The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-05-13
THE CHARLESTON.
She Leaves San Francisco With Supplies for
Adm. Dewey's Fleet-WilI Not Com
voy the City OF Pekin.


WASHINGTON, May 12.-The navy de-
partment has decided to have the
cruiser Charleston start at once on it's
relief mission to Adm. Deweys fleet at
Manila. The orders issued anticipate
the departure of the Charleston from
San Francisco Wed nesday if it is pos
sible to get the am munition and stores
aboard. and she will leave without
waiting to convoy the City of Pekin
and the other ships loaded with
supplies. The orders to the COM
mandant of the navy yard at Mare
Island are to put on board the
Charleston all the ammunition she
will carry as long as her steaming
capacity is not retarded. 1t is the
understanding here that at least $50
tons Of ammunition can be put on
board. By extraordinary efforts
on the part of the authorities here, all
the powder, shot and shell requisite
for this relief expedition have been
assem- led at San Francisco already,
though it was thought at first it would
take until after the 18th to
draw these supplies from va
rious other points The ammunition
Includes 500 rounds CT the big project
lies for the S-inch guns of the Olympia,
about >. 900 6-inch shells, and 10, 600 8
inch shells, as all of the cruisers of
Adm Dewey's fleet mount 5-inch and
6-inch guns. There is also an ample
supply of the smaller sizes of shot and
shell for the machine and rapid-fre
guns. The stock of powder will be in
three lots, aggregating 10000 pounds.
Owing to the hurried departure of
the Charleston it is not expected that
she will wait for any considerable
number of troops, as these will follow
later on the other relief ships.
She has a crew of about 800 men, and
this probably will be augmented by
marine guard of a few hundred men.
The Charleston is a protected cruiser
of $3.50 tons displacement, built of
steel and mounts eight guns in her
main battery. She has twin screws
and an indicated horse power of $685.
The authorities here hardly expect
her to make more than Is knots with
her heavy stock of coal, ammunition
and supplies. Her coal bunzers are
rather limited, so that she probably
will have to stop at Honolulu to re-
coal. Her trip to Manila will take
about two weeks. The City of Pekin,
which will follow her, is a very fleet
merchantmen, capable of being pushed
to Is knots or more, SO that even with
the handicap she has of starting
several days after the Charleston there
;c e, 10, -,
the race across the Pacific and reach
Manila first. This will depend, how
ever, on how soon the City of Pekin can
be made ready for a start. Saturday
is the earliest date mentioned
The Charleston is commanded by
Capt. Henry Glass. Aside from carry
ing ammunition and supplies to Adm.
Dewey, the Charleston will prove a
valuab bic adjunct to his squadron. She
will come next to the Olympia and
Baltimore in point of size and effect
iveness. ToA
In determining upon this SGT = de-
parture of the Charleston, ssSp~ &
tiles here have had in mino V'
the need of giving early relieI ,,s,S1H.
Dewey, but also have been somewhat
apprehensive of the Philippine insur-
gents. The news reports reaching
here from the Philippines indicating
that the insurge Mt forces mightresort to
massacre are received with serious at
tention by officials, they recognize
that our present position in control
ing Manila bay imposes a certain de-
gree of responsi bility in seeing that
civilized methods prevail and that the
insurrectionists do not resort to law
less and incendiary measures.