The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-18
THE FORMIDABLE FLEET
ASSEMBLED AT KEY WEST BY
OUR GOVERNMENT.

Spain Objects to This and to Our War Prep
arations, Which are Still Being Actively
Made-The President Asks What Number
of Troops North Carolina Can Furnish,
The Work of the Court A bout Com pletsd.
Situation in Havana More Serious
Washington, March 16.-The main
development in the Spanish situation
today was in connection with the def
mite repetitions submitted by the Span
ish government TO the state department
concerning the assembling of a large
fleet of American WarshipS at Key
West, the war preparations, and the
influence which these have had on the
approaching elections in Cuba. These
representations were exactly in line
with the semi official utterances given
in these dispatches last night and ac-
credited to a high official cOnversant
with the views of the Spanish cabi-
net While these representations con-
not properly be regarded as a protest
against the attitude and acts of the
United States government, it may un-
cues tiOnably be set down as a remOn-
STRANGE, calcula ted to have an effect
in European court circles. Not, how
ever, being a technical protest, the
statement has not called forth and of
fetal rejoinder on the part of the state
department, for it is lacking in tan
gible accusations, being rather an ar
gumentative presentation of alleged
Spanish grievances.
TO WITHDRAW THE MONTGOM-
ERY.
The Fern sailed for Havana from
Key West this afternoon. She goes to
relieve the Montgomery as a home for
the officers engaged in supervising the
wrecking operations in Havana harbor.
1t may be stated unequivOcably that
the Montgomery withdrawal is not
owing to any suggestion from
Spanish sources that her presence is
not desired. 1t was tine announced in
tention of Secretary Long when the
cruiser was sent to Havana to keep
her there only SO long as the Fern
should be engaged in the work of dis
tributing relief among the sufferers in
eastern Cuba. The task having been
performed and owing to the return
of the court of inquiry from Havana,
there being fewer persons to accom-
mOdate, the Fern, which is better
equipped than the Montgomery to as
turned to her position.
Up to the close of office hours the
navy department, though it knew Of
ficially that the court of inquiry had
come over to Key West from Havana,
was not informed as to the findings or
plans Of the court.
THE YACHT MAYFLOWER PUR-
CHASED.
The late Mr.. Odgen-Goelet's yacht
MayfoWer was purchased by the gov
ernment today. 1t is said that the ob-
ject of the navy department is to pro-
vide as quickly as possible a number
of picket boats of good speed and sea-
going ability to act as scouts and also
to aid our ironclads and more expen-
sive vessels in operations against tor
pedO boats. A large number OF private
yachts have been offered to the depart
ment, and other acquisitions of the
same type as the MayflOWer may be
expected.
FORMIDABLE FLEET AT KEY
WEST.
The fleet at Key West will be aug
mented within the next day or two by
the arrival of the gunbOat Annapolis,
the torpedo boat FoOte, and the naval
tugs Leyden and Samoset. The gum
boat Helena is now on her way from
the European station under orders to
report at Key West. The Helena re-
ported her arrival today at F'uncTal,
on her way to join the fleet. These
and the other vessels previously or
dered to that point constitute the larg-
est assemblage of war vessels made
since the demonstration following the
Virginius affair, and considering eff
fectiveness and armament it is the
strongest assemblage of ships, for other
than review purposes, since the war.
The fleet now at Key West and Tor
tugaS is as follows: cruiser New York,
battleship Massachusetts, battleship IN
diana, battleship Iowa, battleship Tex
as, cruiser Detroit, gunboat Nashville,
cruiser Marblehead, dispatch boat
Fern, torpedo boats Dupont, Gushing,
Porter, Winslow and Ericsson. To these
will soon be added the five vessels now
en- route there. In addition to these the
Montgomery is a Havana and is prac-
tically a part of the fleet, the gunbOats
Wilmington and Castine and cruiser
Cincinnati are at Barbados. the New
port at Colon, with the Puritan, New
wark, Amphitrite and other ships OF
the North Atlantic squadron at points
along the coast further north
ward. In point of ships, the fleet un-
1874, following the Virginius affair
was considerably larger. Although for
midab1e in it's day, this aggrega tior
was made up of the old style wooden
ships and monitors which had gone
through the civil war and every avail
able craft that could bear guns. Com
pared with the modern battleships and
cruisers of the new navy, it was insig-
nificant in tonnage and general effec-
tfvenesS. 1t is noteworthy, however
that this formidable gathering of ships
was at the same point as the present
gathering and during a critical period
with Spain, and that it did not even
tuate in war.
DRAWING ON THE s50,000,000.
Secretary Alger has made reQuisi'
tions on the president for two large al
lotments from the appropriation o.
$50, ,0O0, 900 for the national defense. one
is for $1,000, 900 for the use of the eng1
reer department of the army in tn'
completion of certain fortif1catlor
works along the Atlantic and Gull
coasts now in progress, and the otnel
is fcr. 81, ,225, 900 for the use of the ord
$1,000 dana ,~tT off aTTnV in The