The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-05
A MESSAGE TO WILLIS.
ReVenuh Steamer COrWin Ordered
Post Haste to Honolulu.
SHE MAY CARRY BAD NEWS FOR
THE DUsKY QUEEN.

pAAe~e SAAO
the Vessel to the State Department and
the Haste Shown in Getting Ready for
the Voyage Indicate that the Admins
tration has changed Its Mind and is
Trying to Give Willis the Tip.
New York, Dec. "A San Francisco
despatch to the New York Tribune,
dated yesterday, December 4, says:
that some striking change has been made
in the Administrators Hawaiian policy
is evident from the secret orders which
have been received here to get ready for
sea at the earliest moment the revenue
cutter Thomas Corwin. The orders
specify that she is to be outfitted for a
2,oo0-mile voyage, which fixes her desti-
nation as Honolulu, just as similar
clew in the orders to the cutter Richard
Rush last winter showed that she was
destined for that port. These orders
came by wire yesterday. and at once
preparations were made to put the Cor
win in trim for her long ocean trip.
She has just been thoroughly overhauled
at Sausalito, across the bay from this
city, and she is now lying at the Green
street wharf. She is smaller boat than
the Rush, being only 213 tons, but she is
seaworthy, and can average ten knots, SO
that she ought to cover the 2,O85 miles
between here and Honolulu in ten DAYS.
She has cabin accommodation for several
passengers, but a lot of coal will have to
be piled on deck.
The Government asked for the Rush,
which it will be remembered, carried Mr..
Blount down to the islands; but, as the
boilers were out of the Rush, she could
not be used. The Corwin is eighteen
years old and is stanch boat, having
done good service along the Alaska
coast for many years. She is under
command of Captain A. T. Munger, and
carries eight officers and about thirty
seamen. She will propably be ready for
sea tomorrow.
The few officials who know of these
secret orders are greatly mystified ov-
er their purport The majority, howev-
er, are inclined to believe that Mr..
Cleveland has at last become convinced
NIT to his plan of restoring the Queen,
and that he has devised some new
scheme to satisfy her claims. One theo-
ry, which found expression in Chicago
newspaper today, is that this govern
ment will pension her as the price Of her
abdication. Another is that Mr..
Cleveland has SO thoroughly .'hedged''
that he has decided to rush orders to
Minister Willis not to take any steps till
Congress can decide the matter. Still
another is that q certain date has been
set for restoring the Queen, and that
Mr.. Cleveland wishes to prevent action
by Willis which might lead to blood
she'd
1t is probable that official dispatches
will come over the wires tonight to be
carried by the Corwin. or that some
special messenger may now be speeding
west on the Overland Flyer to take pas
sage on the Corwin, as Blount did on
the Rush. This secrecy seems to be
favored by the administration.
Tonight orders were received trans
ferring the Corwin from the Treasury to
the State Department. This is regarded
as conclusive evidence that she is bound
for Honolulu, as similar procedure was
adopted when the Rush carried Mr..
Blount. 1t is also reported tonight that
quarters in the ward room have been
reserved by telegraph for one person.
Whether this person is on the way here
with dispatches. or whether it is some
San Francisco official who will be the
bearer of State Department orders, is
not known.