The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-22

If the State Department ueilooi',n
,,nou Tile line Of policy 10 De pursue" :,
.,Sc the report of the naval court Sh
have The effect of entirely eIiuiii''i"7
n. Maine incident from the SITUATION. !.
rho State Department officials DID not
make any positive declaration tnal eueh
attenuation was in their pos>essioh'
-, tber advancing it as Il tentative sue
,,astion. and when pressed Tor INFORM"
non on this point replied that thes ohs
know that the report was 10 cohie heN'
week and that they had no ADVANCE III
formation us TO Its ceniehts'
An important contract was ie,
prreau of Yards and Docks of the Nav!
Deaar+uopt to-day. 1t was for dredging
~ o 600 feet of the harbor about
Lort Jefferson on Dry Tortugas Is
Ind (which will enable large naval ana
,,orcbapt vessels 10 anchor very near
Tho shore 10 take on coal. IhlS Is tue
fist step taken by the Navy DePaIl-
mont toward making Il naval supply
coaIinr station at the IortuSas' ""lh
ON which will now be pushed as rapldIS
i. possible. The Alabama Dredging anu
Jcttv Company. of Mobile, were aWarueu
the contract.
There is no doubt that the authorities
here are keeping themselves fully au-
yiSed as to the movement OF the Sl,ahl>h
torpedo %tiotilla. now en- route from SPAN.
Persons acquainted with the facts 50!
th,t the stop at the CanarieS is only
temporarv and that there IS mop urpost
on the part of the Spanish government
10 turn back the torpedo boats because
Of the removal of the Texas and MasSa-
chusattes from Key West. On the con
trorv the purpose as made known III
Washington is that the torpedo iotllla
will continue its trip to Cuba and Puerto
Rico. 1t was stated to-day by one hlSh
in naval authority that no steps mao
been taken toward interceptlng TINS
fotilla or warning it away.
The State Department posted the fol
lowing memorandum during the day:
The elections for the Cuban House
of Representatives will take place on
April oath. and that for the Council Of
Administration ON April 18th. The Gu
ban Parliament will meet May md.
The diplomatic aspect of the Spanish
question developed no new phases to
day.
Messrs. Angulo. Valera and Cadenas
the three commissioners named by tn,
Cuban Cabinet to act with Minister
Polo in framing Il commercial treaty
will be presented to Secretary Sherman
and Judge Day on Monday next. They
expect to take up the negotiations VIII
COMMISSIONS Kasson after the ceremo-
ny Of presentation is concluded.
Commodore Farquhar, formerly chief
Of the Bureau of Yards and Docks of the
Navy Yard. was in conference with the
naval officials to-day. He reported that
the finishing touches have been put on
the Monitor Puritan and that she is in
fine condition for sea service. 1t is OK.
pected that the Puritan will leave sool
for Port Royal. s. c., at which place
it has been reported the Navy Depart
lnont will locate Il fleet of torpedo boats
which may be called on for assistance
either by the feet at Hampton Roads
or that at Key West should necessity
arise.
Port ROYAL is at a convenient distance
from either of the two places. and. al
though the torpedo boats are slower
in movement than the cruisers, they
could reach either place within reason
able time. The monitors which it has
been said will compos the fleet inclul,
the Amphitrite, Terror, Miantonomol
and Puritan.