The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-22

though neither ne nor Mr. Hit was
communicative. Secretary Long also
had an extended conference with the
president, but so far as it could be
learned 1t developed nothing additional
relating to the Spanish question.
The army and navy preparations are
continuing without interruption, al
though they have now become 50
regular as to lapse into routine on q
gigantic scale. No further purchases
of warships were concluded yesterday
and the negotiations are not assuming
promising aspect, except in showing
that the United States can command
the market against Spain.
The enlistment branch Of the navy
department yesterday issued large
poster advertising for men for the
United States navy. Enlistments will
be made at the navy yards at Boston,
Brooklyn, League Island, Washington,
Norfolk and Mare Island, 66 South
street, New York city; United States
steamship Michigan, at Erie, Pa; Gus
tom House, New Orleans, and the Gus
tom House, Gloucester, Mass. The fol-
lowing classes of men sre wanted:
Seamen, IS to IS years of age, at $24
per month; ordinary seamen, 1S to 80.
SO per month; chief machinists, 18 to
So, $40. per month; machinists, first
class, IS to 35. SIS per month; machin-
lists, second class, IS to IS, $40 per
month. The requirements for enlist
ment provide that all candidates must
pass a physical examination, and sea-
men, ordinary seamen and machinists
must pass technical examination as
well.
The mammoth floating derrick Mon
arch, which was chartered conditional
ly for raising the Maine, If such thing
were found to be practicable, has not
even started on her proposed trip to
Havana, and the officials of the de-
partment have practically concluded to
abandon 1t. The sum of $500 a day was
to be paid for the Monarch for every
day she was in actual service on the
wreck Of the battleship. Her speciality
Is heavy lifting, and she was to be util-
lied for the recovery of such parts of
the ship and its equipment as could not
be lifted by the wrecking vessels now
at work on the wreck. The owners of
the Monarch were to be paid a lump
sum aggregatlng many thousand dol
lars in case they were able to raise the
warship and take her to the New York
navy yard, and in case she was used in
the wrecking operations it was also ex-
pected that she would be specially en-
ployed to raise the turrets and heavy
guns, which the government Is exceed
ingly desirous Of recovering at this
time, without special consideration for
their great value in dollars and cents.
The navy has particular need Of first
class guns at this time, and would re-
gard the recovery of the main battery
Of the Maine as q consummation de-
voutly to be wished. Although there is
not much prospect of raising the Maine,
with it's reported broken backbone,
there is good reason to believe from the
reports of the divers that many If not
all of the guns may be recovered even
tually from the wreck and put in places
where they may be able to render good
service.
An important conference was held In
the office of the secretary of war yes
terday in regard to the fertilization Of
Tortugas harbor. There were present
Secretary Alger, Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt, of the navy department;
General Miles. General Wilson, chief of
engineers, and Colonel Henry M. Rob-
ert corps of engineers. The establish
ment of a coaling station at Tortugas
and the construction of Notifications
and harbor defenses was discussed.
,eyir pHi hou haov
investigating the matter estimate that
1t will cost about $1,O00,000 and take
nearly two years to put the island in a
proper state of defense from sea at
tack, and Secretary Alger and his as
sociates hesitated to embark on an un
dertaking of that extent unless the
navy department considers the work
absolutely necessary. Definite action
was postponed in order to give Secre-
tary Long Ah opportunity to further in
vestigate the matter.
The preparations for the defense of
the national capital have been practi-
cally completed so far as its approach
by water is concerned. The battery at
Sheridan's Point. on the Potomac. just
above Mount Vernon, Is now complete
~ EldIllleu anu Will prove powerful
auxiliary to the main battery at Fort
Washington, on the opposite shore OF
the river, nearer the city.
Colonel Wiliston, who was recently
placed in command of the Sixth arttl-
leary, one OF the new regiments author
lied by congress, conferred with Gem
eral Miles yesterday in regard to the
defenses of Baltimore. He Is stationed
at Fort McHenry Md, just outside the
Monumental City