The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-31
State Department Notified by Minister
WoOdford of the Departure of
Three Powerful Ships.
COALING STATION NEEDED
ISLAND CT ST. THOMAS MAY BE Sc
CURED FOR THE NAVY.
Officers Detailed to Command the
Auxiliary Torpedo BOats-Steam
Yacht Purchased from Italians.

WASHINGTON, March 30.-The greatest
secrecy prev ais in many of the bureaus of
the War and Navy departments in regard
to the various projects of defense and naval
movements now going on and the officials
in many cases positively refuse to make
public steps that have been determined
upon The most notable instance of this
kind probably is in The Navy Department,
where Captain Crowninshield, of the Blu
reau of Navigation, has issued an order for
bidding subordinates to make public any in
formation except on permission from him
SELF. The order is as follows
Officers, clerks and all employees of the
bureau are forbidden to make public any in
formation concerning the movements of
ships, orders to officers or other official
business of the bureau, except they have
personal and explicit information from me-"
A cablegram was received from Madrid
this morning stating that two Spanish ar
mOred cruisers and torpedo boat destroyer
had sailed from Carthagena for the west.
The news created great interest at the
Navy Department. Naturally there was
disposition to criticise the action of Spain
in this particular, in Wow of the many
peace protestations that have been made by
that country, and such action was regarded
the morning Secretary Long also an
nounced the detail of officers who are to
command the newly acquired tugs and
yachts designed for the auxiliary navy, and
the public statement was made that the
government was negotiating for the acqu-
sition of ST. Thomas island, in the West
Indies, for use codling station.
The information of the sailing of the
Spanish fleet was contained in dispatch
to the State Department from United States
Minister Woodford. The ships sailed from
Carthagena, Spanish naval station on the
Mediterranean sea, and, according to the
minister's dispatch, they were headed west
ward" This, it is said. is undoubtedly the
most formidable array of vessels that has
departed from Spain in this direction during
the present crisis and the pre-
sumption is generally held by the
Navy Department officials that they
are headed ultimately for Havana,
and will be first heard of at the Canaries.
The fleet is composed of two armored
cruisers of the second class under the con-
voy of formidable torpedo boat destroyer
The names of the cruisers are the Infanta
Maria Theresa, a sister to the Vizcaya,
which visited New York preliminary to her
trip to Havana, where she now is, and the
Cristobal Colon. The former is built of
steel, is 1854 feet over ALL $50 of beam, and
has displacement of $3.50 tons, with a mean
draft of PIG. Her speed is put down as
slightly over twenty knots an hour. The
Cristobal Colon is 1928 feet long and 59s
beam. She is of $50 tons displacement, and
has speed of twenty knots. Both cruisers
are heavily armored. The convoy of the
vessels, the Destructor, is a formidable ship
nf hnrn 1o Of a1a,,%
and capable of excellent service.
SEEKING A COALlNG STATION.
As stated in these dispatches, the Navy
Department has had in view the acquisition
of a coaling station in the West Indies. The
government is now without any coaling sta
ton in a foreign country of any Importance,
matter of considerable regret among naval
officials. Ever since the trouble with Spain
has been threatened Captain Bradford the
chief of the Bureau of Equipment, has been
looking over the field very carefully and
has indicated to Secretary Long several de-
sirable places in the West Indies where ex-
| celent harbors exist, which, in his judg-
| ment, might be acquired by the government.
| one of these locations is the Island of st.
Thomas, Danish possession, where, 1t is
| said, the facilities for the establishment of
| a coaling station are admirable. Secretary
| Long mas recognized the force of Captain
| Bradfcrd's arguments and representa- tons
in the matter, and has laid the question be-
fore the State Department officials with a
| view to the acquisition of ST. Thomas 1t is
| said at the Navy Department to-day that
no purchase of the island has yet been con-
summated, but that negotiations are under
| way. The Associated Press announced last
week that the Island of Navassa would not
Tod hna< fl1n a.
toward the Danish island, which could be
purchased for considerable less sum.
one of the most prominent visitors at Sec
rotary Ayers Office was Gen. John NJ
Schoheld, who formerly commanded the
army and who is now on his way to New
York city. General Schoield is the presi-
dent of the National Volunteer Reserve
Association of the United States. which is
seeking to enroll in its ranks from one mill
lion TO five million men who will be ready
to respond to any call that may be made
on them in case of war. The other persons
who saw the secretary were Senators Ma
son, Proctor, Bacon and Hawley and Gen
Daniel Sickles.
In execution of his policy of preparing
the naval forces for possible hostile con-
tingency, Secretary Long to-day detailed
officers to command all the auxiliary tor
pedo boats recently added to the naval
service. These details are follows: Lieut.
James NJ Helm, 10 command the Hornet
Lieut. w. II. II. Sutherland to command
the Eagle; Lieut.. John Hood late OF the
Maine, to command the Hawk Lieut. Rog-
er Welles, jr., to command the Tecumseh;
Lieut.. f. r, Brainard. to command the
Uncas; Lieut. John l.. Purcell. to command
the Osceola Ensign w. r. Gherardi, to
command the Sioux; Ensign w. S. Cross
ley. TO command the Algonquin. All these
officers have been instructed TO report for
duty without delay, The vessels under their
commands will form part of the Mosquito
feet the main purpose OF which is 10 act
as second line Of defense to the principal
harbors on the Atlantic and gulf coasts.