The evening times., 1896-01-17
eUBA's FLYING SQUADRON
Said 10 Be Fitting Out a The Perth Lnh,y
Ship Yards.
Four Vessels Said to Compose tn
Fleet, and They VIII Carry Com
randers. Soldiers. and Guns.
New York World.


There is plenty OF nIbIslering news going
around just now Let any old nudscow ia r
up sonewhere for Il new coat OF tar and the
know It-alis shake their heads and suspect
that she is being fitted ont for descent upon
Cnfia- Government detectives hear of the
suspicions and hide in some spot and watch
thcscow Tor months at time. II a stranger,
in passing, lets his eye rest upon IL for a
moIBeBt the detectives follow him until ne
have satisfied themselves that he is not a
pirate or some other kind OF desperado.
The sea gossips OF South Street are lust
now discussing Capt Fred C. Miller, late
or the Red D. liner Valencia. They Ina We
rigeed hfan oat in the gIarirg uniform OF a
Cabin revolutionary autnirdi. and they sa y
that he Is basily occupied IN purchasing n
flying squadren ind mustermg crews of
fire-eaters. 1t doesn't do any good for
Capt Miller 10 say that he Is engaged in
the banana trade. THE men who .saGIe
specidEy of fiabus1ering Intelligence know
Better and insist that he has become a fili-
buster.
fact hat when Capt Miller resigned from
the Red '.D- last November he wrote 70 his
employers as follows:
Genti+nen: Having secured a steady job
as filibuster, hereby tender you my respect
fui resignation. +. c. MILLER.
The flying squat,ron. of which il is said
Capt. Miller Is TO become the ADMIRAL con-
sists OF the NePtupo, the EdserJ9u. tie scy-
THAN and the Foxhali- The first three YES
sels are laid up in the navy yard OF Hugh
Ramsey at Perth Amboy. S. l., and the Fox
hall is sitting On a mudbank at New Or
leans under the surveillance OF government
spies. The Neptune. as alre;sdy led In the
World, was at Fourth street, Eoboken- The
police discovered her whereabouts. and her
owner lowed her up to Fifteenth street, Ho-
boken, and hid her. With the aid OF human
blooihOunds from the kennels of the Spanish
consul. the secret service men located her
again. Thcreupon her owner moved her to
Perth Amboy and held a secret conference
with his associates
James L. Han OF W. W. Hurltnt & Co., No.
8 broadway, The riHbuster specialists. 81 Y
is the purchasing agent for the Cuban revo-
lutionlsts, and he has cha artered the Nep-
tupo for $4,000 trip. and bought the
FoXhall outright for $4,000. He avs he
hasn't and won't, but the specialists insist
that his view OF what has occurred or VIII
occur cuts no ice at this time.
As soGu as the Neptune AMI FoXhaH are
painted they VIII point their prows toward
Cuba full-fedged flying squadron. The
EGgerton, which is a river steamer entirely
untitled 10 go 10 sea-doesn' worry tn gos-
sips-is TO lag after the Neptune In the ca
VI ttlhltI. anu lilt Il little
English steamer OF $50 tons. is TO tag after
the FoxhaIl, play ying the same role. Capt.
Miller, i'll full war paint, is to stand upon
the bridge of the Neptune and maintain a
defiant attitude.
When the Neptune gets as far south as
Norfolk. Va. she VIII be metb by her tender
the Edgcrton. which viii transfer 10 her
fifty tons of arms. ammunition, Cuban gen
erals and war proclamatious. Why the Nep
f.L it.-ftS a hgtarb RI af
Perth Amboy isn't quite clear to the hay
mind, but none of il is anyway. 1t wasn't
meant to be.
The general scheme is to befog the situa-
tion So as to throw the Spaaiards off the
track. and this transfer OF cargo al sea is
in line with the general scheme To put it
in plain languaGe, 1t is aging the three
card monte game upon the Spanish. They
won't know which steamer has the guns,
and consequently won't be able to tell
which they should attack.
The Neptune is TO take seven large yawl
boats along aud a thiri ySiNfoot steam
launch 10 tow them. As soon a she gets
alongside of Cuba these filfbasters viii
get in the boats aud the launch will take
them ashore. After that the Neptune Will
return 10 the ofring for more
Capt. Miller. the agent Of the Red ID"
line, has resigned from their employ. but
they deny that he wrote any letter announC-
ing that he had got employment as a
journeyman filibuster. Every one else de-
mics all the rest OF the story, but on South
street the gossIps believe 1T.
Wait till that fleet sets out from Perth
Amboy," they remark cninously. Then
things will begin TO hum
AT the headquarters OF the Cuban revoiu-
tionists the policy is never TO deny any
activity or daring scheme attributed to
them. That is their attitude toward this
latest story of the Cuban fleet III a seeker
after information asked them if ii were
true that they had purchased the CuDard
fleet and were fitting them out with how
tiers, they might give a perfunctory de-
NAL of the rumor. but AT the same time
they would shrug their shoulders and wink
in a way calculated to convince one that
they were keeping something from him.