The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
TWO SHIPS READY TO co.
NoLONGER DENIED rHATTREMxIwu
AND DETROIT AWAITLEE'S WoRDs

Only One, Probably the Dotroit. wan NJ s,us
In the Event or n Serious 0utbrsaH In Nh.
vsna-wnshinEton Prepared rs- nv outh-..s,
That win ne the p.E,spisa or me s.a
WARRINGTON. Jan. 15.-It tsh now frseFv
admitted In official circles tI.t tho bee
tleship Maine and tho cruiser Detroit ars
being held at Key West ready for departure
for Havana. Only ono Of those vessels win
DO sent in the event of further trouble
and It was said at tho Navy Department that
1t had not been determined which would DO do
tailed for tho duty. Capt. Charles ID. Sigsbea
commanding the Maine. the senior Officer e
Key West, Is conducting all teIeeraphio GORE
spondence with tho naval authoritieH and dis.
erection will probably be given him. II the prus-
ence of a warship in Cuban waters Is deemed
necessary by Gen. Lee. to send either the Maine
or tho Detroit. It is likely that tho crriscr
would be selected.
Although the official news received from
Havana to-day was ,,of a character 10 qufst
apprehension, the President and the Stntp
and Navy departments appreciate, the Rrsv-i
lily OF the situation. and are prepared
TO hear at any moment of q concerted ouh
break that will bring tho Cuban trouble
to a head. Consul.Gc General Leo has kept the
foreign Office of the Government fully In
formed Of what has been going on In the Cuban
capital and Of tho condition of feeling there.
but In the opinion Of the officials he has taken
a course Of extreme conservatism in advisfnh
against the presence Of q warship at Havann.
This policy of the Consul Generals. it 10 b.
ieved. Ia due to his feeling that tho arrival q
an American cruiser or battleship In Havana
harbor would infiame the suppressed enmitS
toward the United States and result In attacks
on the lives and property of Americans. Unt1
he is absolutely satisfied that the discordant ele-
ment cannot be controlled, he win not call for
the protection Of a man-of.war At the first
sign Of q general uprising, Gen. Lee will Gable
the State Department u request for O shin. ana
he will get It with despatch.
In q message received here last night ponA
what longer than most of his official bulIutina
Gen. Lee gave an explanation OF the situation.
He said that while everything was quiet, theru
was much excitement which might culminato
In serious disturbance at any time. Just bo-
fore noon to-day another MESA GO came FROM
the Consul-General. It contained merely the
laconic news: Everything tranquil" Moth
ing additional had been heard from him WHOM
the State Department closed for the day at 4
o'clock. "
Opinion among those officials Of tho Admin
i~stration who have knowledge Of all the infov
nation in the possession Of tho State Depart
mcht ID prdcuCauy UNANIMOUS tnnb the rt0tof0
have not been suppressed. Some Of them, In
fact the greater number. believe that Blancoig
powerless to put down the turbulent spirits
who are melting the ~loyalists of Havana to vfo-
lence. He is In a house divided against itself,
with common enemy at its doors, ready %
take advantage of any serious clash.
Blanco has not even his own troops to depend
onstration against the autonomist Govern
ment, and some of these very ofRcers have
been the leaders of the mobs that attacked
the ofiices OF the autonomist netyspapeIhs
Low. then, It Is argued. can Blanco ave any
confidence In his ability to suppress stch els-
It was pointed out to. day that no menfion
has been made in the press dispatches aboue
the arrest of any Spanish officers. This Wa1
construed to mean that Blanco fears that an
uprising Of the troops would follow such o
course. A Madrid despatch says that the ON
GERS implicated In the Havana DEMONSTRATION
you'd undoubtediy:be ourt.martialled Should
Blanco obey, instructions to that effect there
would probably be more mass meetings Of the
larger scale. The Havana Volunteers, stiil ehnf-
ing over Weyler's overthrow, and hating an
tonomy to the core, would undoubtedly Lake
part in the disorder as q body. And II they
d. 10 2; :ai Al. an o ,ah; 4 to-day .taho end Of spains
Bad weather kept the three ships Of the North
Atlantic squadron from sailing from Hampton
Roads TODAY. ADMIRAL Sicard telegraphed III
Navy Department that they would leave ct 10
o'clock tomorrow morning. The hattleahtp
Massachusetts which left the Brooklyn Navy
Yard yesterday, will probably join the squadron
ship Texas. Which left Norfolki Of aIa 3 O'clock Til
afternoon, win await the other vesselS'oR tie
Virginia capes.