La Junta tribune., 1898-12-31
TAKES WAKE ISLAND.
TITS NEEDED FOR A CABLE STA
TlON.
Order to Rescue the Beieagurrsd Span
iurda.

Washington. Dec. oI.-The govern
ment has determined to hoist the flag
over an island fnr out in the Pacifc
ocean and orders We're sent out late
this afternoon to the commander OF
the Bennington, Captain Taussig, to
proceed at once To take possession in
the name of the United States govern
ment of Wake island. lying in lad-
tude 10 north, longitude 1SG east
IL Is distant about 1000 miles from
Nihau. the westernmost of the Hawaii
an islands. and i.3oO miles east from
Guam. Ii IL almost in II direct line
between these possessions of the
United States and is admirably adapt
ed for use aS II station for Pacihc
cable to connect the Philippines with
Hawaii and the United States. 1t Is
about three miles In length and incloses
lagoon of salt water. The average
height of the island is eight feet above
high tide. 1t is scarcely capable In
itself of sustaining life, but 1t Is eN-
pected that II cable station can be
maintained without difficulty by the
erection of n condenser to supply fresh
water.
Some station in this locality is
deemed To be absolutely necessary to
that reason the American Peace com
missioners at Paris cndeavored to Sc
cure one of the Caroline islands. but
without success. Wake island Is said
Ia be already American territory. for
In 1851 Admiral wilkes surveyed the
place and asserted ;ltlc. 1t is not In
habitcd so far as known nj the present
time. though in the past some guanu
gatherers have temporarily lived ON
the island.
The Bennington Is now at Honolulu.
and the orders to her viii 20 out by
steamer After hoisting the flag on
Wake island she Will proceed TO Guam
and make the survey of the island,
which was ordered some time ago. She
has already completed survey of
Pearl harbor, seven miles from Homo
lulu. which will form the foundation
of the government plans for the en-
largement of the harbor there and the
strengthening of the channel connect
ing the inner harbor with the occan.
The auxiliary cruiser Yosemite will
he dispatched about January LIST from
Norfolk to the Ladronc islands, via
SueZ canal. Commander George II.
Ide of the Yosemite will sail under or
ders TO hold his vessel nj Guam as sta
tion ship, and while there to be con
s,antly prepared 10 protect the island
of Guam against any unfrendly incur
sion.
Tho stragetic value of the Yosemiie's
station mt Guam Is manifest. and is cal
culated to prevent any change of SOW
ercigHty over the Caroline islands
without the cordial consent of the
United States especially as Dewey's
squadron at Manila will he rather aug-
mented than reduced in strength in the
course of n few weeks.
Another important order which has
been issued provided for londing the
collier Abnrenda ut Norfolk with the
best quality of Pocahontas coal and
for The departure of that vessel about
January 1st FOR Samoa, via Straits of
Magellan. "A voyage OF over 10000
nautical miles The Abarenda will lie
in Tie harbor Of Paso-Pago, which is
owned by the United States, doing
dug as station sElp untl the ar
rival there next spring of the contrac-
tors Jnd material for the coaling estab-
lslmc..t TO be erected by this govern
mcnt ut cost Of 100000.
The Abarcnda will be armed and full
ly able to give good account of her.
self If the serenity of the Samoan
group Is too severely strained by Ger
man Interference. She will be only p
900 miles from Honolulu, where the
Oregon and the Iowa are to rendcZ-
vors, and those battleships can join her
at any time with the certainty of Sc
curing coal for return voyage from
her bunkers. The lack of coal mt Sa-
moa has hitherto been tie chief objec
lion to sending high-powered war YES
sells there to protect American inter
ests. :.