The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-21

sion to which the secretary had directed
attention was the following, attributed
to Captain Sobral: 1T was the re-
suit OF an explosion inside Of the ship,
which took place in one of the forward
magazines. The fact of the matter Is
that the discipline and the watch OBJ
served on the ship were very lax. This.
as one newspaper the other day de-
clared. is the case on American warships
generally. This sort OF thing has oc-
CURED on previous occasions on Amer
lean war vessels
An unexpected development so
changes the aspect of the Sobral case
that the state department may not think
that II is necessary to proceed further.
This development was that Captain
Sobrars services as naval attache at
Washington were officially terminated
by Spain about four weeks ago. 1t
tame from Mr.. Du Bose. In charge OF
affairs at the Spanish legation. who,
when his attention was called to the
Sobral case. made the following state
ment: "As regards this reported inter-
view, know nothing about 1t beyond
what i have seen in the papers. should
imagine Mr.. sobral far too prudent to
brothers in arms. At the same time
should state that on the Gath Of January
last Captain Sobral ceased to be a MEM
ber OF this legation. according to royal
decree which gazetted as his successor
Lieutenant Ramon Cayraza y Reguera."
He is at present In New York meeting
his naval friends on the Vizcaya, but his
official status as Spain's naval attache
% Iar L. 20 hox IL
mated when the decree was gazetted.
1t is usual formality to notify the de-
partment OF such a change. but owing
to the exciting events Of recent days this
notification OF the Spanish decree was
not conveyed TO the authorities here at
the time IL occurred.
Referring to General Miles recent or
der TO General Merritt. commanding the
department of the east. TO detail men
and officers TO all coast defense points
where modern guns are mounted. IL is
said at the war department that while
the order was issued as reported. IL was
nothing more than following out the
plan OF the department formulated sew
eral years ago, when the present system
Of coast defense was inaugurated. The
order calls for at least 20 men and the
necessary officers TO take charge of such
emplacements as have been completed
and turned over to the department.
These defense points are planned and
constructed by the engineer corps and
the guns furnished by the ordnance de-
partment. Soon as completed they are
turned over TO the war department and
men are at once detailed to care for the
expensive work and ordnance. 1t is said
that a detail OF 20 men. so far from being
an effective fighting force. is barely suf-
ficient properly TO care for the proT rty.
A number of these works have been COM
pleted recently. and the order detailing
men TO care for them is merely a rou-
tine matter In addition to detailing
the men. a special board is now i'm ses-
sion in Washington preparing plans for
permanent quarters at the various new
posts. and work will be begun on these
as soon as practicable.
The men who are stationed at these
points will be drilled in the use of the
guns, and will form the nucleus of a per-
manent heavy artillery force which will
be augmented from time to time. II is
for this service that the war department
has asked of congress two additional ar
tillery regiments, and the officials ex-
press great hope that this request will
be speedily complied with. as there are
at present not enough men effectively
TO man the many works which in the de-
velopment of the modern coast defense
system are being rapidly completed and
turned over to the department.
Captain Sigsbee sent two telegrams
Sunday TO the navy department on the
subject of interviews with him. The
first merely said: Il have consistently
refrained from expressing any opinion
on the Maine disaster" Later in the
day he wired mo newspaper divers
have been used on wreck examination of
the Maine. One man engaged by me was
subsequently bought UP by newspaper.
l declined his services. Subsequently.
on his being Internationally released,
might have used him in charge of an
officer in recovering bodies, but decided
not to do so. Any interviews with me,
II printed, are untrue"
VISCAYA GUARDED.