The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-15
OREGON TO SAIL SOUTH
TO STATION AT VALPARAISO FOR
PROBABLE EMERGENCY.
WEEK HAS BEEN ONE OF EXPEDITION
Summary Of the Preparation that Has been
Efected--The Administration Absolutely
Denies Any knowledge, Up to Date
of Cause of Explosion.

VI SAUSS ~ /
WASHINGTON. d. c.. March 12.-NhiIe
today was not marked by particularly
;unort,nt events. the history of the
,,,o.E inst closed will form Il splendid
record of what can he accomplished oS
the nation in IL short space of tllnc uhd'r
the SOUR of necessity to provide 1of iilF
national defense. beginning with the alp
nronriation of &oO.oO0.0 ~ to be cNpcnd-
ed bv the President without Limitations,
there followed rapidly the placing OF OF
dcrs for enormous quantities of war sup
plies. the instructions Of negotiations for
the purchase of ships abroad, the enlist
mcnt Of men for the Navy, the creation
of two additional regiments of artillery,
the commissioning Of monitors, cruisers
an. rams. the manning of new posts
along the ScacoastS and finally the re-
arrangement of the great military de-
to meet modern conditions i'll
military practice.
The sending Of the Oregon, now at
mare Island, away from San Francisco,
is an exhibition of the far-slghtcdncs1
with which the Secretary of the Navy
is observing the situation of to-day. The
vC>ScI'S orders are to cruise down the
Pacific coast, touching III from time 10
time at various ports where cable CON
m~cctiollr exist. To receive any orders that
the department may havc to give. III
this way il is expected that she will
work as far South as Valparaiso, Chile,
where she will await orders. Valparaiso
is very much nearer to Cuba and to Adj
miral Sicard's fleet than Mare Island,
while. if it should be desired to send the
ship to the Atlantic station, this can
he done almost as conveniently from
Valparaiso as from San Francisco. At
Valparaiso. therefore,, the Oregon will
be where she can be most u~sefully ma
nipulated i'll case of an emergency.
Tho President held a long conference
at the White House about noon to-day
with Secretaries -Aiger. Long and Gage.
1t Is presumed that their subject of dis
cusSion was the finances of the situation.
a subject which could not be fully treat
ed at the Cabinet meeting yesterday ow-
ing to the short session. After the con-
ference the statement was again made.
with the emphasis that has characters
lZcd every ut%terance on the subject by
the Presidents constitutional advisers.
that UP to date the administration has
absolutely no knowledge of the cause
of the disaster to the Maine, and that
1t has no report of ana kind from the
Court of Inquiry or anyone connected
with it.
The Board of Naval Bureau find il
Impossible To pass Judgment in Washing
tom upon the fitness for Naval service
of vessels that may be offered for the
auxiliary branch of the Navy at the va
riouS scaports. SO they have been aided
in their work by the creation of Il special
board which will undertake. to visit each
of the PORTS where ships may be offered
ana make Il careful personal inspection
of the various craft. Passed Assistant
Engineer Dixon. Assistant Naval Con
structor TaWresy and Lieutenant S1r-
geant.
The Nashville arrived at Key West
today. while the MarblNhead arrived
at Tampa. The Naval officials will not
stat" the purpose of the Marblehcad's
visit to Tampa.
The war talk has had the usual result
of bringing before the War and Navy
Departments Il perfect flood of surre:-
ti"ns and Inventions.
The War Department on Monday will
open bids for one Of the largest orders
of shot and shell for heavy caIibcr guns
ever given, including armor-picrcing pro-
J%ertlIeS and deck piercing and torpedo
shells. The number and charac-
ter of these are as foIlowS:
$50 tweIve-incl deck piercing shells.
weighing 1000 pounds each: 1.241
tW"ive-ilch deck piercing shells,
weighing 500 pounds each: 4S1 tcn-inch
"Tmor piercing shells; 49, ten-inch armor
al1nor piercing shells: 100 eight-inch
arm"r piercing shot capped.
lheN" projectileS are for the heavy
l"ftlllrdtIon guns now mounted along the
sea c"aNt. he purchase is not to be
nl'"' under the fifty million defense aI-
i'oITiHIl"h bill, hut is in anticipation of
me 10TtlhcatiOn bill. which grants $40
WV LOT Il r'Scrv" supply of projectilcs
ana powder. As the making Of the
heavy projccriles will take considerable
TIM" the contract will be let ahead Of
tn" passage Of the bill. assurances hay
1n% been given from men in Congress that
Ip question would be raised as to the
regularity of this proceeding. The entire
amount Is designed to give all the heavy
guns now Installed, and those to be put
in place during thc coming year Il full
quota of projcctilcs. and powder. The
twelve inch shot are among the largest
made. The cost of Il single round of
tins class of projectiles is So11. Aside
from the large orders to be placed Mon
day, the emergency bill will permit addi-
honal orders 10 meet the requirements
Oh such fortihcatlon guns as may be
mounted for emergency. The present
orier Is for the actual needs of the guns
now mounted. without reference to any
eNiStIhg emergency, although it has
been made all the more imperative by
the Spanish crisis.
he Spanish Minister Polo, received
4 dispatch today from Captain General
Blanco. stating that the condition of
the tuhan reconcentradoers WAS great
~ improved. General Blanco stated
also that he had prepared full data on
this subject TO be forwarded to Wash
in@ton.
Scn"r Polo has not yet opened business
negotiations with the State Department
except i'll the formalities of presenting