The Portland daily press., 1898-03-04
BY HUNDREDS OF TONS.

result from an accldent. A. u. II.
BY HUNDREDS OF TONS.
Relief Pouring In For the Starving Gu
bans.
Washington, March 3.-Seoretary Long
said at the close of his day at the navy
| department that no word had been re-
ceiyed from the court of inquiry and that
no orders had been or would be given
| as to the movements of the court from
| Key West, as the court was fully autho-
rized to shape its own movements Ihe
original orders to the court were issued
by Admiral Sicard as commander Of the
| fleet to which the Maine belonged and
| it has the technical status of an ad-
| mirals court, reporting directly to him
| bothas to it's movement and as to its report
| on the disaster. The understanding here
| is that the court has not concluded its
work, but will return to Havana to take
testimony which has been delayed By the
diffic ulties in the way OF the divers.
That Admiral Sicard expects this move
back to Havana was shown by despatch
| from him few days ago suggesting that
arrangements be made for vessel to take
| the court back. AS the lighthouse ten
| der MangrOve had been doing this service,
| the Treasury Department was asked to
assign the Mangrove fer the return Of the
court to Key West, and this was done.
| With these arrangements concluded 1t Is
said at the navy department the court
/ will proceed without consulting officials
| here. as ssAF
| , do fou ho *rip of
the cruiser Montgomery and gunboat
Nashville to Cuban ports with relief
supplies.
The navy department was advised today
| that the Mallory line steamer leaving
| New York next Saturday would carry
free of charge rs tons Of supplies to be
transferred to the Montgomery and Nash
vile at Key West. The Mallory steamer is
expected to take about four days in the
run down the coast, so that the transfer
to the warships and their start to Cuba
| cannot bs made before next Thursday.
The two warships are poorly adapted for
carrying supplies, having scant quarters
for their own equipment. 1t Is only be-
/ cause they can make the run IN daylight
that any attempt Is made to carry the
rs tons of supplies These will be stored
/ on the spar deck and with good weather
i the daylight run will not subject them
4 to any damage.
The relief measures are proving unex-
pectedly successful, the supplies running
i into the calroads and hundreds or tons.
i The state department. has had notice
from the Cubanssrelief committee at New
York that there were shipped on March
II from New York to Santiago 100, ,O0O
pounds of relief supplies; on Cd, 10 Ha-
vana, rs, 900 pounds; today to Matanzas,
100, 600, and to Sangua la Grande, lOo, O0O
pounds In these shipments are 500 COY
grains of quinine, conslgneo TO each OF
the ports except Havana.
| Chairman Barton of the Central Cuban
relief committee, has advised the state
department. that donations are coming
forward in great abundance not only In
money, but more particularly IN form OF
provisions from all.directions.a The Oregon
contribution comprises ten car loads and
possibly 20, and Omaha, Minneapolis and
other western committees are offering
shipments by the carload The central
committee had today upon the pier of the
Ward line at New York, nearly 100 tons
ready for the steamer sailing friday
which the line offered to take to Ma
tanzas and Sagua.
The Maine relief fund under MRS
Longs management today reached total
OF SO, 1873.
The only telegram relating to the Maine
disaster that came to the navy depart
ment during the day was the following
from Commander Forsythe at Key West;
"Bache arrived. Brought one body,
unidentified, and Paul Lotus, private
marine; jeremiah Shea, coal passer; John
HefYerner, ordinary seaman; Thomas j.
Waters, ordinary seaman, wounded from
Tortuen. The wounded will be sent tc
the army hospital. The funeral of ths
body has started for the cemetery"
| In tho course of the inquiry into the
naval resources of the United States ar
order has been issued to make test OF
the machinery of the old war monitors
at the League islnnd navy yard. These
are single turreted craft and are armed
with big smooth bore guns in turrets that
could likely be pierced by the modern
rifle used on battleships but they would
There are eight OF these monitors at
League island and the government owns
several others that are now loaned to
the naval militia organi zations of some
of the states. Those at League island
are: Canonicus, Mahopac, Manhattan;
Catsklll, Jason, Lehigh. Montauk and
Nahant. They are all between 1900 and
21OO tons displacement and draw very
little water so that they can take up ad'
vantageous positions at shoals command
ing channel approaches. The intention Is
to turn over the old engines and work
the machinery that is made to turn the
turrets. if it can be made to work at all
During the course of the day similar
INQUIRIES to that made by the Japanese
legation as to the number of Japanese
aboard the Maine, came to the navy de
partinent from the German and Swedish
legations and it is expected that Others