New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-16

EXCITEMENT DYING OUT.
HosTTLrTIEs WITH SPAIN FAR-oFF
POSSIBILITY.

THE ADMINISTRATION HOWEVER. CONTINUES
TO PUSH DEFENCE PREPARATIONS WITH
rNADArEp vIGoR-BIG DRAFTS MADE
ON THE s5ooooooo FUND
Icy TELEGRAPH TO TRprxEl
Washington. March 15.-The prolongatioh Dy
the Sampson Board OF Inquiry OF It's 'nVestsa
tions in Havana Harbor and the certainty that
n report the causes of the Maine "'sa''e'
cannot reach Washington for several days 10
come have operated to quiet to an apprec'ao'e
extent the excitement caused by the Govern
ment's recent hurried measures to strenstneh
the National defences. These measures continue
TO be pushed as vigorously as ever, Dut 'hey
no longer seem TO point so clearly to an iH'iie
date outbreak Of hostilites A Crisis IN 'he
relations between this country and Spain may
he precipitated at any nom ent II furtner III" 'o"
Is caused by disagreement over the conciuS.o"'
announced in the Sampson Board's report nu.
the President and his advisers still nope ',a'
diplomacy Will suffice to induce Spain 10 n''Ae
anv reparation for the loss OF the Maine which
may be held by this country to be just Gnu
equitable.
FIVE MILLIONS FOR FORTIFTCAT1ONs'
Preparations however to enforce, II neces-
sary. the demands which the Administration
may feel called on to present are mui'ipiy'hs
daily and large drafts have already been hidde
on the National defence fund OF Soo'V"'VVV
voted last week by Congress. Yesterday aooul
81 100000 Of that fund was spent In the pur-
chase Of two Brazilian cruisers the AfnaAo'ias ~
and the Amrante Abrouall. To-day S-,oW'''"V
was set aside for the purchase OF ordnance sup
plies for the Army, and the decision has virtual
" been reached to use $5000000 more at once
in putting the new harbor fortifications in con-
dition to receive the guns and garrisons intend
ed for them This latter sum is. Of course, 70 De
expended under the direction Of the Engineer
Corps OF the Army.
In order to make at least one OF the cruisers
purchased from Brazil available at once Ior
service in American waters, the San FRANCISCO
was directed to clear to-day from LISBON ioi
Southampton whence she will proceed 20 New
castle and furnish a crew for the Amazonas
Both cruisers will probably then start Tor me
United States leaving the Almrante Aprouan
to be taken possession Of subsequently, py
crew sent from here.
| The 81 50C. go from the National defence fund
allotted for the use Of the Army Ordnance Bu-
reau will be used in purchasing explosives pro-
icctiles. small arms and fixed ammunition. Tnis
amount fully covers the emergency acquisitions
p,ade nv that Bureau and relieves the Secretary
% War of the responsibility he took last week
| IN ordering the armament supply firms to go
ahead at full capacity night and day until toid
! to stop.
NOTHING TO BE WASTED.
Reouisitions aggregating S5,OOO.000 to be ex-
nended bv the Army engineers in fortihcations,
! submarine mines and similar work are still
under consideration although much OF the work
! for which the money will be required Is actually
proceeding with the complete acquieseence OF
the authorities It is estimated that up to this
| time not over S7,OOO.000 Of the $5OOO0OOO has
been actually allotted, although obligations In
vovng about twice that sum have been prac-
tically incurred At least $2OOOOOOO has peen
reserved for the purchase OF auxiliary cruisers.
! The President Is not going to have dollar OF
the fund wasted II he can prevent it. nor Is 1t
apparently his intention 10 spend 1t as quickly
as many enthusiasts would wish.
Surgeon General Van Reypen. OF the Navy,
has gone to Newport News to inspect La Grande
Duchesse the G2O0-ton Plant liner, which was
built there last year and is now In dock This
is the vessel which it is proposed to equip as an
ambulance cruiser flying the Red Cross flag as
n cuarantee of neutrality. The Ohio. which was
ft,sd as a floating machinery repair shop during
tho Chilian excitement. has been selected by
Engineer-n- Chief Melville for similar service In
the next emergency, and 1t is proposed to utilize
FL Sol in the same manner. These vessels
will be fitted with tools. forges and other shop
appliances at various navy yards and attached
r. the West Indian and flying or coast line
squadron
sICARD's FLEET MAY BE DIVIDED.
n is a remarkable fact that Admiral Sicard
will have nearly forty ships Of all classes under
his practical direction in the next week or two
| Twentv-eight Of these are either In the neigh
borhood OF Key West or voyagng toward that
destination and this unprecedented gathering OF
American warships is considered too unwiedy
for a single man to control. 1t is therefore pro-
nosed to divide the fleet into three souadrons
tho Red" the White" and the Blue" one OF
,har, consisting of the heavier battle ships with
| sor,a cruisers: one OF the other cruisers and
the third to be the projected flying squadron
under Commodore Schey, Admiral Sicard COM
mandlng the force afoat ana Captain Saiiapso ai' !
| th. heavy squadron of batte-ships. The hyns
! SQUADRON has been definitely adopted as feat
| ure of the programme in the event or war.
Proposed AS AUXILIARY CRUISERS.
The Bureau of Construction and Repair Of the
Navy Department. under the direction OF Chief
Constructor Philip Hchborn. has completed
nlans and specifications for the conversion OF
sixteen merchant vessels into second-class aux
illary cruisers to supplement the higher rate
vessels Of the ST. Louis and St Paul class.
These ships which may be quickly adapteo 10
naval uses in the event Of trouble. are as fol-
! lows:
ri Sol. 63OO tons built at Cramps In 1890
Southern Pacific Company, owners
FL Norte. 600 tons. built at Newport News
+, 1So2. southern Pacific Company, owners.
Vigilancia J6SO tons built at Chester Penn
in 1890: New-York and Cuba steamship COM
| pany owners. 49,
Seguranca. $3.50 tons. built at Chester. Penn
IN 1870: New York and Cuba Steamship Com
pany. owners. .,. c. po
T., 1So1. r II Mallory & Co., owners
" M Crande Duchesse, q, 200 tons, built at New
mort News in 1896; Plant Steamship Company