The herald., 1898-03-05
|WANTTOKNOW
When the Maine Court
Will Make Report
NO ANSWER RECEIVED
TO INQUIRIES ADDRESSED TO
. SAMPSON
SPANISH PURCHASE OF SHIPS
Leads United States Naval officials to
Complain Of Their Inability
to Do Likewise
SPANISH PURCHASE OF SHIPS
Associated Press Special Wire

to DO Likewise
Associated Press Special Wire
| WASHINGTON, March AIT last there
is prospect of learning when the report
Of the court of inquiry in the case of the
Maine disaster is to be made; that is, IL the
court itself is competent to pass an opin.
| ion on that point. A telegram has been
sent to Capt. Sampson asking when it is
expected that the report can be made. So
far there has been no response, and it may
be that the president of the court wishes
| to counsel first with his colleagues before
| delivering response. The fact that this
inquiry has been addressed to the court by
Secretary Long at the instance of the
cabinet Is regarded as propitious Of the
correctness of the statement that has been
| made almost daily for several days past
by members Of the administration that II
had no control over the court and did not
know when the report would come.
1t is said at the navy department at the
close of Office hours today that no word had
come from Key West or Havana save the
brief dispatches of the past two days rela-
tive to the disposition OF wounded men and
dead bodies.
1t Is probable that the Olympia flagship
of the Asiatic squadron and the peerless
queen of cruisers, will come home to San
Francisco. The navigation bureau has
this movement under consideration and in
view Of the fact that the ship has been
three years away from navy yard, en-
gagged In hard cruising service, even Il
there were no other reason, 1t Is likely that
the order will be given.
The Olympia IL a protected cruiser of
extraordinary speed and endurance, with
a battery strong enough to Overpower al
most anything short of battleship and
speed enough to run away from that or
anything else that she does not care 20
fight.
The torpedo boat Winslow at Norfolk
has completed repairs and will join the
fiotilla at Key West as soon as the gale on
the coast blows itself out and makes the
run down safe.
Naval officers are deeply interested in
the reports Of the purchase of warships
by Spain, and make the reports of these
transactions the text for complaints of the
inability of our navy department to do
likewise. However, as to the report from
London today of the purchase of the ANA
zonas by Spain, 1t is said at the depart
ment that this vessel sailed for Brazil sew
eral months ago and has been delivered to
the Brazilian government. Her sister ship
is near completion in the Armstrong yards.
They are useful cruisers, copies of the Ba-
ressa, now of the Brazilian navy, and their
strong point is their great radius of action
5000 miles-which would enable them to
cross the Atlantic and recross without re-
newing their cosl supply. .
The other two ships building for Brazil In
France, which are also reported to be
about to pass into Spain's possession, are
presumed to be the De Orc and the Flori-
ona, which are building at La Sienne. Tou-
lon.' These are small but powerful little
battleships. Their tonnage Is only 1852,
but they carry four ten-inch rifles In tur-
rets, In addition to two six-inch and four
teE-inch guns and good secondary bat
terry. Their coal endurance however, Is
small and their forte would seem to be
coast defense operations, or cruising near
the base of supplies.
The London reports also caused COM
ments at the state department. In some
quarters the feeling was expressed that,
pending the findings Of a court of inquiry
in a case having the international phases
of the Maine explosion, the obligations OF
neutrality were as strongly imposed on
Great Britain and Brazil as in time of war.
The precedents apply only to condition
of war, and not to conditions which may
eventually lead to war. In the Geneva
award, however, unfriendly acts by Great
Britain prior to the breaking out of the
rebellion constituted part of the case on
which heavy damages were awarded
against her. But, as a general rule, for
eign governments are free to sell warships,
either directly or through their citizens,
up to the actual date of hos stilities.
Matters are very quiet, at least external
ly, in the war department today There is
a strong disposition to discuss the propo-
sition to resume possession of Dry Tortu-
gas. but the officials did not hesitate to
declare that only normal movements were
going on. 1t was unknown officially that
the troops at Salt Lake are being reviewed,
and 1t was said that If this were SO 1t
could be nothing more than the usual peri
odical inspections required by the regula-
tions. AS for the reported orders to in
spection officers at Bethlehem to be ready
for q quick start, 1t was said that Can't.
McNutt and Lieut. Bennett, who have
been on inspection duty for several years
past, are not disturbed and have had no
orders such as are reported from Bethle-
hem.
In Its present defenseless condition, II is
pointed out, Dry Tortugas is a positive
source of danger, as 1t could be occupied
by an enemy as base of naval and mill
tary operations. The most essential fea-
ture of its defense would be the moving of
guns and with these the harbor would give
one Of the best roadsteads In southern wa
ters. The main defenses are on Tortugas
(meaning turtle) island, and occupy prac-
tically the entire island, although a small.
narrow coral reef sweeps around II. az.
fording additional shelter. The fort is
known as Fort Jefferson. 1t is a three
story brick structure, with easements, the
walls being four feet three inches thick.
The garrison quarters are located in these
easements, the old plan being to place the
artillery in the upper stories and the in
fantry below. The old defenses consisted
of thirty-two and forty-two FOUNDER runs
and one or two parrots of 200 and $40
pounds. These four feet three inch walls
and old style guns would be OF little serv-
ice In modern warfare, and such as remain
are possibly out Of practical service by the
quarantine uses to which Fort Jefferson
has been put in recent years. The anchor
age is probably better than that or Kav
West, fact made even by the preferences
for Tortugas harbor shown by Admiral
Sicard during the southern rendezvous
Of the North Atlantic squadron now In
progress.
NO DATE FIXED
It was developed this afternoon, through
telegraphic correspondence between Sec
rotary Long and Admiral Sicard, that tha