The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-03
CRUISERS ON GUARD
NESUVIUS AND DOLPHIN ADDED To
THE FLEET IN FLORIDA
WATERS
TO STOP FILIBUSTERlNG.
FOUR SPEEDY MEN OF WAR ARE
NOW ENGAGED in THIS
SERVICE.
TO STOP FILIBUSTERlNG.
UNITED STATES TAKE NO CHANCES
NeElecting No PrecautiOn Imposed
on Neutral Powers by the ObIiEa-
lions of international Law.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-The dyna-
mite cruiser Vesuvius and the dispatch
boat Dolphin have been ordered to
Florida waters to reinforce. the already
numerous fleet of government vessels
now engaged in the effort to suppress
the filibustering expeditions bound
for Cuba. There are now two war
ships. the Newark and the Raleigh,
helping the revenue cutters in this
service and it may be 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, for it is said that nearly all
Of the cutters which are not absolutely
required at the present moment to per-
form boarding duty, are already on
the Florida coast or on watch for
filfbusters elsewhere. This force
anchored in one vicinity is taken to
mean that the government is deter
mined to leave no sound grounds for
complaint by the Spanish governments
that it has failed to meet all of the
requirements of international law in
preventing the departure Of hostile ex-
petitions from American shores to aid
the Cubans, and to enable it to assert
that it has observed due vigilance"
prescribed as a condition OF avoiding
pecuniary responsibilities for the dam
age wrought by f1libusters.
The Dolphin is at the Washington
navy yard and probably will sail as
soon as she can get aboard the neces-
sGry stores and ammunition. Her cap
tain, Commander Glover, was at the
navy department today consulting with
the officials respecting the programme
for the movements of his ship. Though
a, dispatch vessel technically. the DoI+
pEin would be a formidable craft to
f1l1buSter, not so much on account Of
her speed, which is about fifteen knots
as from her machine guns, her main
battery and active crew. She carries
two forty-seven-m illimeter Hotchkiss
guns, several six-pounder guns Of the
same type and two four-inch rapid
fire rifles. From his experience as
chief of the photographic office, Com
mander Clover is we'll fitted to navi-
gate his ship safely in the narrow
channels and passes Of the Florida
coast.
The Vesuvius should be- practically
uSeIul III pdLrOl DUTY on account of her
speed. TWenty-one knotssis her record
on the trial and there is nothing afloar
on the Atlantic coast in the shape Of
merchant prtvate-owned vessel that
could escape her in a fair run, with
the possible exception Of the yacht
Vamoose, and, it is said, would be g.
toss-up' between them, with the odds
in favor of the dynamite boat, owing
to her superior ability to endure n
long run.
The Vesuvius draws only seven feet
or water and therefore will be able to
Follow the small f1libustering craft into
the shallow waters in which hereto
fore they have found a refuge from
The deep draft naval vessels and larger
revenue cutters. The Vesuviuscan go in
to commission about January -. under
command of Lieutenant Commander
P1lFsbury, who has been detached from
the naval war college.
Inc question was asked Of the treas
ury officials to-day what more in the
direction Of restraining the departure
OF vessels with arms for Cuba could he
expected of a dozen warships than of
one, as long as the Cuban bound boats
are permitted to clear regularly and
according to law. No satisfactory an
swer could be returned, but 1t appeared
that the officials are acting under the
belief that the clearance" scheme is
really intended as a blind, and that the
purpose of the Cubans is to have one
or more relief boats slip away while
the authorities are looking after the
departure of the vessel for which
clearance papers are sought.