The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-11
MAY Be TO HAVANA.
Battleship New York Sails Under
Sealed Orders,
PROyISIONED AND EQUIPPED FOB
ALONG VOYAGE.
Crew Has Been at Work Several Days
Getting-ship Ready For sea-No One on
Board Knows For Where She Was
Bound.

Getting-Ship Ready For sea-No One on
Bound.
Boston, June 10.-The crack United
States cruiser New York, the flag ship of
the North Atlantic squadron, with Rear
Admiral Montgomery Sicard on board,
steamed out of the harbor at o'clock this
afternoon, not a soul on board knowing
to what port she was bound. for it will be
only when the big cruiser is well out side
of Boston light, with her pilot over the
side, that the sealed orders from Washing
ton will be opened and her destination as
certained. 1t is generally believed, how
ever, that when she has reached Cape Cod
that she will turn her nose to- the south
ward, and that her twin screws will not
stop until she is in the immediate neigh
borhood of Cuba, if not in the harbor of
Havana itself; for when she started she
was fully provisioned and coaled and
could if necessary, go asssfar as Gibraltar
or Rio Janeiro without laying in more
supplies.
The New York arrived here May 26 to
participate in the ceremonies of unwilling
the Shaw monument. The battleship
Massachusetts came with the flagship
while the battleship Texas had arrived
some days previous, SO that Boston on
Decoration day had three formidable
ships of the North Att antic squadron in
the harbor. The Texas left few days
| arr .6r1t %ba Othar fxxyo chirc how hoo
swinging at their mooring off the navy
yard until today.
That Rear Admiral Sicard must have
had some inkling of an important cruise
seems probable from the fact that the past
few days the entire crew of the New York
have been hard at work getting the sh p
ready for sea, while her coal punkers
have been filled to overflowing. It was
supposed, however, that the cruiser would
run round to New York or perhaps
Hampton Roads, and Pilot Colby of the
local pilots was notified that the ship
would probably proceed to sea in day
or two, and that his services would be re-
quired to navigate the cruiser through the
narrow channels of the harbor. Early
this morning something more than the
usual activity was noticed on board and
soon the excitement extended to the navy
yard. 1t was seen that all the steam
launches were being hoisted aboard and
secured as if for long voyage, while ex-
ira precautions were taken to make every
thing snug.
AT noon an officer came ashore and
notified Pilot Colby to report on board
the cruiser at once and shortly after 8
O'Clock it became known that those mys-
terious sealed orders, which always give
wide room for conjecture had been re-
ceived from the navy department by Ad
miral Sicard.
foI I~o +Ln, 10,
spread along he water front and soon it
was in every mouth, while that her des-
tination must be Cuba, appeared to be an
accepted fact. Shortly after o. clock the
guns of the cruiser doomed out parting
salute to Commodore Howison of the navy
yard and as soon as it had been answered,
the anchor was weighed and the cruiser
swung around in the stream. Down
past the wharves she glided with the
smoke streaming off from her three vel
low tunnels The wind at the time had
shifted somewhat to the northward after
blowing gale from the northeast all day
so that in the outer harbor there was a
nasty sea on. These tempestuous condit-
ions, however, had no terrorS for the star
dy cruiser. By O'Clock she had passed
out by Boston light and was headed
straight out to sea and in a short time
the strong mists hid her and she disap-
peared from view.
1t is presumed that one of the pilot
boats on the inside station will take Pilot
Colby off the cruiser, but until he leaves
the ship the seals of the navy department
on the orders will not be broken.
Washington, June 1O.-It is said at the
navy department. this afternoon that the
New York was bound for Hampton
Roads and was not going to Cub a.
TnIoOk Acted Ell uIpucTEPEPS
Idea Obtained In Washington of New
York's Mission.
Washington, June 10.-The Navy De-
partment officials were singularly re-
served about the movements of the New
York and showed a reluctance to answer
any questions. Secretary Long in answer
to direct interrogation replied: The
New York is not going to Cuba; she will
next be heard from at some point on the
Atlantic coast well north of Cuba" "
The Secretary refused to answer further.
The chief of the navigation bureau, who
usually is always ready to tell where
ship is bound, refused to say word as to
the destination of the New York. 1t is
learned, however that the cruiser is ex-
pected to report next at Hampton Roads,
Va, and that she will be at sea apout
two days. 1t is surmised that the Navy
Department, which has been charged of
late with the whole duty Of looking after
filibusters afoat has been advised OF the
intention of some formidable expedition
bound for Cuba to put out from some
northern port, possibly Delaware bay, or
perhaps there is to be a repetition OF the
Horsa expedition, and some steamer IS to
| take on arms for the Cubans OH one OF
| the now deserted sand beaches of Jersey
or Delaware. In such case the department.
would send out a small cruiser usually,
but 1t is stated that at this time IL was a
case OF the choice of the vessels able TO
get underway first.
CALHOUN AT STATE DEPARTMENT..
Has Another Long Conference With Assist
ant Secretary Day.