The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-23
Our Fleet at Rio de Janeiro.

1hnre is ABOUT 10 DO nSscmDleu at MO dc
Janclro under Admiral BENHAM. the most
formidable American squadron that ever
dropped anchor IN foreign port.
The vessels already there include the
flagship Newark, Capt. TERRY. Of 40S3 tons
splacement. mounting twelve 6-inch rifles.
together with ten rapid-hre guns. three
| Hotchkiss revolving cannon, and four Cat
| lingo In the secondary battery, and making
10 knots at her best; the Charleston, OF
1910 tons. having a trial record Of 1872
knots, and mounting two s-inch and six G.
inch rifles. with a secondary battery like
the Newarks and one more Hotchkiss cnn-
non; the Detroit, OF 1900 tons, Commander
BRowNsoN. mounting ten 6-lnch rapid-flre
rifles. eight smaller rapid-fre guns, and
! two Gatlings. and making 1871 knots on
her speed trial
The war ships now added are. to begin
with, the San Francisco. 4.0S3 tons. Capt.
WATSON. which has already left Trinidad
for Rio. She is 2O.17 knot flyer. carry
Ing battery like tho Newark's. Next,
the best all-around vessel we have In COM
mission. the armored cruiser New York,
Capt PHILIP, Is hurriedly preparing to
leave this port. and the best information
is that she goes to Rio. She is q big $780,
ton cruiser. having 81, inches OF steel on her
two turrets. IL inches on their barbettes.
4 inches on her Sides and thick curved
steel deck. She carries six S-inch and
twelve rapid-6re 4.inch rifles. besides twelve
rapid-fre guns and four Cuttings In her
secondary battery and four Whitehead tor
pedoes and she reached 81 knots on her
trial. She will be the best vessel of any
M III, Tho In,,bla .t,r
Miantonomoh. Capt. WALLACE command
ing. OF 5000 tons. is likewise under orders.
presumably. also. for Rio or for the Gulf.
She is q slow vessel. making but 1917 knots,
but she has the powerful armament OF four
10-inch rifles In a pair OF compound armor
turrets 11I inches thick. besides eight
pieces1 the secondary battery. Her sides
are protected by seven inches OF armor.
Here are six vessels. five OF them modern
steel cruisers and two OF them armor-
clads. 1t is further understood that the
bennington. Commander THOMAS. may be
ordered to Rio from the Mediterranean.
She Is 1.7OO-ton Runboat. OF ~ knots
speed. carrying six 6-inch guns, besides
nine pieces in her Sc condary battery. Pos
sibly she may be directed instead to the
Gulf OF Mexico. whittier the Kearsarge has
already been sent. and 1t is q good station
for n reserve for Rio.
Why Is all this demonstration made The
answer given by the Washington authori-
ties is that 1t means the protection Of Amer
lean rights and interests at Rio and they
are also not ioath to allow the further infer
ence to be drawn. that 1t Is meant to uphold
the MONROE doctrine. II put In jeopardy
there. That Is all right. but perhaps II the
truth were known. there Is q feeling OF re-
lief in being able to turn public attention
from Honolulu to Rio. and by an extra
demonstration OF zeal for American inter-
ests in Brazil to offset the miserable sacri-
flco OF American interests In Hawaii Ger
talnly the navy may be congratulated on
having at Rio more agreeable task than
the one 1t has feared at Honolulu.
II 1t be true that there ia any fresh dan
ger OF European interference In favor OF
monarchical institutions In Brazil. we may
thank the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Hawaiian
policy for contributing It's share TO that
increase OF danger. The attempt to crush
FREQ government in Hawaii. and the open
declaration OF purpose to restore there
discarded and barbarous monarchy.
crowned with the announcement 10 Mr..
CLEvELAND's message OF his opinion that
dissatisfaction with form OF govern
ment not our own" ought not to regulate
our conduct. may well have encouraged
the friends OF monarchy. SO far as the re-
lations OF this country to 1t are concerned.
In Brazil and everywhere else.