The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-14
TWO BATTERIES TO BE SENT.
LIGHT AND HEAVY ARTILLERY
COMING TO SAVANNAH.


Battery of Light Artillery TO Go Into
Camp, to Aid II Necessary I'm the
Protection of the City-May BE
Here by neutrality-suspicious. of
Heavy Artillery TO he sent shortly
for the Tybee FOrtificatiOns-WiIl
Camp in Tents Until the Garrison
Is Built.
1t appears that Savannah will have with
in a comparatively short time now, two
batteries of artillery instead Of one, as
was first thought
According to a dispatch yesterday TO
the Morning News from Chicago and an-
other from Junction City, Kan, arrange
ments are being made TO send here Bat
terry F of the Fourth Artillery, in com
mand of Capt S. w. Taylor, from Fort
Riley, Kan.
This is battery of light artillery, and
is not designed. as was first thought, TO
take charge of the new fortifcations at
Tybee on the other hand, this battery
will simply so into camp here and remain
here under orders, no doubt until all little
differences with Spain have been straight
ened out to assist in the defense of sa-
vannah.
The Western railroads have been called
on to submit by tomorrow proposals for
transporting three batteries from Fort Ri
ley on through trains, one TO Fort Mon
roe. Va. another TO New Orleans and the
third 10 Savannah. As the bids were
wanted within three days after the Re
quest for them was made, it appears to
be the intention to move the artillerynen
pretty quick.
Each of these batteries consists of five.
officers. sixty-fve men, four S.2-inch steel
rifles. with caissons, fifty-five horses.
FORCES and other camp equipage. Eacn
battery must be carried through on one
train. in one OF two sections. without
change. and the trains must be ready to
transport them by neon on Wednesday. .
From this it would appear that Battery
+ will arrive in Savannah the latter part
of this week or the first Of next week. Ii
is about a three-days trip from Fort Riley
20 Savannah and if the start is made
Wednesday night, the troops will reach
here probably Saturday.
Capt. C. E. Gillette. who has just re-
turned from New York, was asked ABOUT
the matter yesterday, and said he under
stood that a battery of light artillery was
10 be sent here at once, though he has
not seen any official orders on the SUD
ject This battery will be located here, he
says, to be used for the protection and
defense OF Savannah i'm case of an emer-
gency. For the present ii will go into
camp at some point TO be selected near
the city and remain in camp subject 10
orders
This is an entirely different movement
from that for providing a battery TO take
charge of the new fortifcations on Tybee
Island. This latter will be a battery OF
heavy artillery to take charge of the big
guns in the emplacements there, and will
of course have fewer horses and entirely
different equipment from that of the light
artillery
The battery for Tybee too Capt. Gil
lette says, will arrive within a very few
days. He has not seen any official orders
on this subject, either, but understands
that arrangements are now being made to
send the Tybee battery at an early date.
Pending the construction of a garrison
near the new fort on Tybee the artillery
sent there viii go into camp. and be there
III readiness to take hold of the guns at
any time the necessity might arise.
Like the other battery the one to be
sent TO Tybee will consist of sixty-fivc
men and five officers, with the usual
equipment of heavy artillery battery.
Though the Tybee Notifications are not
quite completed yet, it is understood they
are so near il that II would be very dam
gerous for a hostile ship to come into
close quarters under the impression that
they are not ready for business.
The object Of sending the battery of
light artillery is no doubt to have a force
in readiness 10 prevent the entry of any
small gunboats into the shallower chan
nels southwest of the city. The entrance
60 the Savannah river will be pretty well
protected, but guard is needed in the
other direction. and it may be that this
Is what the battery coming from Fort
Riley is for.
The opinion among Savannahians with
regard to the probability of a conflict
with Spain is divided Some believe that
g. cannot be averted and that the board
of inquiry now looking into the Maine dis
aster is delaying its report in order to
give the government time to make prepa-
Iations. Others think that even If the re-
port of the board is adverse to the acct
dent theory, and an indemnity is demand
ed the financial interest at stake are too
large TO justify a destructive war. and
that some way out of the difficulty will
be found through International arbitra-
ton.
However that may be, the Southern peo-
pie are not unduly excited over the stu
ation. II is so in Savannah. They do not
want a war which would mean probably
the destruction of a good deal of property
IN the South, but if it must come, they
will take il as a matter of course, and
If anything, do more than their part in
aiding in the national defense.