Montgomery County sentinel., 1874-02-27

U. s. S. "CoNGREss,


Key West, Florida, Feb. 10th, 1874.
: Dear Sentinel Here we are in the land Of
; balmy sunshine, tropical fruits, flowers, &c,
with the mercury standing at $50 in the shade.
, What will your readers think of this For
when among you this time one year ago, snow,
: nothing but snow, and the coldest Of weather.
AS promised to write to you occasionally, J
think it only appropriate to keep you posted
relative 20 our movements.
There is now here one of the largest and
most imposing looking fleets ever gathered to-
gether in American waters. To-day ride at
anchor twelve Of the best American steam
frigates and corveiies in our navy. The Wa
bash, the flagship of Admiral Case; the Col
orado, Capt. Ransom ranklin Capt. Simp-
SOM. Congress Capt Rhnd; Ticonderoga, Capt.
Barrett; to whom your correspondent is in
debled for courtesies extended while on board
this vessel Canandaigna, Commd'r Lowrie; /;
Shenandoah, Capt. Wells; Wachusetts, Capt.
FilIebum; Wyoming, Commd'r Cushing; Kan
sas Commdr Reid, and Brooklyn, Capt Trux-
ton, are wooden ships, but as good as any of
their class afoat To these will be added the
Lancaster, Ossipee, Juniata, and Monitor jax.
Each morning al O'Clock, or to use a nau-
teal expression two bells, the signal, viz; to
get under way, appears from the flagship, and
then each ship evinces scene of busy action
until in the afternoon. The maneuvers con
sist in sailing in squadron, deploying in col
umn for battle, aud hundred other minor
exercises. The most complete and thorough
| ;n Ia
breakers will be carried on. There will also
be exercises on land, when the Marine officers
@ill have an opportunity of displaying their
familiarity with Options Tactics There
will also be practised trials of boarding vessels
in small boats. The ships sides will be filed
with every appliance to keep of boarding par
ties--not so much 10 exhibit the actual neccs-
sity for such thngs--as to test the practical
| efficiency Of the several devices. The target
practice will also be Il feature of the exercises.
Each vessel is provided with canvass targets,
which will be anchored at from 700 to l400
yards distance, and the most thorough.experi-
ments with the latest apparatus for e'evating
and depressing the guns, &c, will be brought
into practical use.
In offering few remarks on the condition
of our navy in comparison with that Of Spain,
we all know that the Spanish navy has some
of the best iron-cIads which have been built
in Europe. Nearly all of these broadside
sloops, and their speed is much superior 10 our
DID, dismantled vessels. If war should come
these vessels going fourteen knots, will pass
any of our forts and burn and destroy, and we
cannot help ourselves. 1t would be impossible
| to preventit with the facilities now at hand
Spain has but little to hazard in a war with
US, which, of necessity, must be a war Of fleets
She has no commerce to lose. We could only
assai her fleets, and her colonial possessions,
while she could attack us from Maine to Texas,
along the entire Pacific coast, break up our
steam coastng trade, and work US vast
amount of harm before we could drive her
fleets off or sink them. You can therefore sci
it down as stubborn fact, that Spain has the
whip hand of us, aud, when she is ready, we
will have to suffer for all the troubles the fill
clustering craft Of the insurreclionisis in Cuba
have brought 10 her.
We want and must have, to be nation and
iNSpSNNNu hpiOuut pulIuiuE III UuCe, zen SlOOnS
of war, from 10 10 $500 tons, built of wood,
and of the most modern style of architecture
and engineering. Besides This, we want the
same number of iron-clads, built on the most
approved style that will surpass any English,
French, or Spanish vessel afoat. ! am conf
dent, if Congress will appropriate money for
our navy, we will obtain as good stuff as ever
floated any ocean-as we have the best skilled
officers at The head Of all the Departments both
in the Yards and at Washington
In my next shall give description of life
aboard ship, &c. GLAUCUS.
The temperance movement in the West
knows no abatement, but is extending 10 New
York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and many other
places. We see it stated that praying band
is to be organized in Washington Tomorrow
Saturday Like the charge of the ''Sx
Hundred" they will descend npon the 2loO
drinking places in the capital OF the Nation,
and make things lively for the saloon-keepers
There is big work to be done in Washington
and if the ladies are successful in closing these
saloons, many of the keepers may prepare to
ego West"
The following note is published in the
Washington Star of Monday
NOTICE TO sALooN-KEEpER
II This morning postal card, with the fol-
lowing notice, was received by restaurant
keeper on between Al and 9th streets:
WASHINGTON Cry, D. c., Feb. %, 1874.
Sir; You will please take notice that on to-
morrow, (22d, at O'Clock p. m, "a number
! OF ladies, with myself, will appear at your res
taurant to hold prayers, for the purpose Of re-
forming you and your family and inducing
! you to quit the wicked business in which YOU
are engaged, and also to check the cause of
dram-drinking by the lrequeners Of your
house.
Mrs. E. CArFREY, for herself and sisters.
A FEMALE PREAcHFR. For the past two
: weeks the good people of Baltimore have been
reused to high degree of excitement by the
e preaching off Mrs. Maggie Van Co,t an En-
glish lady She is of the Methodist persuasion
D and her services were engaged by the pastor