Evening journal., 1898-08-20
REMARKABLE FLEET
Nearly a Hundred Warships to
Assemble at Fort Monroe.
NAVAL PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
All Ships TO BE Ovcrhauled and Naval
Miiitiamen TO 30 Succeeded by sail
orn of Regular Navy--Oid Mon
itors May co to Cuba.

ltors hay Go 20 CUBA.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2O.-One OF the
largest fleets Of warships ever assem-
bled IN an American port will be
brought together IN the next few days
at Fort Monroe. Already 81 warships
are under orders To rendezvous there,
and the orders still TO be issued viii
raise the total TO the neighborhood Of
20. Naval officials say Il Is difficult 10
realize the extent OF such a marine ag-
gregation IN one harbor. The orders
began issuing last Monday, when Eve
ships were ordered to Fort Monroe. on
the 10th another ship was added. on the
18th eight more were sent and on the
18th ~ ships were added. Yesterdays
orders included IL more ships. Before
the orders began issuing there were
eight warships al Fort Monroe Those
included in yesterdays orders are the
Newport, Rodgers Lebanon, Wampa-
tuck. Morris, Grim Lancaster, Machias,
Osceola, Peoria, Massasoit, Sioux, Chey-
enne, Waban, Chickasaw, Helena, De
troit and Yankton. These and the ships
previously ordered are mainly small
craft. although there are a number Of
large cruisers and gunboats including
the San Francisco, HeieNa, Detroit, To-
peka, Marietta and Castine. The move
ment Of these ships northward Is due to
the close of hOstilities and more par
ticularly to the desire TO get the ships
away from points OF possible fever in
fection. They viii now be put In thor
ough repair and their crews viii be
gradually changed from naval militia
men TO sailors OF the regular navy
The navy department has not yet de-
termined what ships will go TO Havana,
San Juan and other points in Cuba and
Porto Rico. There is felt TO be no hur-
ry about this until the authority Of the
United States Is fully established
throughout the islands. In the mean
time the matter Of policing the shore
points is being considered. and In due
time a number OF the light draft auxll-
iary craft and some Of the single turret-
ed monitors will be used for this coast
patrol 1t is found. however, that only
four OF the old monitors OF the civil war
are At for this service In southern wa
ters. As many naval vessels will be CEN
tered about the West Indies from this
time forward the navy department will
send the new floating dock recently
bought In New York down the coast to
Pensacola. Fla, where il will be kept
for docking the warshps. AT that point
also there are good naval workshops to
be used in conjunction with the float
ing dock. The dock Is now being in
spected and will be towed to Pensacola
as soon as the September gales are
over.
There were few developments OF im-
portance IN the post war situation yes
terday. The authorities are still watt
Ing for General Merritts list of casual
ties and the state, war and navy de-
partments are interested In knowing the
exact terms on which Manila was sur
Observation-Disclosures the city alone or II
all the Philippines were included. It
was stated by officials that nothing ad-
ditional on this point had been received
up 70 the close OF Office hours yesterday.
The efforts TO restore the Manila cable
continue. but they have not proved sue
cessful thus far The claims made in
Madrid that the protocol and not the ca
pitulation controls the status OF affairs
In the Philippines win not be discussed
by state department officials. The Mad
rid discussion is looked upon as rather
academic, as Il IS taken for granted
that claims will be made on both sides
and that the Paris tribunal viii be the
final arbiter of the case.
Neither the state department nor the
French embassy has yet received word
that Spain has chosen her military com-
missions for Cuba and Porto Rico, and
some doubt Is expressed as TO the accu-
racy of the names given In London press
advices The names given in these re-
ports are those Of Spanish generals and
the admirals now stationed IN Cuba and
Porto Rico. so that II the names are
correct no time win be lost I'm bringing
the commissioners together. Th6-under-
standing here is that the sessions will
begin at Havana and san Juan about
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