The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-02-11
Charleston and to afford them every
facility to visit the ships.

| facility to visit the ships.
Very respectfully, r. M. Bunce,
Rear Admiral, Commander-iu.chi
U. S. Naval Force on North Atlantic
Station.
This letter sets at rest the rumors
that have been circulated that the
ships would not be seen in the harbor,
and 1t is interesting to note also that ali
but three or four of the vessels can
como in easily.
Capt. i. V. Abbot, United States en-.
gineer, in charge OF the Jetty improve
ments, stated to u representative OF
The News and Courier that O. ship had
gone out of Charleston harbor recent
ly drawing twenty-five feet four in
chez. The pilots say that this ship
had plenty Of water under her keel
and that 1t was some little time before
high water.
From the official figures it will be
seen that all but u very few of the
ships can and will come through the
Jetty channel into Charleston's fine
harbor.
The splendid battleship Maine draws
but 81 feet inches of water. The
cruiser Montgomery draws ii feet 7
inches, tho cruiser Newark draws 19
feet 8 inches, the cruiser Raleigh
draws l8 feet, the Monitor Amphitrite
draws Ia feet 6 inches, the monitor
Puritan draws l8 feet, the monitor
Terror draws II feet inches, the gun
boats Castine draws IL feet, the dyna-
mite cruiser Vesuvius draws 10 feet
inch, the torpedo boat Ericsson draws
4 feet 8 inches, the torpedo boat Cush-
ing draws feet IL inches, the ram
Katahdin draws II feet, the dispatch
boat Dolphin draws II feet inches.
The flag ship New York, the battle
ship Indiana and the cruiser Columbia
will have to remain outside. The
latest reports show that the Brooklyn,
Texas, Marblehead and Massachusetts,
need not b; expected to take part in
the evolutions off Charleston, owing to
accidents and unfinished repairs.
The railroads have announced O. rate
OF one fare for the round trip for the
naval rendezvous. The tickets will be
on sale as soon as the ships arrive off
Charleston, and will have ten days'
limit.
The Washington Star gives the fol-
lowing information Of the movement of
the fleet and Of the evolutions Of the
blockade:
Secretary Herbert has accepted an
invitation from the Charleston, S. c.,
Chamber of Commerce to visit that
city on the 18th instant, when it is ex-
pected that Admiral Bunce will be car
rylng out his plan of instituting a
sham blockade of the port with all OF
the available ships of the North At
lantic squadron. The details of the
Admlral's plans have not been given
out, nor, In fact, are they yet known
at the navy department., but the officers
say, TO guard against popular disap-
pointment, that very little OF the sqad-
ron Will be seen at Charleston during
the blockade. The ships are generally
OF heavy draft, making it hazardous
Tor them to attempt to enter the har-
Dor, and consequently they will be
Obliged to lay we'll Off at sea, lying in
walt Tor the one or two small craft
that will be selected to run the gaunt-
let.
If tho blockade is maintained for
any length of time it will probably
cause the fleet to use the Port Royal
naval station as q base from which to
draw coal and other supplies and for
a refuge in certain emergencies. These
conditions, the lying we'll out to sea of
the fleet, and the use of another port
than the one bluckaded, as base Of
supplies, will more nearly duplicate
the conditions of an actual blockade
than would be the case if the tieOt
should run into Charleston harbor.
The accident to the Brooklyn is de-
plored by the officers, who are deeply
interested in this sham blockade, for
she would have been valuable ad.
dition to Admiral Bunce's squadron.
is probable that many of the mer.
chant steamers and sailing coasters
running into Charleston will be pressed
into service, all unknowingly, by the
admiral as representing would be
blockade runners.