Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-26

| The lying s4u-ill uL Is to De Il siu,l .
c-anpaet heei Ut the Des, snlps IN, IN (.
| navy, Tor quick seiv.ce L, any o.i.t
/ a.OiiS the Atlantic.
I Al t:}e same t.ne the North -Atlaul {
Staifon unuet Captain Ss,LIlssul Us 60 b..
1ul.her aubinentsd. The CRUISER Chico
ilaln. which lett Port Antonio thu ,.,.
| days ago under sealed orders, - TO re-
| port at key West and become a part
of Cap,tL,l, Sampsuns fleet. The gun
boat NI.ininEttiI aiso eu route from
fr.t Antonio, WIN IikeWIse ieAori 90
Captain sampson at Key West, as wal.
the sunbosLt Nacksburs. now at i1amp-
| ton Roads. Late E-auy the navy d.
parsment gave out the Iul.owing !. s. CT
Vessels as showing uas exact cnataete.
| OF eaeh fleet: ."
! 1'..e iol4uwing vessels compose the
North Atlantic squad.oa:
New York. Iowa. Indiana Manlcmo-
mon. Fern, Puritan, Tel. or, Narb enead
Nom goMely, C..stine, Nashville. He
ela. Wilmington. Vesuv.us, torpedo
boats foote, dupont Ericssou, Cushing,
Porter, Wmslow. tugs Leyden anu
SumoSet.
The following vessels compose the
1iyNng squadlon: Brooklyn, Massat hu-
sets, Texas. Minneapolis and Column
| pia."
Some other important developmel Is
OF the day may be summarized as fo4-
| lows:
ordnance bureaus tor u la. &c number Ct
quick-fire four-puunde.' and ix-pounuer
guns, TO be mounted on rnx. revenue
cutters and the steam yachts about 10
be purchased. The bureau ueternm aeu
TO use the Qulck-tire guns ru. these
craft which had been originally intend
ed for the Atlanuc line,S ST. Paul ard
ST. Lshis. Captain Bredfold chief OF
naval equipment. completed plans for
securing naval coai!ng station in Wa
1ers soush Ut Cuba, and the papers are
| now ready for f1nal acton. The station
vail not be on Navassa Island, as has
been suggested, but il IS likely to be
ut one Of the several fine i<arbo,s Of
Hayti OF San Domingo, or else ON the
Danish Island OF st. Thomas. which is
open TO purchase from denmark for
cuns.derab bic sum. Late today the ba,
tieship Texas was ordered f,om Hamp-
ton Roads to the New York navy you'd
to repair her machinery for hln sting
ammunition and guns. Favora Bile en-
swes We're received from the New Ytrk
naval militia OF Their readiness ON short
notHe to supply officers and men to
man the single uurreted monitors now
called into service
Orders We're issued today to have all
the warsh!pS painted black a cour that
is better adapted to lloStilities because
the vessels will not afford as good a
target
The navy Department. was INFORMED
by cablegram from Lieutenant ColweM
naval atluche to the United States en-
ba'sSy at London. that agents of this
government had purchased q Se5isau
torpedo boat that had been constructed
Err the German government. The new
acquisition is regarded as a valua Bile
addition to our navy. One feature re-
garding her THAT affords special graft
hcation to the officials OF the navy de-
partment is that size is now ready fer
sea. Ut us expected that in a few days
size will leave nur the United States
She Will be able to make. the journey
across THE Atlantic without diff. u.ty,
as she is a good sea going vessel and
her ccal capacity is ample for the trip
to this country.
She is 23-knot vessel, and about $50
feet dong. While OF rhe same general
type as the Rodgers and Fl3ote. OF the
United States navy, she is a aritle farg-
e4r. At the navy Department The pre-
else dimensions of the new boat c, uld
| not be given. The price paid for her
the navy officials declined at this time
10 state, but il Was said to be very
reasonable.
Work on the vessel has just been
completed, she never having been in
service. She is supposed to carry three
torpedo tubes and two small clib,e
rapd-tire guns. Nine to twelve men
viii be needed to mann her
Word reached The navy department OF
tic!als today tit.at the Spanish authoH'i-
ties have taken steps to supplement the
existing tort1tcutions at san Juan de
land of Porto Rk;o. The news is re-
gandtu as significant. Porto REQ S
the only other possession which belongs
TO Spain on this hemisphere beside
Cuba. The officials of the depart ment,
s5&2ile acknowledging that in1-uma ton
Of the above character has reached
chem. are yet chalry about i1nparting
any Of 1.-THE details TO the press The
silly Gf Puerto Rico is fortified after cine
old style. prevalent in early days. the
tiafenses consisting Of wall whco
completely encmclas It. of several forts
at strategic points. while the only points
Of esress and ingress are through mas
sive gates. These fo,tif1. atoms are be-
ing strengthened and armament mas
been increased by two large gums Of
Juan has 2s.4OO Inhabitants. General
Flagier chief Of ordnance of the army.
today had a long conference with sec
retaHy Alger With reference to addi
t:onai guns and gun ca ry'a ges. "A few
days ago Secretary Alger allotted to
emergency appropriation made by Con
g.ess, TO be used by the ordnance bu-
reau in the discretion of General Flag
ler. This amount was not. in the npin-
ion Of General FHagler, sufficient to meet
the requirements OF the present Nne.:-
gncy. and his conference With the sec
retary was to obtain an additional az
lowanne. After careful canvass OF
the situation Secretary Alger gave Cen
erl F'lagler a i3beral additional aHot-
mem from the appropriation, UT no
information could be obtained either
from General Flager CT from the sec
retaIv's Office as to its amount
The sum must be very considera h e
| one, however. as General F'lager sa
that it was to be used to coven p:o-
v!sional contracts entered into for the
construction of new guns OF various CAL
lbres. and their necessary carriag es.
Pending action on the report Of the
court of inquiry Lieutenant CemTa.de.
Mark. the judge advocate OF the court,
will be on special duty in the office OF
! the judge advoca tie general. Here he
will be available to supply any infbrma
| tinm THAT the President or the secretary
of the navy may desire in connection
with the proceedings Of the court.
The enlistment of men for the naval
service is progressing satisfactorily at
| the Washington navy yard, and good
class of men is being obtained.
Iiieutensn,s Colwe.l, naval attache to
| the United States embassy at London