Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-19
S Sill STRIKES: / / s A MIAIE:..
Marrow N Escape of a Cruiser
While " Leaving the Roads.
SHELLS FL. s; F0R. THE DIXIE.
Large Quaniti.a of Projecti,es Stored in
5 the Vessels Magazines Yesterday, 5
'5; win Sail Tomorrow. Is
Not De.er.er.

4s} "A United States walShip. (Which sail
ed away from Fort Monroe since@lh.
government completed the work Of
planting mines in Hampton Roads, IS.
II the story told a reporter for
the Daily PressSlast evening be true,
lucky to be afloat toda "a man who
assisted in the work of placing the ex-
plosiyes In the harbor, and Who is still
lin the service Of the government re-
slates that one OF; the vessels struck Il
mine and so seriously. damaged it that
I it had to be taken to appoint near the
. Rip-Raps yesterday fternonn and
blown up. He says he aided in taking
the mine UP andstowing it to t.,e place
at which 1t was destroyed The ships
keel had made u large hole in it.
v The same man said that during the
day he assisted in bringing to the surf
ace for examination another mine To-
Gated about 800 yards off the water
battery. A lieutenant named Shultz
/ was present and when. the mine was
got where it could: be seen it walls found
that the wire forming the connection
with the electric battery had either
been broken or cut near the cap. The
lieutenant. he; says, expressed the opin-
ion that it had been cut. There Is.
however, no way of determining
whether this opinion is correct or not
But the suspicion that some one has
been tampering with the wires is suf-
fciently strong to cause an examine
ton of other mines in the. bay. and es-
pecially those remote from the shore.
SHELLS FOR THE DIME.
The auxiliary cruiser Dixie did not
leave the shipyard yesterday as was
expected, as the work of taking on
stores and ammunition was not com
pleted in time for the grship TO sail. and
now; she is not expected to- weigh anch-
or before Saturday Enlorning.
NJ, M, .AufS q < Y
Alice broughtsover a large quantity OF
ammunition from the Norfolk navy
yard yesterday afternoon consisting
of 500 shells for the G-inch guns. $50
projectiles for the six-pounders and q
number of cases for the machine guns
The ammunition was stored in the
magazines by the seamen, and it was
the first real ahard work the jackies
have done since they went aboard the
ship The shells for the 8 inch guns
weighed 125 pounds each and it is no
wonder that the work made the tars
sweat The scalnen were stripped to
eirs$Waists and liked in the maya
zines with the stealthy tread OF a cat
Other aisllnrraitson.Wil be recetNala.-y
day. s7s + IA ~ ~ II ~ 4
3$s Besides the regular complement OF
men six expert machinists from the
5shipyard will accompany the Dixie
when she goes into service. M
81 Among the visitors to the Dixie yes
terday We're Major Robert r. Brown,
of the Fourth Maryland Regiment. and
DR.. Fitzgerald, of Baltimore who ar
rived odd Point on the yacht Arg
They were the guests CT
Asst Surgeon McKinim. The moth
sers OF some of the Maryland boys We're
nlso visitors to the ship yesterday
The seamen are still complaining of
the rations. For dinner today" said
a jackey to a reporter for the Daily
Press yesterday. we had hard tack,
coffee and something that resembled
manganese. We can't eat that stuff
ana we-made a Kick to the lieutenant
today. He promised to look into the
matter. If wesdon't get something tit
to eat In a few days We'll be as thin
ms rails and in no condition to fight
:Spaniards."
ackey Courtney. like little Johnny
Green, had the misfortune to fall in a
well. The accident occurred Tuesday
might, but neither Courtney nor any of
his mates knows where the well is.
The boys fished Courtney out.
So NEW ORLEANS SAILS.
s The cruiser New Orleans. which was
lying at Old Point, weighed anchor
late Tuesday evening. and put to sea.
The destination of the warship is nn-
known, but it is thought she will re-
turn to Hampton Roads in a few days.
TRYING HER GUNS.
The auxiliary cruiser F Yosemite
weighed anchor at 1920 o'clock yeste:-
day morning and sailed from Hampton
Roads.
The Yosemite under Commander
Emory. will remain at sea for thirty
six hours to engage in tests of her arm,
:ament and gun practice. al
SUPPOSED DEsERTER RETURNS.
S Seaman John A. O'Meara, of the
Maryland naval reserves, has return
ed TO the fold and just in time to pre-
vent the death penalty from being i'm
posed on him. 1T
Nine days ago sO,Meara left his
comrades and, after remaining absent
some time, was posted as a deserter.
u.s. Under: the law he is allowed to be
aWay.ten days before the penalty is
announced 3. s. (. - Re-. ss:7
to thes cruiser Dixie, two days
nsa5gance and thereby saved himself.
that he had been drugged
having quiet little time over in
Norfolk. $s .s{5s e
81