure he said: JL
"This country is ready to face whatever trouble turns up. lam not an alarmist, and do not pre-
A diet war, but at the same time I must say the situation is extremely critical and seems to me to be 3,
j, growing more serious every moment. The situation is, in my opinion, rapidly nearing a crisis. Ju
•L "The personnel of the army was never better than now. The army is made up of thoroughly if,
A trained and efficient men. It is, so far as intelligence and experience in military tactics go, the best jE
cjL in the world. There is scarcely a man who has not served over two years, and many have served in ~3»
.-it European armies. *
tjb "The fortifications that I have examined are all in perfect order. I cannot tell what will hap- X
it pen. The situation, however, is serious, but the country is prepared for any and every emergency." "ijU
THE MAINE COURT REPORT
PROBABLY NOW ON ITS WAY TO
WASHINGTON
Much Anxiety Expressed Lest the
Newspaper Reporter Secures Sight
of the Document
WASHINGTON, March 17.—The Pres
ident expects the report of the Board ot
Inquiry tomorrow or next day. It may
even now be on its way from Key West
to Washington. When the court ar
rived at Key West yesterday from Ha
vana and reported to Admiral Sicard
what progress it had made toward
reaching the end of Its long task the
Admiral promptly communicated with
the Secretary of the Navy. It was the
Secretary's purpose to have a full synop
sis of the court's conclusions put in
cipher and telegraphed to Washington.
Upon consultation with the President,
this plan was abandoned. Both the
President and the Secretary are deter
mined to spare no efforts to maintain
the secrecy of the court's verdict until
they themselves have determined to give
it publicity. Therefore, even the admir
ably designed naval cipher code could
not be relied on with complete satisfac
tion and at the President's instance Ad
miral Sicard was directed to place the
documents ln the custody of some naval
officer, according to the usual method,
and forward them to Washington ln
that manner.
Whether the officer has started or not
Is not yet known, but if he and Admiral
Sicard have executed their orders with
regular naval promptness it will not be
long before the President is placed in
possession of such Information and con
clusions as the court has so far reached.
It is not even known positively that
these conclusions are final, but if the
ordinary routine of the Courts of In
quiry has been followed in this case,
they are probably so, unless the Secre
tary of the Navy believes, after looking
into the testimony, that some lines of
investigation should be further pursued.
As before stated, every precaution that
human Ingenuity can suggest will be
adopted to safeguard the report, the
main apprehension being that there may
be somehow a publication in the news
paper press that may interfere seriously
with the successful working out of the
policy of the administration.
The documents will be sealed at Key
West under the personal observation of
Admiral Sicard and the navy officer who
takes the papers in his custody will be
expected to deliver the pepers with the
seal unbroken into the hands of the
Secretary of the Navy. Probably the
f SECRETARY LONO 1
+ f
■f 4- 4- 4- ♦4- ++ 4- ♦4- ++ 4. ++4 +4 4
messenger Will be Lieutenant-Comman
der Marix, the Judge-Advocate of the
Court of Inquiry, though the selection is
entirely with the Judgment of Admiral
Sicard. It must be remembered that
the Admiral organized the court and to
him the return must be made. Techni
cally he must review the findings and
conclusions and submit his own opinion
on these In an indorsement to the de
partment, along with the papers. Ad
miral Sicard Is the very incarnation of
caution In the discharge of official mat
ters and as he is technically responsible
for the safe delivery of the court's re
port to the Secretary of the Navy, it may
be set down as a fact that any publica
tion that attempts to set out either in
full or in substance the court's report
will be absolutely conjectural ln its basis.
THE SPANISH REPORT
MADRID, March 17.—The following
semi-official note was issued here today:
"The returns of the Spanish Board of
Inquiry on the Maine disaster have not
yet been received, but several officers
who made close examinations, say it
was undoubtedly an Internal accident.
American assertions to the contrary are
therefore deplored In official quarters as
tending to mislead public opinion and
render the situation still more difficult
from the standpoint of maintaining
friendly relations between the two
countries. It may be regarded as cer
tain that should the American technical
commission present a report declaring
the disaster to be due to an external ex
plosion, the public here will refuse to
accept such a finding, and any demand
for an indemnity based thereon will be
indignantly repelled by Spain."
