The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-17

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WASHINGTON, D. c., March 10.
THE MAIN DEVELOPMENT IN THE
SPANISH SITUATION TO-DAY WAS
IN CONNECTION WITH THE DE-
FINITE REPRESENTATION SUB.
MiTTED BY THE SPANISH Gov.
ERNMENT TO THE STATE DE-
pARTMENT CONCERNING THE AS
sEMBLING OF a ALARGE FLEET OF
AMERICAN wARsHIPS AT KEY
WEST, THE WAR PREPARATIONS
AND THE INFLUENCE WHICH
THESE MIGHT HAVE ON THE APP
pRoAcHING ELECTIONS IN CUBA.
THESE REPRESENTATIONS WERE
EXACTLY IN LINE WITH THE
sEMI-oFFICIAL UTTERANCE CIV
EN- IN THESE DISPATCHES LAST
NIGHT AND ACCREDITED TO A
HIGH OFFICIAL CoNvERsANT
WITH THE VIEWS OF THE SPAN,
IsH CABINET. WHILE THESE
REPRESENTATIONS CAN NOT.
PROPERLY BE REGARDED AS A
PROTEST AGAINST THE ATTITUDE
AND ACTS OF THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT. THEY
MAY UNoUEsTIoNARLY BE SET,
DOWN AS A REAIoNsTRANcE CAL
CULATED TO HAVE AN EFFECT IN
EUROPEAN COURT CIRCLES. NOT.
HOWEVER, BEING A TECHNICAL
PROTEST, THE STATEMENT has
NOT CALLED FORTH ANY. OFF
cIAL REJoINDERz on THE PART
OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT, FOR
IT IS LACKING IN, TANGIBLE Ac-.
CCsATIoNs, BEING RATHER AN
ARGUMENTATIvE PRESENTATION!
OF ALLEGED SPANISH GRIEv-
ANcEs.
The Fern sailed .or Havana from
Reg West this afternoon. She goes to,
relieve the Montgomery as. a home for
the officers engaged in supervising the
T-eckins operations In Havana harbor.
/: is stated unequivocallys that the
Montgomery is not withdrawn, owing
10 any suggestion from Spanish sources
that her presence Is not desired. It
was the announced intention of Secre-
tary Long when the cruiser was sent TO
Havana to keep her there only so long
as the Fern should be engaged in the
work OF distributing relief among the
sufferers In eastern Cuba. This task
having been performed and owing to
the return Of the court of inquiry from
Havana. there being fewer persons to
accommodate, the Fern which Is better
equipped than the Montgomery. to as
sist in the wrecklnG operations, is re-
turned 10 her position.
Up TO the close of Office hours the
navy department., though 1t knew off,
ela!ly that the court OF inquiry had
come over to Key West from Havana.
was 1ot informed as to the findings or
plans OF the court 2
il Is said that the object of the navy
department in purchasing such crafts
es the late Mr.. Ogden -Goelet's yacht
Mayflower. is TO provide, as quickly as
possible a number OF picket boats OF
good speed and sea-going ability TO act
as scouts, and also TO aid our ironclads
and more expensive vessels in opera
;ions against torpedo boats A large
number OF private yachts have been Of
fered to the department and other ac-
QUESTIONS OF the same type as the May
''owe. may be expected.
Meanwhile 1t appears that there Is .
much lorger stock of vessels right ut
home, available for naval use than was
generally supposed. Many OF them will
make very efficient cruisers and gun
fooats almost equal 10 vessels OF the
unprotected cruiser type now in the
navy. Such a vessel Is the yacht May
rowcr. acquired to-day. She can be
transformed easily. owing to her
s'auHch construction into a good dis
patcn boat or. a small cruiser about
equal TO the Castine class, although
lacking the protective deck OF the lat
ter. b ,y',J n. i 6
A brief telegram from Admiral Sicard
announced the arrival at Key West of
the Nangrove with the court OF inquiry
aboard. All the officials at the depart
ment profess tho deepest ignorance as
10 the plans OF the, board and particu-
:. .arLy as to whether or not It will return
surgeon General Van Reypen, OF the
navy. returned to-day from Newport
News, where ne vent to examine into
I s!le practlcablllty OF converting the
Plant line steamer Grand Duchess into
mn ambulance or hospital ship for use
Of the navy in the event OF hostliitIes
with Spain.4 So far as the accommodate
lions arc concerned. the vessel after
some necessary work would make IN
admirable ambulance ship. but the
iack OF boilers, which itwould take acv-
eFal months to replace, limits her adap-
ability for use at the present time
There is no'room aboard the ordinary
nnttleship. says General Van ReYpen,
Tor an accumulation OF wounded men