Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-06
SHIPS MAY Be BOUGHT
Navy Department Said to Be
Negotiating.
MANY VESSELS OFFERED
English Engineer Claims to Have Sold SUBJ
marine Mines tn Spain Cruiser
AlInirante Ouuendo Arrives
at Havana.
CSN TeLrg,tlth.l

end may lead up to an Issue ween
thc Government OF The UlL.ted Stutrs
and the State of Florida, If the otfi-
cltAiS OF uhe State enLl,rs,e the stand
AIKEN ny ule local officials At key West.
The latter have notified Admiral S.card
THAT ON the first of next montf. they
lNDs oSe to enforce the State Quarautiu-
u'aW uSaIlSt all craft ARRIVING from Gu
"a as q measure vi prevention agatns,
tile introduction OF yeillW fever. Th
notice III hc3teS that ulr law WA he up-
pt.eI to TIT naval vessels, and in View
of the serious interruptions such inter
terence With the frc. movements " his
Shhp would cause, .AUrliItAl SIcard has
reported tIe facts to the Navy Depart
lnent AND a instructions. The De
pArtlntlt ctli ialS cannot Tolerate with
eItlailhmI.ly THE Stoppage of such craft
as the Mallgrove anlG the Fern on their
errands OF meicy or delays that may re
suit in the prosecution of the work of
the rWre-ckers engaged on the Names
hull and in the Work. of the dourt Of
inquiry. The President himself pryba-
1fly Viii communicate with the Gov
ernor Of Flo.ilin With a view to securing
am abatement of THE Jaw 50 far as ii is
pfMgns"l TO apply it to ntlval vessels.
TINS beng the Speediest hammer of deal
ing with the case, although it may be
stated THAT the National Government
never ''tS recoSnlZaI the right of any
-N~Ne ~ SUD IT'S vessels NJ
case their movement We're deemed nee
eSS;try. Thu war ships have volun-
tdf'E Su'ollfItted to quarantine when re-
turning from any port suspected of in
lection, but this is asserted to lie merely
q c"lceSsi"n and not the raiogn.th,n of
any lawful right on the part of State
tutNNNt.es. IN VIEW of the fact that
the officers on our war ships, with the
h!I OIL capable surgeons on each shin
make III Tier pride to keep their craft
Nn The most healthy condition, naval
pfilc!uls feel that they may DE safely
Aett 10 rum their shtps between Havana
and Key West Witheufei cStrictiUn. AS
an evidence of the care exercised to
avoid carrying oontag.nn. the officials
point 70 the fact that without su-ges-
tt"n from amy TOT the health authorities
of tHorida. Admiral SIcard t7ausod the
WounIed survivors of the Maine dis
aster TO n detained for several EIa VS.
at Tortugas before allowing them to go
TO Key West.
lit is asserted positively ut tire State
Department. that there has been no
change I'm the plans fIr TIL sending Of
the Montgomery and tbs. Nashville to
Eastern Cuba ports With reIf { Supplies
Tor the ~1econrentradGS. 1t had been Sug-
sSested that The offer of IL merchant
teamer f:om New York to take SOM.
of these grIt.S to Cuba w7GuHl Ip=,teve the
TEaval vessels from The performance of
tbs onerous task, iialI the declaration
from the State Department ensures the
execution of th1 original programme,
and the ships named Will sail for Ma
taIlzas and Sagua la Grande as soon as
the 90 DIS urriVe at KY West from New
York. REPORTS Ghat have come to the
State Department from these PAGES
snow terrible restitution sN.stS, pruba-
bly, noWherr eXceeded on THE iAlarti,
ami the officers o.: the Montgomery saw
for themselves on tilelr reCrnt stop at
hlatanzaS the eXtent of the misery. 1t
is Sold by some Tf the correspondents
hf these Off ers that they all eturntd
ptinniless from their Cuban cruise,
having lrtn 50 moved by what they saw
that they gave away all of their ready
cash.
1t was ecide this afternoon to
abandon the projected order to the flag
strip Olympia to Tatuln to San Francisco
from Hong Kong. Without this fine
ship the Asiatic squadron would be
made up OF EunbOatS ana ted
cruisers without any great degree of de-
fensive and nu offensive force agains.
arnoreI ships. The cruiser Baltimore.
NOW at Honolulu, hos bean selected to
take thu pnNJer to be brought 70 that
EsJnHt by the Motisac, further along to
Hong Kong for the vessels Of he AS
auto squadron. Whether or not the
ship VIII he attached to the squadron
permanently has not yHt bten deter
nrinel.
The torpedo boat W4n5.ow. which has
been under repair ii TIE Norfolk Navy
Yard, saLld' to day for Key West to
join the tiot-la.
The continued reports that Spain is
huylnG new saips led 10 trunter ne
ports that the niva! ~authcr;ties here
We're considering similar purchases. In
no official quarter at the Navy Depart
nrent cOalld tbs be confirmed, as steps
of this character necessarily would be
Suarded with he greatest secrecy
There IS little doubt, however, thar II"
Department. is informing itself fully as
to the opportunities for PURCHASES
should the necessity for more ships
arise Thus far there nave been TO
Negotiations for ships and no options
asked on particular ships. Quite a mum
bar of Offers of ships have been sub
mItt.d to Secretary Long by shipbutd-
ing dcsncerns in this coklntry ana abroad.
Theses cave been docketed and filed.
but beyond an Acknowledgements Of tn
offers no steps toward purchase have
been taken.
Under ordinary circumstances the