Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-08
ORDERS AT KEY WEST.
Che Montgomery win Probably Go to ma
wanna This neutrality-suspicious. the Nish'
CoaIing

Coaiing.
Key West, Fla, March DOUBT
mas been thrown upon the ldentldcd-
ton OF one of the bodies buried to-day
which, at Havana, was believed TO pe
that of First Sergeant Wagner, 81 the
marine. Chaplain Chadwick writes
that it is uncertain whether the poaF
is that of Wagner or that OF PriNale
Marine Lamiette.
Naval officers here had scarcely
learned of Admiral Sicard S order ~
recting the departure Of the cruisers
Nashville and Montgomery Tor MAt-
anzas and Sagua la Grande with sup
plies for the reconcentrados ere an OF
der was received resembling it.
A telegram received from Washing
ton was followed by hurried confer
ence between Admiral Sieard ana
Commander West, end shortly after
o'clock Admiral Sicard countermand-
ed the order issued at noon and direct
ed that the Montgomery proceed as
soon as possible TO Havana and the
Fern was again assigned TO the duty
of carrying supplies to Matanzas. ne
Montgomery is being hurriedly coaled,
and work on her will be carried on
through the night II is hardly expect
ed that she will leave for Havana be-
fore morning and her departure may
be further delayed The official rea-
son for the Montgomery's going to
Havana is that she is merely to relieve
the dispatch boat Fern. A naval OH
cer-one of the few at the time TINS
dispatch is sent are aware OF the latest
change OF plans-said that he thought
it most significant that cruiser OF
the Montgomery calibre should be
sent TO take the place of mere de-
spatcE boat.
The officials expressed the greatest
surprise when shown the Associated
Press dispatch from Washington re-
garding the sending of the Montgom-
cry to Havana, as The strictest orders
had been issued here to keep this
movement secret. The frequent changes
in orders during the last "A hours have
thrown all the naval arrangements and
opinions of the situation into more
or less disorder.
A Mallory line steamer is expected
Wednesday with provisions for Cuba.
This afternoon the torpedo boat Cush-
ing probably will have to be laid up
for repairs and the Ericsson is in
none too good condition. A schooner
with coal for the feet at the Tortugas
passed during the afternoon.
AT the cemetery about four hundred
persons witnessed the interment. One
of the bodies buried to-day is Supposed
to be that of Robert White, a mess
attendant, and another is supposed 10
be that of sergeant Of Marines but
it was not fully identified. Two bodies
were put in one coffin.
=,
covered with the stars and stripes.
were used to convey the remains TO the
cemetery, where Chaplain. Royce, Of
the cruiser New York, read the burial
service.
Commander McCafa and q gun di-
vision from the United States cruiser
MarbIehead paid the last honors to the
remains.
All was quiet at Havana when the
Bache left there last night
The correspondent of the Associated
Press went on board the cruiser
Montgomery late tonight. The coal
ing had been stopped, as The men were
too weary after packing away tons Of
ammunition to perform this addition
al labor.
A high officer on board said:
M, We w nOt llIlllQ Sums ~ iit'
vana a bit We shall be off in the
morning unless we get countermand-
ing order. These changes have kept
us on the jump and we hardly know
where we are With provisions and
ammunition aboard, however, we are
prepared to go anywhere.
Il have not the remotest idea how
long we shall be in Havana. It seems
only in accordance with the naval de-
partment's policy that we are going.
The department wants the Fern TO
carry provisions to Cuba; the survey
boat Bache is being used to bring back
the bodies of the Maine victims and so,
with the court of inquiry at Havana,
it is absolutely necessary that some
boats should be at the disposal Of the
American officers there in addition to
the lighthouse tender Mangrove.