The evening times., 1898-05-14
AWAIT THE SPANISH Foe
Contact ,Niaes Arc Placed In
Many American IIafbers.
GANTEENs FOR CAMP BLACK
More Forts to Guard New York.
Sand Works Being Built On
Wards Point. Staten ssia.A. ard
Fortihcatio~s on Gsrdiner's Is
lana-Harr, i.s 2r.y Purchases.

RsSW AOhh. WAY hCiS was hO hSioA
a,ion yesterday of the vigilance of Army
and Navy officers. Charged with the de-
fense OF New York city. and the protec-
ton of Its harbor. They maintained the
standard set on Thursday. when report
came that baytieship and two torpedo
boats. supposedly to be Spanish. had been
sighted Off the New England coast. The
Army building humming with business al
day. and the engineer officers in charge
of the mine fields swsre. in constant COM
munication with the forts at Sandy Hook
and the Narrows.
New York harbor was absolutely closed
again last night and will be pending
further orders from the Wa- Depart
ment. At o'clock yesterday morning
the contact mines which had been placed
in the main channel near Sandy Hook and
at the Narrows were taken up again and
the white buoys. which had been remov-
ed the night before. were repiace,. At 8
o'clock last night Lieut. Robert McGreg
or, of the Engineer Corps replaced the
mines and again took up the white buoys.
Owing to the vigilance of the Safe pa
troll fleet commanded by Lieut.. Com
mander Forshaw. Of the Naval Militia.
no vessel succeeded in passing the patrol
on Thursday night Had any done so.
It certainly would have been blown up.
The contact mines with which the char.
nels is filed are of the Brooks type.
Each mine Is a conical metal case. with
five percussion caps fixed on the apex.
These caps are filed with Il compound
of illuminate of mercury and ground glass
and are sensitive that seven-pound
blow will explode them. Each mine con-
tains seventy-fve pounds Of gun-cotton-
As on Thursday night. double senfries
were posted at all the forts. and the bat
teries with which the electrical mines ir
the harbor are connected were fully man.
ned The big searchlights were also kept
constantly going.
From Southampton. L. l.. and Coney
Island comes news that urgent orders
have been received from the War Depart
ment at all the lighthouses and signal sta
tions along the Long Island coast that a
sharp lookout be kept for hostile vessels
and for signals from the patrol fleet. The
coast guards and life saving crews have
also been ordered 10 keep up a specially
vigorous patrol OF the coast
The news of the sighting of supposed
Spanish fleet on Nantucket was response
bic for great confusion yesterday in the
Quartermasters Department. which is
charged with dispatching the Seventy-first
New York Regiment and the Masachu-
setts troops TO the South. Contradictory
orders were received from Washington al
most every hour at the Army Building.
Finally. after the troops had been all en-
barked on four Ward line transports, and
after the ships had been anchored off Bed
loe's Island. an order came to disembark
them and send them South at once by
rail. This will De done today. The eight
transports ready-the Saratoga. the Vigil
lancia, the Seneca. the City Of Washing
ton. the Cherokee. the Iroquois. the Leo
ME and the cbncho-will sail empty for
Port Tampa -
The condition of the, asrbor patrol lis
still causing a good deal of anxiety to
Rear Admiral Erben. The term for which
the boats at present doing the work were
loaned by the State expires on Monday
night and only the yacht Free Lance and
the monitor Nahani, OF the regular deet.
are in commission.
Ninety-five officers and men of the Ma
val Militia will go to Philadelphia today
10 bring up tine monitor Jason. which Is
to be added to the harhor defenses. Ii
viii be commanded by Lieut.. Beach. who
is now in command of the tug Heath. at
the Willets Point mine fields. The con-
verted yachts Restless, Thespia. Viking
and Aiieen were finally assigned 20 Ad-
miral Erben's fleet yesterday. and he
hopes to have the,:I in commission in a
few days.
Canteens at Camp Black.
Camp Black, Hampstead Plains, L. l..
May 14-Serious consideration has been
given by the officers at headquarters
TO the liquor question as affecting the
men in camp. and 1t has been decided to
open regimental canteens If consistent
with the law.
As the matter has not yet been settled
definitely. none of the officers would con-
sent today to be quoted about it, but pre-
liminary plans will be laid before the
brigade commanders in day or two,
and it will be acted upon as promptly as
possible.
Opposition Is expected from the temper
ance societies. but the advocates of the
scheme are prepared to combat 1t, be-
lieving.. as they do, that the establish
ment of regimental canteens would tend
to the good of the service.
Two or three wooden sheds built near
the lines on the north side Of the camp
are occupied by liquor dealers, who had
done a rushing trade, which the damp,
cold weather has helped TO increase. Col.
William Cary Sanger, provost marshal
has found that the ease with which
strong liquors have been obtained has
caused much intoxication. and he has
Deeu Ill WIFI AIDdHN 10
find out whether these dealers were Oper-
ating within the law. Having found out
that they are. headquarters has determ-
ined to Offset their presence by tablish-
ing canteens within the lines. which will
be under military regulations.
Beer will be sold only at certain hours
and in restricted quantities. Intoxicated
men will not be served. No one will then
be permitted to bring liquor within the
liDoS Thora &c ba 10 nf
liquor in Peekskill camp, but the officers
hope for the welfare of the 5000 men
here that the law will not prevent the es-
of canteens in Camp Black.
Companies A, g, h and II. of the Four
teenth Regiment, were mustered into the
United States volunteer service this af-
ernoon. The ceremony was similar to that
used for the Seventy-first. The companies
were marched to the parade ground. the
roll was called and Capt. Schuyler, U. 8.
A, administered the oath.
Colonel Grant has been straining every
nerve to have his regiment the next to
go to the front He said today he wanted
to get to a warmer climate. but there are
serious reasons also. Officers and men
are impatient for service.
All except about fifty of the recruits re-
ceived uniforms today. A consignment of
equipments was received at camp yester-
day marked 'for the Ninth Regiment"
Colonel Holly. quartermaster. thought
perhaps the Ninth was to be ordered here
from Peekskiil and laid the goods aside.
Orders were received today from Albany
10 turn them over to the Fourteenth, and
this indicates that these Brooklyn boys
will soon start South.
Medical examination has been completed
in the Fourteenth. land Colonel Grant ex-
poets to have another battalion mustered