Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-03
TWO WAR SHIPS SAIL TO FLORIDA.
Determined Effort to he Made to Pre-
vent Fiiibustcring.

Determined tshpFt 10 bc W i-Tt-
vent FiiibuStcring.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-The dynamite
cruiser Vesuvius and the armed dispatch boat
DOLPHIN have been ordered to Florida waters
to reinforce the already numerous fleet OF
government vessels now engaged in the ef-
fort to suppress the filbustering eXpedi-
tions bound for Cuba. There are now two
war shiTs, the Arkansas and the Raleigh
helping the revenue cutters in this service,
and it may be that the cutter deet also will
be reinforced II II 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 1t Is said that nearly all of the cutters
which are not absolutely required at the
present moment to perform boarding duty
are already on the Florida coast or on watch
for flibusters elsewhere. All of this force
concentrated in this vicinity is taken to
mean that there Is desire to show there
Is no ground for complaint by the Spanish
government that the United States has not
endeavored to meet all the requirements OF
international law in preventing the de-
parture of hostile expeditions from our
shores to aid the Cubans and assert that it
has used the due vigilance as condi-
tion Of avoiding pecuniary damages for the
damage wrought by the flibusters
The Dolphin is at the Washington navy
yard and probably will sail as soon as she can
get aboard the necessary StoreS and ammuni-
tioA. Her captain, Commander Glover, vas
at the Navy department today, consulting the
officials respecting the program for the move
ments OF his ship. Though dispatch vessel
technically, the Dolphin would be a formli-
able craft to a filbustering vessel, not so
much on account of her speed. which is
about fifteen knots, from her machine
guns, her main battery and active crew. She
carries two forty mlllmeter Hotchkiss
guns, several six-pounder guns of the same
type and two four-inch rapid fire rifles.
From his experience as chief OF the hydro
graphic Office Commander Clover Is well
fitted to navigate his ship safely in the mar
row channels and passes of the Florida
coast. The Vosuvius should be particularly
useful In patrol duty on account Of her speed.
Twenty-One knots Is her record on the trial,
and there is nothing atloat on the Atlantic
coast In the shape OF a merchantmen or pri-
vate vessel that could escape her in a fair
run, with the possible exception OF the yacht
Vamoose, and 1t is said it would be toss
up" between them, with the odds in favor of
the dynamite boat, owing to her superior
ability TO endure a long run.
Besides the dynamite guns, the Ve5uvlus
has small but effective battery, made up
OF three three-pounder Hotchkss guns SUI
1cient to stop anything short of an armored
craft. within a distance OF three miles She
draws only seven feet of water, and, there
fore. will be able to follow the small ilihus-
tering craft into shallow waters. The Vcsu-
vius Is now at the League Island navy yard
fitting out rapidly for service, after lying out
OF commission for nearly two years. 1t is
expected she can go into commission on the
18th instant, under command of Lieutenant
Commander Pillsbury, who hes been de-
tached from the navy war college.
The question was asked OF the treasury Off
cials today what more in the direction OF re-
straining the departure of vessels with arms
for Cuba could be expected of a dozen war
ships than of one, as long as the Cuban
bound boats are permitted to clear regularly
ana according to law. No satisfactory
answer could be returned but It appeared
that the officials are acting under the belief
that the clearance" scheme is really in
tended as blind and that the purpose of
the Cubans Is to hare one or more relief
boats slip away surreptitously while the
authorities are looking after the departure
of the vessel for which clearance papers are
sought.