The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-11
GONE TO SEEK THE ITATA
The Cruiser Charleston Thought to Be
Speeding After the Bold Gillian.
Washington officials Refuse to Discuss the Mat
ter, but Dispatches from California Ihdi.
cate There Is Ground for the Report.

WASHINGTON, May 10.-While there are
40 new developments regarding the issu-
ance Of orders to the cruiser Charleston
ard the men-of-war composing the South
Pacific squadron to go after and seize the
%insurgent vessel Itata. which is now sup
posed to be on her way to Chill WITH arms
taken from the schooner Robert and Minnie,
it is believed that orders have been sent to
Admiral Brown. commanding the ships of
the South Pacific station, to capture the
Itata by force, if necessary, and take her
to the first American port. The greatest
air of secrecy is surrounding the affair,
and tonight it is utterly impossible to
learn that any orders Of any nature re-
garding the Itata had been issued by the
Navy Department. or would be issued.
Secretary Tracy left the city yesterday on
the Dispatch, In ompany with Commo-
dore FOlger. to inspe CT the new navel prov
ing ground down the Potomac, and has not
yet returned. At his home it was said he
had probably continued his trip to Ft.
Monroe or gone down the Chesapeake to
stay over Sunday. He left word that he
would not return until noon tomorrow.
Commodore Ramsey, the Chief of the
orders directing the movements of ships of
the navy was seen tonight. but declined
to say anything on the subject.
There are the strongest reasons for believ-
ing that the orders were issued yesterday
before Secretary Tracy left the depart
ment, and that the Charleston 10 ON her
way south after the Itata. Commissioner
Ramsay said tonight that he received an
unofficial dispatch this morning from San
Francisco saying that the Charleston had
gone to sea to test her runs but had not yet
returned. As has previously been stated
orders were issued some days ago by the
Navy Department for the Charleston to 60
to nose sea r rGh she , purpose r;p in OF f,g iv mS;l ne tb eight sb;n
executed certain maneuvers. but whether
the orders were further supplemented by
sealed orders or not cannot be learned.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Solely
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. Mr.
Solely said he was not fully informed as to
during his absence and was not in q
position to say anything in the absence of
the Secretary, who would return to-mor-
row. He declined to affirm or deny that
any orders had been issued by the depart
ure of the Itata.
Naval officers in Washington who are
conversant with the coast of Lower Cali
fornia say it is likely that the schooner
sAS ~ ~ VII oAA YIN
of the small outlying islands near the coast,
and that the ltata procured them there, in
stead of taking the chances of sighting the
schooner at sea. as this was the most prac-
ticable scheme, and. moreover, would not
tend to suspicion by the United States
authorities, as would be the case should the
schooner be seen lurking on or off the coast.
The Itata is an ir0h-screw propeller ship
of Zoo tons, and was built in England in
1873. She has compound engines of On
tiquated make and is not capable, proba-
bly,, of steaming more than nine or ten
knots an hour. She was formerly owned
and operated by the Gillian Steam Navi-
cation Company. and how she came into
the hands of the insurgents is not known
here, unless she was seized by them at the
beginning of the insurrectlon.
The United States vessels in Chilian
waters are the Baltimore and the flagship
Pensacola, with Rear-admiral Mccain in
command. The San Francisco, when last
heard from, had left Peru and will likely
join the Baltimore and Pensacola early this
week. With the Charleston the Admiral
would have under his command the three
finest ships of the new navy, besides the
Pensacola, which is the best of the wooden
class in the service. With these four ships
it is not anticipated by naval officers that
much opposition would be met with should
the United States see fit to capture the
ltata even should she be reinforced by the
best ships of the insurgents.