The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-25


Sternberg has made no recommendation
| regarding Camp Alger, and other officers
| do not think there is a necessity for re-
moving the camp under the present con-
| ditions
Brig. Gen. G. NJ. Randall, who has been
| stationed al Fort ST. Michael, Alaska, ar
rived in Washington last evening snd was
at the War Department today. He but
| recently learned that this government IS
at war with Spain. 1t has been nine
months since he received Letter Or aEy 5y
world, when on the 14th Of June he heard
of Dewey's victory at Manila That was
the first he knew we were at war.
His rank in the army was Lieutenant
Colonel On the 18th day of May he was
confirmed by the Senate Brigadter Cen
eral, but he did not learn Of this fact until
the 9th Of June As soon as he was noti-
fled of his promotion he forwarded his
| acceptance Coming to Washington as
quickly as he could In obedience to orders
he arrived only last night and qualified
| as Grigadier General today.
Major General Brooke commanding the
First Army Corps, will sail today to- join
General Miles at Porto Rico. The Cen
eral will embark on the st. Louis, and as
! he will proceed Immediately without wait
ing he should arrive off Porto Rico some
time Friday or Saturday. The St Louis
win be accompanied on the run down the
coast by the st. Paul, on which will be
the headquarters of General Haines. The
remainder of the troops in Chickamauga
will be embarked at Hampton Roads as
rapidly as possible, and 1t Is expected that
the last of them will be aboard ship by
Wednesday.
The reported boarding of German
steamer off San Juan by launch from
an American naval vessel is taken at the
War Department to confirm its belief that
General Miles has arrived there. 1t Is re-
called, however, that some of the vessels
of the auxiliary fleet have been blOckadinS
San Juan and 1t may be that it was a
la1r lff
! seen by the German vessel. However, Fda
department has no doubt that Miles, off
Porto Rico, and as all of the details Of the
expedition are moving with precision
there is every reason to believe that the
troops will be all ashore by the end of
the week. Colonel Hecker who is di-
rectly In charge of the transportation ar
rangements here, returned to Washington
from Fortress Monroe entirely satisfied
with the progress being made there in
the embarkation of General Brooke's
command
chief Endicott. of the Bureau of Yards
and Docks. has just returned from New
York where he succeeded in arranging
for the purchase by the Government Of
a floating drydock. a naval adjunct very
much needed at this time. The dock is
capable of lifting vessels up to to 200
tons displacement, which will bring with
in its scope most of the gunboats of
the auxiliary vessels, This dock is not
sectional but in one piece. SO that it may
be easily towed to the point most avail
able for naval use The first journey Will
be to Key West, where the Navy Depart
ment has found a suitable site with plenty
of water in what is known as Quarter
masters Harbor, a cove not far distant
from the town. The dock will be started
on its way at the earliest possible mo-
The Navy has suspended for a time its
efforts to recruit sailors in the West, and
Commander Hawlcy and Chief Engineer
Af fl1ta nrd
have returned to the Navy Department.
The work was successful beyond the ex-
pectations of the projectors or the trlp,
and the results, IT is believed, Will pc
highly beneficial to the Navy generally,
in infusing into it an element OF Western
blood and Drawn that will tend to the
naturalization of that service.
+ Major Sniffsn of the pay corps will
sal from New York tomorrow on the
Olivette for Santiago accompanied by
three paymasters They will begin the
payment of troops on their arrival and In
very short time viii be Joined by other
paymasters, who will assist in paying OIL
General Skaters army and then Will
proceed to Porto Rico to pay oil the
army of General Miles.
A rather interesting question has arisen
in regard to the payment of troops. a
telegram has been received from General
Shafter requesting that gold and paper
be sent to Santiago, as tradesmen there
refuse to accept American silver dollars
at their par value and rate them at 80
cents on the dollar like the mexican COL
lars and dollars of South American coun-
tries.
1t was Paymaster General Stanton's in
tent to send as little silver as possible.
confining it mostly to subsidiary coin, for
the purpose of making charge on account
of the greater convenience to take gold,
paper and he will continue to do so.
Considerable indignation is expressed that
American money of any kind is discount
ed, and suggestion to the Secretary of
War that any man who refuses to accept
American money of any kind at 100 cents
ON tho dollar should be removed from any
territory over which the American flag
floats.
It is not known that any orders will be
sent to General Shafter on the subject
although the suggestion has been made
that American money should not be al
lowed to be questioned by the countries
occupied by United States troops The
supposition is that refusal to accept silver
dollars is the result of long use of the
silver of Mexico and the South American
countries. which has never passed for
more than half its face value.