The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-14

job l ever struck in my life getting past
the cruisers off Key West. They're al
ways on the lookout. The last time I
made them 1 had the Three Friends.
1t was painted a new color and loaded
with fruit outside. AS it was. they kept
such a close watch on US that We didn't
dare to breathe 1 guess they watch ev-
erything that goes OUT
The navy claims that it has at the
present time nine steamships in commits
sion along the coast.
The Florida coast is divided into three
sections of which Pensacola, Key West,
and Jacksonville are the centers, and at
each of these points Is stationed a man
of-war. These do not remain in one spot,
but patrol the coast north and south.
This Florida patrol alone has cost the
navy 100000, and from the middle of the
| Cleveland administration until now there
have been twenty warships, cruisers and
cutters stationed there, including the Gin
cinnati. Detroit, Montgomery, Maine,
Newark. Raleigh. Washington, Marble
head, Wilmington, Vesuvius, Annapolis
and Helena.
At the present time the Wenona, How
ard, Mclean, Boutwell,, Merrill and Col
fax, some of the best of the revenue cut
ters are in Florida waters or on the
way there. And besides maintaining this
patrol the Treasury fund of the United
States navy has paid out good money to
station revenue cutters all along the
North Atlantic and Texas coasts to watch
for filibusters.
The expenditure began with Cleveland,
who sent a warship to Key West promptly
upon the beginning of the Cuban war to
enforce the execution of the neutrality
laws, which do not allow one nation to
help another in time of war while these
nations continue friendly. Later Mr. Cleve-
land sent three men-of-war and four cut
ters to Florida, and one of his last acts
was to send out warning to all those as
sisting the Cuban cause. His administra-
ton also employed special agents to find
out the plans of the Cuban sympathizers,
in order to be abe to thwart them.
Unless a special appropriation for this
purpose is soon made the United States
Treasury will not feel itself at liberty to
put out money to prevent filibusterng, and
the government will be able, with proprle-
ty, to do away with the Gordon maintained
along its Atlantic coast. Were the Unit
ed States to protect entirely it's thousand
miles of coast 1t would need to spend six
times 50, 000, 000 and for this 1t would re-
ceive no return beyond blame from Spain
when a filibuster succeeded in getting out
of the country by means of one of the
numerous bays that indent the Atlantic
coast.
The much-discussed Silver Heels, which
left a New York pier Saturday night two
weeks ago, landed on an island in the
Atlantic and unloaded her cargo. From
there a Cuban warship gathered up the
cargo in five loads and took II to Cuba
The Silver Heels violated no law, as it
transferred its cargo in mid-ocean and
had on board no armed men. Even So
it had great trouble getting away from
our coast. On the other hand, the Gu
ban warshlp found 1t very easy to make
five expeditions from Cuba after the
cargo
The Atlantic squadron has been busy
of late with its annual military ma
neuvers. These are, however, over, and
the cruisers are starting south and north
to guard the different seaports of the
United States. The Columbia and Massa-
chusetts have been most active in this
work. and will continue to do good duty
A few days ago the Vesuvius. which was
last seen off Key West, disappeared. II
is undoubtedly now in the Gulf of Mexi-
co on the lookout for filibusters.
Spain has sixty warships off Cuba, but
with these silky has succeeded in captur-
ing only one filibuster. This was mere
sail boat, the Competitor, which, at the
time of its capture, was befogged. All the
others have passed the Spanish Gordon
without trouble.
The United States now claims that Spain