Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-10
WAR WITH chilli.
Is That What the United States
is Preparing FOr9
Hustling in the Brooklyn and Mare
Island Navy Yards,
Work Being Pushed on All the
War Vessels
BY THE ORDERS OF THE SECRETARY
OF THE NAVY.

The First Sunday Since the Close of the
Rebellion That the Machinery in the
Big Workshops Have Been Run-san
Francisco Excited Over the Recent De-
velOpments-HOr Defenses Not Espe-
cially Good,
New YORK, Nov. 10.-Not since the
close Of the rebellion has there been
such activity in getting war vessels
ready for sea, and Sunday was the first
Sunday since 1855 that the machinery of
the big workshops in the navy yard was
kept in motion.
Out of the Rut.
Saturday afternoon matters were going
along at the navy yard in the usual slow
fashion, when clerk entered Captain
Erben's Office with a telegram. The
captain yawned as he opened the envel-
ope, but the first few words made him
break his yawn in two, and in an instant
orders were flying thick and fast to the
heads of the various mechanical depart
ments.
The telegram was from Secretary
Tracy, ordering every warship to be
made ready for service as speedily as
possible. Special orders were given for
forcing work on the Miantonomah. She
is the strongest war vessel in our navy,
and the only one, according to the opin-
ion of naval officers, that is fit to engage
in battle with the Chilian torpedo fleet
The MinntonOmah.
L. 1.
Washington in 1888, and has not left the
navy yard since-in fact, she has never
been in commission since her guns were
first tested soon after she left the ship
yard at Chester. She is massive, for
midable looking vessel and a regular
batteringram. She carries two ten-inch
breech-loat ng rifles in each turret.
Each gun weighs 1900 pounds is capa-
BILE of throwing 500-pound shot dis
tance of thirteen miles, and burns 255
pounds of powder at each discharge.
1t is thought she can be sent away by
the last of this week.
Work is being pushed, of course, on all
other vessels in the navy yard.
New YOrk's Defenses.
In the forts down at the Narrows the
same activity prevails, orders having
been received here Saturday from the
war department. The working forces
have been doubled, and ammunition of
all kinds is being got ready with a rush.
SAN FRANCISCO EXCITED
Over the Unusual Activity in the Various
Navy Yards.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 10.-The fact
that the work at the navy yards ut
Brooklyn and Mare Island is being
pushed both on Sunday and at night,
has created some excitement here.
San Francisco's Defenses.
The defenses of San francisco against
an attack from sea are not especially
good. There is not single modern rifle
here Fort Point, at the entrance to the
Golden Gate, has about fifty eight-inch
muzzle-loading rifles, converted from
ten-inch smooth-bores.
On the Alcatraz there are eight or
nine more; there are also large num-
Der of ten and fifteen inch smooth-bores
1t is not believed that these guns could
delay the enemy from entering the bay
for any considerable length of time.
Only the extreme western part of the city,
where there are few valuable build
ings, could be shelled without coming
within close range of these guns
The harbcf is well protected by tor
pedoes, of which there are 600 or 700 in
position, or ready to be placed. There
are no automobile torpedoes in the city.
Two modern rifles have been promised
to San Francisco next year and two the
year after.
SEEKING A FRIENDLY SOLUTION.
The Chilian Government at Last Takes
Tumble,
VALPARAISO, Nov. 10,-The Chilian
government is seeking a friendly solution
Of the difficulty with the United States