The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-03-13

telegraphed the whole facts to his Gov
eminent.
"War Is declared" he stated, land ere
now q British fleet Is on the way 10 New
York" ri 'FsA II :
1t was true. on4hc Sd Of October, the
date of dispatch, and Just four days
from the reception In London Of the first
Geographic news oil the decision Of the
board, the heavy iron.clads and wooden
walls in the Mersey, at Plymouth and
Portsmouth, and on the 9Th, three days
later, the fleets in the Mediterranean
slipped from their moorings and started
upon their hostile mission across the At.
lantic.
now AMERICA IlECEIvED TILE NEwS.
The news Of the declaration OF war
reached tho United States on the 4th o.
October, the telegram containing which
was laid In oil haste hy Secretary FISH
before the PRESIDENT and cabinet con
sultation was held upon the subject al
once. MIR. Boutwell,, the Secretary Of, thu
Treasury, was Of the opinion that II wai
another gold conspiracy. Secretary Bel
KNAPP, the War Minister, thought that the
army was in good enough condition tC
repel any land attack at any point, though
in fact II was distributed mainly through
the Indian country aud the South. The
Secretary lthe Navy and Admiral Por.
ter both announced themselves ready tC
answer, Tor the efficiency Of tho Navy and
the coast defences, but secuted the idea o
so summary u demand for their use
Finally reply was sent to Brest for de.
livery TO General SChenCk in person.
Two days were lost by this means, and
when the contents ofthe first dispatchwere
reiterated by cable, the English iron.
Clads had been four days on their voyage,
and the heavy wooden walls OF the Medi.
terranean fleets were already far out in
the deep Atlantic heading for New York
harbor.
q WALL STREET.
In the meantime, Wall street and the
New York dailies had heard the news
and believed it. Gold had risen twenty
per cent In three days. A million Of gold
was sold by the sub.treasury, and alb
sorbed at the increased price like water.
Another millioniailed to topple the fab
ric Of conspiracy" The Secretary be.
came alarmed for reserves and ceased
operations. The Rothschilds handed in
three million Of the new loan bonds in
one day. The panic increased. Gold
rose TO thirty, forty, and then fifty per
cent. Home holders Of bonds commenc.
ed realizing wherever they could. Wall
street and the cOuntry's credit were
thoroughly in the hands Of the specula.
tors. 90 AL.t tH2 3. q
HURRIED PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE.
Atlantic cable news from England
meantime had ceased. Dispatches were
sent by the Atlantic cable but none came,
Intelligence Of affairs IN the island came
only In meagre items through the Brest
cable and from French sources. In the
doubling and facilitating policy Of the id.
ministration the Cunard, mman, and
other English steamers sailed before their
advertised days undisturbed. A number
of heavy English merchants sailed away
with them, leaving their business in the
hands of American agents. A week after
the dismissal Of the American Minister
Sir Edward Thornton received his recall.
Then the administration awoke TO the SC.
rious difficulty threatening it and. went 10
work in earnest. On the 18th of October
President Grant called for $4,000 men. tC
rendezvous at New York, Boston, Phila.
delphia, Washington and Charleston.
THE RESPONSE OF TIE PEOPLE.
In five days there we 10000 men under
arms ut Governors Island, Fort Hamil.
ton and the other forts in New York har.
Dor, and as many more inside the city;
10000 offered TO garrison the forts at Bos'
ton, but half Of them had to be rejected
for want oil room; $4,000 mustered al
League Island and distributed themselves
along the Delaware; 1000 were huddled
in the public buildings ut Washington
while 10000 Southerners Mailing iron
every southern State and wearing the gray
volunteered to defend Charleston The
whole country swarmed with volunteers
whose services could not be accepted. a
large force Of the Fenian Brotherhood
marched ut once upon Canada, but on the
border of that Dominion received orders
from the administration to halt until II
could determine positively what TO dc
with them. r-a .t. ... ..ts E,
THE GREAT WANT.
While men thus offered in plenty, ships
were wanting. The Colossus and two
wooden ships alone defended the Brook.
lyn Navy Yard. Three old hulks lay
grounded OF League Island, One disabled
iron:clad, without engines, 10y helpless, at
the Charlestown Navy Yard. The Medi.
terrancan squadron was as yet without
orders, and the Shawnee, Nantucket, and
monitor Terror were quietly summing
themselves in tropical waters, unconscious
OF the great need Of them at home. Or
ders were dispatched in great haste for the
return Of these foreign sQuadrons, and
thousands of workmen were set to work
night and day upon the numerous untin.
ished and disabled hulks that had been
for years at home. Tho forts in
the harbors Of New York and Boston
were supplied with heavier guns. New
carthen batteries were erected. Attempts
were made to sink torpedoes in the Mar
rows, but the torpedoes, coming hurriedly
from the contractors, were found defec.
tive. A huge chain cable was stretched
across, but 1t broke Of its own weight.
Commodore Vanderbilt presented the gov.
eminent with two old ships heavily bal.
lasted to sink across the channel, but in
the agitation and hurry ofthe moment, or
else through the Ignorance of the engi.
neer, who had only recently superseded
General Newton, they were sunk when
the tide was coming in heavily, and were
both driltcd completely out OF the chan.
mel. The quarantine buildings at West
Bank were fortified after fashion, and a
huge sand battery was thrown up at San.
dY Hook. Similar inadequate defenccs
were constructed at Philadelphia, Balti.
more, and Washington, and these done
the administration and the people content.
tnFNonnI,,na E,,ftk