The San Francisco call., 1898-02-22

NEW 1OOh, SO' Gi' |A ~ q Washington special to the Her q aid says: In accordance with the 0 q administrators policy of being 0 e prepared for emergencies, the = . vessels comprising the South S . Atlantic squadron are now on ~ q their way to the Carribean Sea, S q and orders were issued to-day 2 q directing the completion Of re- q pairs to the monitor Terror q . within forty eight hours.
 The Navy Department has kept se- cret the orders sent some days ago to the cruiser Cincinnati, the fiagshlp or the South Atlantic station, and the gunboat Castine, to come north anu io;n the vessels of the North Atlantic station. I learned to-day that the gun boat Castine left Para, -Brazll, seVerai days ago for the Barbadoes, ana that she will be joined later at that point oy the Cincinnati. It is officially stateu al the department that the reason why vessels have left Para, Brazil anu come to waters within the North AL 1antic station is that yellow feVer IS raging in Brazilian ports ana Ill oiuel to prevent any of the men caIcliiis the disease it was determined to nave them come farther north.
 On the other hand, I understand that +be vessels were ordered to leave Mon tevideo some weeks ago ana proceed +o Rabai Brazil. and upon their ar rival at that point they were directed to continue their voyage to fara. in- structions were sent to ships upon tneir arrival at Para directing them to pro- ceed to the Barbadoes, and It Is ex- pected that the ships Will arrlVe at that noint within few days. The ois- +once from Para to the Barbadoes IS 11so miles-a five days voyage TOT the Cincinnati and Castine. With these two ships at the Barbadoes tne oli'eu States will be represented III the "a.eis south of Cuba by the armoreu ciuisoi Brooklyn, protected cruiser Clnclhiia'i' and gunboats Wilmington, Castlhe' Annanolis and Vicksburg. The gunpoat Newport is at Greytown, Nlcaragua' with the Nicaragua Canal Commission.
 Orders issued in regard to the colh- pletion of repairs to the Ierror cur template getting that ship reaoy TOT service in two days. Naval Constructor Stahl has been informed that the ue- partment authorized him to employ men night and day on the monitor. Captain O'Neil, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, directed the ordnance or ficers at Norfolk navy yard to place ammunition on board the Terror, and when completed she will drop down to Hampton Roads, where she will await sailing orders. The department has not definitely determined where to send the ship. The probabilities are that she will proceed to New York harbor and remain there for the protection of that port in case of emergency.
 The department has taken measures to protect several ports along the northern coast by monitors. For in stance, the monitor Amphitrite is at Port Royal, and could in case of neces- sity proceed to Charleston in very few hours. The monitor Puritan the repairs to which are also being pushed, will be kept at Hampton Roads Tor service in protection of Norfolk' Rlch- mond and Washington. The monitor Miantonomah could be quickly piaceo in commission at League Island Tor the defense of Philadelphia, and the Terror will probably be stationed al New York.
 What course the authorities will pur- sue for the protection of Boston, Fort land and Augusta in case of emergency has not yet developed, but the depart ment arrangements are very complete and those cities will be taken care or when it is evident there is danger or trouble. Acting Secretary of War Meiklejohn said to me to-day:
 "The War Department is not pro- ceeding on the assumption that there is shortly to be an outbreak of hos tihties between the United States and Spain or any other country than there has been for many months past. The department at no time failed to appre- ciate the necessity of increasing the military resources of the country to as great an extent as the available ap- prepriations permit. Perhaps it is bet ter to say that the department au- thorities are not allowing any oppor- tunity of putting themselves in as good condition as possible for emergency to be neglected.
 The quartermaster general will inn mediately contract for 45,o0O army blouses and an expenditure of about $200,000 in various clothing and other quartermaster material to be made. The available supply of quartermaster stores now on hand which have not been issued to the service is consider able. I am told by high official of the quartermaster department that more than 25,Oo0 tents are stored at the vari- ous depots ready for issue if needed. These tents are of different styles and capable of sheltering between 75, GOO and S0,0OO men. In addition to this. over 5,0O0000 yards of canvas duck is on hand that might be made into tents in a short time. There is likely to be