The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-08
READY TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY
spain still Defiant, and the war
Cloud Must burst.

Cloud Must Hurst.
New York. April SIT seems to me-"
said an Army officer yesterday. that the
situation is more warlike than 1T has
been at any previous time. Spain cannot
afford to recede further. Demand after
damand has been madeo of Sagasta. and
he has acceded, but it-ieoks as If a point
had been reached where he would fight
rather than yield any more. Cuba has
been a Spanish possession for four hun
dred years, and no wonder they do not
want to yield 1t up. IL the queen had
said to the nations of Europe that she
was a descendant of Charles V-although
by remote line-and as her ancestors
were not willing to give up what was
! theirs without fighting for it she would
| do the same. she might have had all the
powers standing by her. But we cannot
see the people of Cuba struggling for
freedom without recalling our own strug-
gle and our Declaration of Independ-
| ence"
The activity in preparing for hostilities
continued among Army officials yester-
day at headquarters. Gen. Merritt was
| in the city with members of his stan.
| Col Ludlow went to Washington with an
! elaborate report on the condition of the
1 Notifications on the Atlantic seaboard,
which he recently inspected as far south
| as Savannah. 1t is understood that he
/ made a number of important recommen-,
| datiorls in regard to work to be carried
| forward under the emergency approprla-
lions recently made to equip the de-
| lenses i'm thorough and complete man
| ner. to meet possible attacks. The new
| f..rh so xsgIn nf
| ilton and Hancock are approaching com
| pletlon. and several huge rified cannon
| will be mounted as soon as their car
| riages are ready IL was stated at the
Army building yesterday that the sub
marine defenses for New York harbor
would be completed last night
| An officer said This does not mean
that the submarine mines and torpedoes
are in place. but that the wires have been
laid ard all electrical connections made,
so that IL will be a matter of only few
hours to put down the mines and attach
| them to the wires The observation
mines are those chiefly provided for.
They are usually anchored two or three
| fathoms below the surface of the water.
in rows of half dozen. about sixty 1eet
apart Each is charged with five hundred
! mounds of guncotton and will blow up
the largest ship afioat. The operator at
the land end of the wire controls the time
! of firing and chooses the opportunity
| when a vessel is in the best place Tor de-
struction. Then there are contact MINES
| which are not charged with so lafG" an
| amount of explosive, as they are to be
| discharged in Immediate proximity TO a
| vessel. and are not to operate through
mass Of water. Other harbor protection
is Afforded by fish torpedoes. automoblie
torpedoes and Whitehead torpedoes- More
of the last named than of the others are
used and they can be discharged from
torpedo tubes, by powder above water
and by compressed air underneath the
wafer. There are four sections to each.
one containing wet guncotton. the head,
| which is put on when the torpedo Is to
be used, containing dry guncotton, when
a shock will explode, and back of the
guncotton a chamber OF compressed ar
TO keen IL from striking. ana balance
chamber to keep II level, while back oil
IL in motion. IL moves at rapid rate
but a distance of three hundred yards Is
about the effective limit for use. All the
barhors in danger of the entrance or a
hostile feet will be defended by suDma-
| rine Notifications. If they may be SO
called. in case of war being declared. Al
| though there are no orders as yet l be-
lieve we will see an outbreak OF hostlli-
ties by April Il. at the latest. Every pre-
paration that can be thought OF Is pelhe
made.