Carriers Combine
SAN FRANCISCO, March 17.—The Pan
ama railroad, ln conjunction with the Pa
cific Mall Steamship company, has issued
a new freight tariff which contains some
startling advances on east-bound commodi
ties. The new rate schedule, which has
just been put Into effect, affects every im
portant item of merchandise that helps
to form the bulk of the east-bound tonage
out of California by rail or water.. The
average advance ls 50 per cent, while in
one instance, that of peas, the rate is ad
vanced 100 per cent. The new tariff con
tains but one reduction, and on four com
modities the rates remain undisturbed. The
reason for the advance has not been ex
plained, but it ls accepted as probable by
local shippers that the new tariff is the re
sult of an understanding between the water
carriers and the rail lines.
A Nice Fat Score
SAN JOSE, March 17.—The baseball con
test at Cyclers' park today between the'
Santa Clara nine and the Stanford team
was witnessed by 2000 people. Santa Clara
took the lead and increased It as the game I
progressed, winning by a score of 14 to tt I
cry could be of more service in c Jt»
T
of the navy department made e&>
correspondent when asked about cl*
squadron." oiU
the withdrawal of the Massachu- <3f
Key West, and of the Montgom- ,1,
torn of weakening on the part of e£,
way of placating the Spanish JL
its displeasure at the concentra- ,L
secretary was told of these e-L
as an answer. He continued: r-L,
fleet is exactly the reverse of a JL
are now protected instead of L
outbreak of hostilities the north- r L
practically unprotected by any c 4*
been receiving appeals from all <{,
coast for the formation of a X
This new fleet is given in answer -i,
result directly of suggestions
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt JL
be concentrated at Hampton
posed of five of the most f ormid- ok
Columbia and Minneapolis will JL
yard for Hampton Roads and r4»
there. The Texas and Massachu- 4»
KILLED HIS FIANCEE
FOR REFUSING A REQUEST TO
MARRY PROMPTLY
A St. Helena Laborer Murders His
Sweetheart and at Once Com
mits Suicide
ST. HELENA, Cal., March 17.—St. Hel
ena has again been thrown Into a fever of
excitement by a murder, hardly less sensa
tional than that of the Clark fratricide.
The victim ls Miss Victorine Sasselll and
her murderer, Julius Bohn, ended his own
life a moment after he fired the bullet into
the head of the girl. Bohn and Miss Sas
selll had for some time been engaged to be
married, but the family of Miss Sasselli
was well-to-do, while Bohn was only a la
borer in the employ of S. Slevers & Co.,
wine merchants. Bohn was anxious to be
married at once, but the girl, believing he
was yet unable to support her ln the style
to which she was accustomed, refused to
consent to his wish, although being willing
to maintain the engagement.
Yesterday Bohn received J2OO from his
parents to enable him to marry, and last
evening drove out to the Sasselli place.
Learning that his fiancee had driven into
St. Helena, ten miles distant, with her
father, Bohn said he would go to meet
them. When near St. Helena he encoun
tered them driving homeward and Invited
the girl to enter his conveyance. She de
clined the Invitation. She continued her re
fusal despite much urging until her father
joined his entreaty to that of her lover.
"It will be all right, Victorine," said her
father, and the girl reluctantly made the
change.
No soner was Miss Sasselli seated in
Bohn's buggy than he urged his horse and
was soon out of the sight of Mr. Sasselli.
Half an hour later Sasselli found lying ln
the middle of the road the dead body of
JuHus Bohn. Fearing danger to his daugh
ter, he hurried on, but when he reached
home he found Victorine dead with a bul
let hole In her temple. The horse had gal
loped Into the yard, dragging the body of
the girl, whose dress had caught on the
step of the buggy.
It is supposed that Bohn renewed his re
quest for an early marriage and that Miss
Sasselli again refusing, he shot her first
and then himself.
A Negro Lynched
GRENADA, Miss., March 17.—Alex
ander Anderson, a young negro, at
tempted to criminally assault a school
girl last night at 9 o'clock. Three hours
later he was captured by a mob, con
fessed and was hanged. Anderson was
made to climb a Cottonwood tree with a
rope around his neck. He was then
oushed off a limb and strangled to death.
Tee Pages
PRICE FIVE CENTS
THE SQUADRON
To Be Stationed Off Hamp
|ton Roads
i .
