Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-25

.
Star, sailed from Key West yesterday
with the North Atlantic squadron for Tor
tugas on her important mission to the
Cuban capital. Although the decision to
send the Maine to Havana was reached by
the President and his advisers in the fore
noon. the actual sailing orders were not
sent to Admiral Sicard, commanding the
fleet, until later in the afternoon, and
after the departure of the entire feet. in
Guiding the Maine, for Tortugas
The orders were, in brief, that the Maine
should proceed at once for Havana for the
protection of American interests. The de-
livery of the orders to Admiral Sicard was
intrusted to the commanding officer of the
torpedo boat Du Pont. That vessel started
after the fleet and few hours later the
orders were in the hands of Admiral ST.
card aboard the flagship New York, off
Tortugas. Captain Sigsbee was summoned
aboard the flagship and had a short con-
ference with the admiral, with the result
that the Maine shortly after started on
her voyage to Havana, only six hours dis
tant across the bay.
Upon communicating with the admiral
the Du Pont steamed hack to Key West
with a telegram from him to the Secretary
of the Navy acknowledging the receipt of
the orders to the Maine and saying that
they would be executed at once. The Du
w 8.
and the admiraFs telegram was forwarded
to the department at once, accompanied
by further statement that the Maine was
preparing to start on her cruise when the
to rpedo boat left the fleet.
Although the Maine undoubtedly made
the short trip to Havana during the night.
1t was not expected that she would attempt
to enter the harbor before daybreak, as
such course would have been In violation
of the regulations OF the port.
tn Re EnlInxved
The procedure to be followed by the
Maine upon her arrival off Havana is laid
down at the Navy Department as follows:
Being daylight (for no craft is permitted
to enter the harbor during darkness) at
the entrance to the harbor the Maine will
begin to fire u salute of twenty-one guns
AS soon as the last gun has been fired the
guns of Moro Castle will begin a return
salute of the same number of guns. Then
as there Is a Spanish admiral in the har-
bor, salute must be fired by the Maine in
his honor. This will be fifteen guns If he
be vice admiral and thirteen guns If a
rear admiral. This salute will be returned
in kind and probably the Spanish admiral
will send a staff officer aboard the Maine
to greet Captain sigsbee. This call must
be returned, and then there may be visit
from port officials and health officers and
others. Meanwhile, presumng that Consul
General Lee has not appeared, Capt. Sigs-
Dee Will SenQ one OF MS OINCerS ashore,
and to the United States consulate general
with a message to General Lee, stating
that the Maine Is lying at his orders, and
indicating that he would be pleased to re-
ceive the consul general aboard or to call
upon him ashore, at his pleasure These
calls having been exchanged. the next
thing in order will be reception to the
acting captain general for 1t is reported
that Captain General Blanco has gone
eastward from Havana as far as Batabano.
With this call the ceremonies will conclude,
so far as custom prescrfbes, though there
may be some entertainment extended to the
Names officers by officials in Havana. It
Is likely that the ships crew will be kept
closely aboard ship. In this way the prob
abilities of an unfriendly encounter be-
tween convivial party of sailors and
rowdies will be reduced. while this con-
hnement Is also believed to be necessary
as means of preserving the ships COM
pany from the danger of contracting yell
low fever, which still prevails in Havana.
Because the Names men must remain
under this close restriction it is likely that
the ship will not be kept long in Havana
harbor, but that she will be replaced in
the course Of few weeks by one Of the
Montgomery. 1t Is not deemed proper to
venture one Of the heavy draft battle ships
like the Iowa or Indiana into Havana
harbor save in an emergency, because II
sells to accident. The German ships In
Havana harbor will not be saluted for the
reason that they are not commanded by
an officer Of flag rank, who alone is entitled
to this courtesy. 1t Is said at the Navy
Department that the presence of these
ships at Havana has no significance at this
time. as 1t Is the custom for the training
ships In the West Indies to call at that
port every year on their return to Germany
to secure supplies, and particularly to pro-
vide a plentiful stock of the finest Havana
cigars for the consumption Of certain high
German officials at home. These vessels
are expected to visit Charleston s. c., In q
few weeks.
No Request From Gen. Lee.
There was no news from Consul General
Lee Of later date than yesterday. Two
cablegrams came from him last night, but
they were not OF particular significance.
1t was said that they were both in answer
to questions put previously by the State
Department, and It u presumed that one