The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-03

Washington. Jan. 2-The dynamite
cruiser Vesuvius, and the armed dispatch
vessel Dolphin, have been ordered TO
Florida waters to reinforce the already
numerous fleet # Government vessels
now engaged in the effort to suppress the
fiiibustering expeditions bounu for Cuba
There are now two warships, the Newark
and the Raleigh, helping-revenue cutters
III this service and 1T may he that the
cutter fleet also will be reinforced if it is
practicable to spare any more of the few
vessels still held on duty for the usual
revenue marine service on the Atlantic
coast. This is somewhat doubtful, Tor it
Is said that nearly all of the cutters which
are not absolutely required ut the present
moment to perform boarding duty are
already on the Florida coast or on watch
for filibusters elsewhere. All of this
force gathered in one vicinity is taken to
mean that the Government is determined
to leave no sound ground for complaint
by the Spanish government that it has
failed to meet all of the requirements Of
international law III preventing the de-
parturc of hostile expeditions from our
shores to aid the Cubans and to enable it
TO assert that it has used the "due viri-
lance" prescribed as n condition Of avoid
ing pecuninry responsibility for the dam
age wrought by filibusters.
The Dolphin is ut the Washington navy
yard and probably will sail rs soon as she
can get aboard he necessary stores and
ammunition. Her captain, Commander
Glover, was mt the Navy Department to-
day consulting with the officials respect
ing the programme for the movements of
mis- ship. Though n dispatch vessel TECH
ncaily, the Dolphin would he IL formida-
bic craft To Il iilibustcr, not so much on
account Of hpl. cpnn6 ,,-bicI, l.. oh q
teen knots, rs from her machine guns,
her main battery and active crew. She
carries two 41millimeter 'EIotchkiss
guns, several six FOUNDER guns of the
same type, and two finch rapid fire rifles
The Nesuvius should he particularly
useful in patrol duty on account of her
speed. Twenty-onc knots is her record
on trial and there is nothing afloat on the
Atlantic coast in the shape of a privately
owned vessel that could escape her with
far run, with the possible exception of
the yacht Vamoosc and it is said, would
be toss up between them with the
odds iii favor of the dynamite boat, owing
TO her superior ability to endure Il long
run. Besides dynamite guns the Vesu-
vius has IA small but effective battery
made up of three 3pounder IIotchlliss
guns, sufficient to stop anything short of
an armored craft within a distance of
three miles. She draws only seven feet
of water and, therefore, will be able to
follow the small filibusteripg craft into
the shallow waters in which heretofore
they have found Z refuge from the deep
draft naval vessels and larger revenue
cutters.
The Ncsuvus is now at the League Is
land navy yard fitting out rapidly for the
service after lying out of commission for
nearly TWO years. 1t is expected that she
can go into commission on the 10Th in
slant under command of Lieut.. Com
mander Pillsbnry. who has been detached
from the naval war college.
The question was asked OF the Treasury
officials to-day what more in the direc.
ton OF restraining the departure of YES
sells with arms for Cuba could be expected
OF dozen war ships than one, rs long as
the Cuban-bound boats are permitted to
clear regularly and according to law. No
satisfactory answer could be returned,
but it appeared that the officials are act.
ing under the belief that the 'clcarance''
scheme is really intended as Il blind and
that the purpose of the Cubans is 20 have
one or more relief boats slip away surrep-
titiously while the authorities are looking
after the departure of the vessel for
winch clearance papers are sought