A STRATEOETIC MOVE
INTENDED FOR THE PURPOSE OP
DEFENSE
A PLAIN STATEMENT IS MADE
That Spain Will Indignantly Repel
Any Demand for Indemnity foe
the Maine Disaster
Associated Press Special Wire
\\ ASHINGTON, March 17.-The event ot
the day in official circles was the issuing of
an order for the formation of a new squad
ron of naval vessels to be stationed at
Hampton Roads. The squadron in the be
ginning will consist of five ships, all the
best of their types. Two of them, the bat
tleships Massachusetts and Texas, are
withdrawn from the present North Atlan
tic fleet at Key West and Tortugas. In or
dering this movement the navy department
is not animated by any purpose of yielding
to representations or intimations that may
have come from the Spanish minister. On
the contrary, the new squadron waa
brought about by purely strategic consid
erations, although it appears from the na
ture of the force so far under orders to
rendezvous at Hampton Roads that this
strategy is of the defensive nature. The
new squadron cannot be called a "flying
squadron," because the association of
heavy battleships with fleet cruisers like
the Brooklyn, Columbia and Minneapolis
reduces the available speed of the whole to
the speed' of the slowest vessel, and the
squadron would not do much "flying" In
the naval sense. The indications, rather
are that when re-enforced by some smaller
cruisers the squadron will constitute an
ideal naval defense.
For the past two months Influences have
been at work in the navy department about
this change, and as a policy board headed
by Capt. Crownlnshleld has been in fre
quent session of late at the department, It
is believed that It has endorsed the plan at
last. Although the other ships to be add
ed to the squadron have not yet been def
initely selected, it Is surmised that they wilt
include some of the other battleships at
Key West and the armored cruiser New
York, ln which case Admiral Sicard, it is
believed, will command the new force. In
place of the cruiser New York the people
of Key West will look upon the grim out
lines of the big monitor Puritan, supposed
ly the most powerful ship in smooth water
in the world. She will have to assist her
on guard the double turreted monitor Mi
antonomah and the monitor Amphitrlte.
The Puritan, Is now at Norfolk almost
ready for sea, the Mlantonomah ls at
League island quite ready and so ls the
Amphitrlte at Port Royal, S. C; so the
order In the end will result in the gather
ing of the pick of the North Atlantic squad
ron at Hampton Roads.
A STRATEGIC POINT
The point ls said to be the best strategic
point on the Atlantic coast. It ls almost
centrally located and the ships from that
point can reach any portion of the coast In
good order. Besides, the second best navy
yard In the country Is there to fall back
upon for repairs to the ships. There is
plenty of the best coal at Newport News,
there ls easy water to navigate, and, final
ly, the forts of Hampton Roads may serve
as a base of operations In case of need for
protection. These are the considerations
which animated the navy department in
making this new order. It is announced
that the commander of the new squadron
has not yet been selected and pending that
selection or the arrival ln port of Admiral
Sicard, It is expected that Capt. Hlggin
son, the commander of the battleship Mas
sachusetts and the senior officer, will hold
the command of the new squadron.
THE KEY WEST FLEET
Remaining at Key West after the de
parture of the Massachusetts and the Tex
as, Admiral Sicard will still have a fleet of
his own In numbers, when the spectacle
will be presented of a fleet and a squadron
on one station, something not seen since
the civil war.
The monitors which it is designed to send
to Key West are said to be well fitted for
the service. Owing to their light draught
of from fifteen to sixteen feet they will be
able to navigate safely the shallow waters
of the Florida coast and will not be obliged
like the lowa to lie six miles out at sea
from Key West to secure enough water
under keel.
The gunboat Helena reported to the de
partment that she had sailed today from
Funchal, Maderla, for Key West to join
the squadron. It ls now said that It has
been definitely determined to bring the bat
tleship Oregon around South America to
Key West. The navy department haa ls-
Btied orders thut such trial as may be made
of the new torpedo boat Rodgers shall take
place while the boat is under way Satur
day next from Baltimore to Norfolk. She
will also go southward to join the flotilla
at Key West.
The Columbia and Minneapolis are still
each 260 men short of their full quota, but
it is expected that enough men will be se
cured in the course of a few days to enable
the ships to be sent to Hampton Roads to
execute the orders issued today.
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES
The Spanish minister called at the state
department at 3 oclock and remained with
Judge Day something over an hour. Both
parties to the conference were extremely
reserved at Its conclusion. It is under*
stood, however, that it developed no new
phases, but was a general talk in which
pacific assurances were exchanged and a
hopeful view of the situation expressed. At
that time the naval orders taking the bat
tleships' Texas and Massachusetts from
Key West and assigning them to the fleet
at Hampton Roads was not known at the
state department, so the minister was not
officially informed of the fact He heard
it later and was naturally much gratified,,
as the gradual strengthening of the fleet at