The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-01-14
Secretary Long Declines 10 Discuss Sail
Ing Orders of War Vessels.
Powerful Fleet Will Soon De Gather
cd In Southern waters -sSinistcr
Dc Lomo Snys tho Authorities
in iaavann IERvo Ample Force TO
Preserve Order General Lee Giyos
Nome Points About Destitntion in
In Cubn,
WashInton, Jan. 13. 1893.

Late this afternoon the first news of
The day came TO the State Department
from United States Consul-General Lee,
who telegraphed that everything was
very quiet in Havana today and that
there was no cause for apprehension OF
trouble. Orders have been sent to the
Marblehead to proceed TO Navassa 10
investigate conditions among the la
bore.s there, thus disposng of The old
rumor that she would be ordered to
Cuba.
Consul-General Lee has reported to
the State Department from Havana,
under date Of yesterday the facts con-
nected with the rioting there yesterday.
While the State Department officials
do not divulge the text of the dispatch
1t is said that it corroborates generally
the newspaper reports on the subject.
According 10 General Lees report the
disturbance had been quelled for the
time being but he was apprehensive OF
another outbreak at any moment.
General Lee did not ask to have Il
warship sent to Havana and in TIE
that there is n sufficient reason for the
assumption that there Is no occasion
for serdlng one. The officials are evil
IDENTIFY not apprehensive of any t:ouble
in The immediate future that will require
the foro!ble intervention of our gov
ernment.
The disqueting feature OF the Mtua-
ton is the horrible condition OF the poor
in Cuba. According to General Lees
advices no less than 200, coo people on the
island are In the las: stages of de,sti-
tuition and are wholly dependent upon
charity. TO feed these people on ten
cent ration per day would cost $4,000
daily, which sum ls double the amount
SO far received in contributions during
the past ten days by the State Depart
ment. In the opinion Of General Lee
no less than 20 per cent. of these poor
people are surely doomed to death from
starvation and disease. In such a state
OF affairs the existence of any form of
organized government Is threatened and
the autonomy plans OF the Spanish gov
ernment command little attention.
Secretary Long was asked whether
any of the American ships he been
ordered to be ready to sail for Havana.
He replied that while he could not dis
cu9s the matter, he would say that he
had not made any change in the orders
of the hattleship Maine, now lying at
Key West. Inquiry developed the fact
that the Maines last orders were to
go out for target practice, and upon fall
ing in with the North Atlantic squad
ron to attach herself. Although there
is no expectation at the Navy Depart
ment Of any trouble just now, still In
case 1t should occur the navy is more
strongly represented in Florida and
West Indian waters than it has been
i'll The past ten years. AT Key West
there is the second class battleshp
Maine, at Jacksonville the dynamite
cruiser Vesuvius. at ST. kits !s the
Annapolis and at Guadaloupe the VIII
mington. The Detroit is on the way
from Cape Hayten to Key West. where
she Is now due.
This naval force Is made up, with
one exception. the Maine, of unarmnr-
ed but lightly protected cruisers and
gunboats. 1t will be powerfully rein
forced, however, In a few days by the
North Atlantic squadron, under Ad-
miral Slcard. composed of heavily ar
mored vessels, the most powerful fleet
that the United States has had to-
gether in many years.
1t is stated authoritatively at the
Navy Department that this Southern
movement of the squadron is in no
degree attributable to the troubles in
Havana, but that the movement Is a
part of the programme for winter
manoeuvres of the squadron prepared
by the Navy Department months ago
The Spanish Minister. Senior Dupuy
de LONE. has been kept constantly adj
v!sed Of every development within the
last twenty-four hours at Havana. and
he summed up his udvices this after
noon by saying that they show that
the uprising TO have been riot, pure
and simple; that order has been COM
pletely restored and that the euthor.-
ties have an ample force 10 afford every
protection; that the tumult was con-
fined to Spanish and Cuban residents
and that no indlgnity was put upon
any American interest or citizen, pub
lie or private.
The official adviccs began arrivinl;
about midnight last n!Sht. and have
come uninterruptedly since then. They
told the story Of the disturbance fully.
and In the mein eoyr0bos@tsd the press