Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-24
was still part of one Of the magazines In
the wreck Of the ship.

Senator Proctor Of Vermont was one Of
the callers at the War Department who
spent considerable time with Secretary Al
ger during the morning. With them also
was General Wilson, chief of engineers,
and it is said their conference related to
matters other than those bearing on the
general Cuban situation. The Secretary
also saw for few minutes a delegation
representing business clubs of various
western and southern cities. who are anx-
ious to have Port Arthur, Tex, declared
SUPPORT of entry. The delegation con-
sisted OF William c. Hook, Leavenworth:
A d. Morris of Shreveport, Ala; C. A.
Fellows of Topeka, Kan; James B. Smith
OF Pittsburg. Kan; NJ v. Watson of Kan
sas City, John NJ. Reed of Des Moines,
Iowa, and John R. Webster of Omaha.
Primarily question of this nature comes
under the Treasury Department, but Sec
rotary Alger was requested to use his in
nuence In the matter. The remainder of
the Secretarys time was taken up COM
pletely In conferences with General VIII
son, chief of engineers; General Flagier,
chef OF ordnance. and General Greedy,
chief signal officer
Orders to Artillery Posts,
An incident of the general plan of prep
aratlon Tor any emergency that may arise
Is found In an order issued today by Adiu-
tant General Corbin, with the approval of
the commanding general of the army This
oroer contemplates the supply of artillery
posts not already having them of various
Hfhtary ad)uncts necessary for a proper
oischarge OF duties that may arise At all
such posts commanders are to have COM
piieo the best charts possible for the use of
'heir respective fire commands by detail of
oilcers and men under their command from
such data as may be on hand or readily oh
tainapie. Suitable base lines are to be laid
on, carefully measured and ACCURATELY
marked on the harbor chart. When no
range and position finders have been in.
stalled acquisitions are to be made for
them, and while awaiting their arrival ar
engagements will be improvised for position
hholhg. Where electrical installations
nave not already been made reuuisitions on
the signal department are to be forwarded
ior necessary telephones, and material for
connecting batteries, base ends, etc. At
posts where eight-inch converted rifles and
Ten ana hfteen-fnch smooth-bore guns are
ALREADY mounted and bearing upon chan
iieis' ana especially upon the proposed To-
ca'loh Oh mine fields, post commanders are
u pace them In as perfect condition as
possioie' ana where suitable ammunition is
not On hand acquisitions are to be made at
INC upon the ordnance department
""ihe's Officers on Waiting Orfer..
oroers were Issued today detaching the
loiio"lnS named officers from the battle
snip Maine at Havana and ordering them
~ pioceed nome and await orders: Capt.
Shas' u S1gsbee, Chief Engineer C. p.
ro"eii' surg. l.. q. Heneberger, Paymaster
ana Naval Cadets J. H. Holden and W
L. |luverius. This list includes all the
surviving officers of the Inflated battle
ship who have remained on dutv At 10.
Vana since the destruction of the shin. on
the 10th ultimo, with the single excen-
tlon OF Lieut.. Commander Richard Vain.
wright, executive officer of the vessel.
commander Wainwright is in special
charge OF the wrecking opa1 atoms. and
Will remain at Havana until they are con-
cluded.
Officers of the MayHO.ver.
Arrangements have been made to n,t
the Mayfower in commission as soon as
possible. This vessel is steel yacht pro-
vided with good battery, and was pur-
chased recently from the estate of Ogden
Goelet. 1t Is row at the New York navy
yard. being rapidly transformed into a
warship. 1t will probably be used as a
olspatch boat or as a torpedo boat de-
stroyer She will be ready for any service
that may be assigned to her within a few
weeks Her principal officers were select
ed today. Commander NJ r. s. Mackenzie
will be her first commander and Lieut. ].
H. Roper, now On lighthouse duty, her
executive officer. They are ordered to re-
port for duty on the vessel at once. The
remainder of the complement of the May
flower will be selected either today Of to-
morrow.
Other naval orders issued today were as
follows: Lieut. Commander c. A. Adams.
detached from the Monterey upon her
arrival at Sen Francisco and ordered to
the Independence as executive; Lieut. Com
mander ]. w. Carln, from the Independ-
ence to the Monterey executive.
Warships Leave Port Antonio.
The Navy Department is informed of the
departure of the cruiser Cincinnati and the
gunboats Castine and Wilmington from
Port Antonio, Jamaica, last evening, but
the officials decline to state where they are
bound 1t has been reported that they
have just gone off on short cruise, and
will return to the Jamaica port. What is
regarded as a more probable theory as to
IAcif uuoSeMcutS, HOWeNeT, Is CudL Wnen
next heard from they will be at Key West
or some other port in the United States.
They are not particularly strong ships,
and In their present position might possibly
fall a prey to the more powerful Spanish
fleet in Cuban waters in the event OF a
conflict with that country. Inasmuch as
considerations Of similar character re-
suited in the recall Of the cruiser San Fran
cisco and the gunboats Helena and Ban
croft from the European station, 1t is not
unlikely that the same course will be fol-
lowed in the case Of the three vessels last
reported at San Antonio whose position is
regarded by naval strategi5ts as even more
exposed and dangerous in the event of hos
tilitics than was the case with the Euro
pean squadron Of about the SAME size and
power The Cincinnati and Castine were
attached to the South Atlantic station, and
their withdrawal for service on the home
station leaves the former without single
representative, just is the case with the
European station. The arrival of the six
vessels named will add greatly to the
strength of the home squadron.