The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-11

Four Of the Swiftest Cruisers WIN
Soon Overhaul Her.
aenly - join tAs Baltfnsrs ana
Pensaeela-The Itafa m old Tub
Naval OMeials sllent-Burt,s story.


orders. A cipher dispatch was received
by Captain Remy at midnight Friday. Il
took over three hours TO translate the dis
patch, and at o'clock in the morning Al
visitors were ordered ashore. and the
Charleston is provisioned and coaled for
long cruise, and instead Of going outside
to try her guns. as was generally sup
posed at first, it Is stated that she has
gone in pursuit of the Chilean steamer
Itata with orders to capture her II the
Chayleston does not catch her, the orders
are to keep on until Admiral Brown 10
encountered In Chilean waters. The
transfer Of ammunition from the schooner
Robert and Minnie TO the Ita.a vas not
completed until Friday afternoon, 80 that
the insurgenf vessel has start Of thirty
six hours and 500 miles The Charleston
has not yet returned to this porf. as she
would have done by this time, If she had
g0ne outside simply for target practice
SAX DIEGo, May m-United States man-
of-war Omaha steamed ont Of the harbor
yesterday and. after passing the heads,
stood out 10 sea IN southwesteriy course
Commander Cromwell received . mass Of
correspondence in cipher from the navy
department. and il is understood, has in
sfrucfions to cruise around Coronado
island and San Clement TO find out, if
possible, where the Robert and Minnie and
the Ifata are. and to pick up the schooner
If sighted
Los AsGKLEs, May IA dispatch from
San Pedro says the United States war yes
sells Omaha and Charleston anchored OF
that place this evening and exchanged
signals
SAN PEDRO, Nay lo.-All on board the
schooner Robert and Minnie are under
arrest. They have delivered their cargo,
but decline to say anything whatever
about the Itafa They have seen nothing
Of the Charleston yet. The warship
Omaha a--ived outside at $40 p. m.
WAsHIxerox Crrr. May 10-While there
are no new Developments regarding the re-
ported issuance of orders to the cruiser
Charleston and the men-of-war composing
the South Pacific sqnsdron 10 30 after and
seize the insurgent vessel Isata. which Is
now supposed 70 be On her way to Chile
with arms taken from the Robert and
Minnie, it is believed that orders have
been sent to Admiral Brown, commanding
the Pacific station, and to Admiral Nc
Cam. commanding the ships on the
South Pacific station, 70 capture the Ifasa,
by force If necessary, and take her 70 the
FIRST American port The greatest air of
secrecy surrounds the affair, and tonight
i, is utterly impossible TO learn that any
orders of any nature regarding the Itsta
have been issued by the navy department
or viii be issued.
Secretary Tracy left the city yesterday
on the Dispatch. in company with Com
modore Folger. TO inspect the new naval
proving ground down the Potomac, and
has NOT vet returned At his house it Was
said thar he had probably continued his
Trip 10 Fort Monroe OF gone down Chesa-
peake bay 10 stay over Sunday. He left
word tha. he would not return until noon
tomorrow
Commodore Ramsey, chief Of the bureau
of navigation. who issues all orders direct
ing the movements of ships Of the navy,
was seen tonight. but declined 10 say any
thing on the subject. There is the strong
est reason for believing that orders were
issued yesterday before Secretary Tracy
left the depar tment and that the Charles
ton is now on her way Sonsh after the
Ita.a- The commodore declined to affirm
or deny that any orders had been
issued by the department in ccnse-
auence Of the departure of the Itata He
said tonight that he had received an un-
Official dispatch today from San Francisco
saying that the Charleston had gone to sea
TO ties. her guns, bat had not returned. As
had been stated, orders were issued BY the
navy department for the Cha rles.on TO so
10 sea for the purpose Of giving her eight
inch rides trial while the ship executed
l->~ -
orders were further supplemented BY
sealed orders .or not cannot be learned.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Seeley
has been absent from the department
since Thursday and, when seen tonight,
he also declined TO say anything that
would throw any light whatever ON the
subject. He said he was not fully in
formed as to what had transpired al the
department during his absence and was
not in q position 10 say anything in the
absence Of the secretary, who would re-
turn tomorrow. He also declined to affirm
o. deny that any orders had been issued
by the department in consequence Of the
sudden departure Of the Iiata-
Naval officers IN Washington who are
conversans with the coast OF Lower Cali
fornia say il Is likely that the schooner
Robert and Minnie may have deposited
the rides intended for the Chiieans on
some one Of the small outlying islands
near the cost and the Ita,a procured them
there. instead Of taking chances Of sight
ing the schooner At sea, as this Eas the
most practicable scheme and moreover
would not tend 10 suspicion by the United
States authorities, as would be the case
should the schooner be seen lying of the
coast.
The italia is an iron screw propeller ship
Of l 20 tons and was built IN England IN
is.S She has compound engines Of anti
qus;ed make and is not capable probably
OF sTeaming more than nine or ten knots
an hour. She was formerly owned and
operated by the Chilean Steam Navigation
Company, and how she came into the
hsnds of The insurgents is lot known here,
unless she was seized by them AZ the be-
ginning of the insurrecsioa-
The United States vessels IN Chilean VA
tiers are the Baltimore and the flagship
Pensacola, with Admiral NeCannon IN
command The San Francisco, when last
heard from, had left Peru and viii likely
Join the Baltimore and Pensacola early
this week With the Charleston the sd-
mlral viii have under his command three
Of the finest ships of the new nary.
besides the Pensacola. which II the best
Of the wooden class in the service. With
these four ships IL Is not anticipated by
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