The evening times., 1898-10-15

quired most watchful guarding. on ac-
/ count of the many Spanish emissaries in
the country. As the men enlisted for
| the war became sufficiently drilled, some
| of them were distributed among the va
[ rious marine guards on board ship, re-
! lieving older men for positions as non
! commissioned officers at the different
| posts. In addition to the men required
| at the navy yards, guards composed of
selected men were ordered to be estab-
| hshed at the magazines at Norfolk and
| Philadelphia, as attempts had been made
| by Spanish spies to blow them up.
This act of May provided for a num-
| ber of additional officers for service dur
| ing the war, to be appointed from civil
| i1fe and from worthy noncommissioned
| ofhcers of the corps. Under the act, 40
; second lieutenants were appointed from
! civil life and from noncommissiOned
| officers. These officers were very much
| needed, as there were but four line OFF,
| GERS on shore for service at all the East
! ern points before the act was passed.
The newly appointed officers were hur-
riedly drilled and otherwise prepared for
duty as rapidly as possible, and distri-
| buted among the auxiliary cruisers, the
various posts, and the First Marine Bat
TALON.
"a bill is now pending in Congress TO
reorganize and increase the efficiency OF
the marine corps, which provides for
number OF additional officers, certain
number of which shall be appointed as
now provided by law, and certain por-
tion selected from officers who were ap-
pointed from civil life and served DUNG
the war, and from worthy noncomnais-
stoned officers of the corps. Many of the
second lieutenants who have been ap-
pointed for temporary service would
make excellent officers for the permanent
establishment, and will be elegible for ap-
pontment in case the bill referred to be-
comes a law.
Lawlessncss mt Key West.
In accordance with the order of the
Secretary of the Navy on account of the
lawlessness at Key West OF vicious per-
sons congregating there as a result of
the war, a number of men having been
shot by desperate characters, detach-
ment, under command of Second Lieut..
Henry G. Davis, consisting of two commits
stoned officers and fifty enlisted men, We're
sent from Washington TO the naval base,
Key West, Fla, for duty at that station.
Capt. II. K. White was detached from
the marine battalion before Il sailed for
Cuba and placed in command. Previous
to the arrival of this detachment. COM
pany of men from the battalion had been
tachment sent TO Key West was fully
equipped for field service, and complete
supply of camp equipage was shipped for
the use of the men. a vacant building,
formerly used a cigar factory. was
hired and fitted up in comfortable man
ner for the use of the command. This
gard remained at Key West and rendered
efficient service until after the cessation
of hostilities
THE department having decided to
bring the Spanish prisoners captured in
the naval battle of July 5 off Santiago to
the navy yard Portsmouth, y. H. for
Imprisonment, camp was established at
the upper point of Seaveys Island. very
picturesque location on the banks of the
river. overlooking many of the surround
ing summer resorts, and quarters and
other necessary buildings were erected by
order of the Department for the use CT
the prisoners. Also a barracks. mess
| room. commanding officers and officer of
the days offices. kitchen and guardhcuse
at main gate were erected for one COM
pany. which was posted at the camp dur
ing the time the prisoners We're confined.
The camp was inclosed by high board
fence, and outside of that. at a distance
of twenty feet, by a high barbed-wire
fence. The prisoners confined here num-
bered twenty officers and / Col men.
Gatiing Guns on Guard.
-Four Gatling guns We're placed in po-
sition on the hill overlooking the camp,
and kept ready at all times, and two 9TH
ers were placed at the bridges leading
from the navy yard at Seaveys Island.
Galleries and sentry boxes were built on
the outside of the fence. giving the SEN
/ tinels view of the interior of the stock
ade at all times An officer was detailed
as officer of the day. one as officer of the
guard, and one inside the prisoners in
closure, and all arrangements were made
to insure the security OF the prisoners.
When these prisoners We're landed
they were dirty, many with scarcely any
clothing, some in feeble condition, and
a number of them wounded. The first
night they were on shore il was very cold
but il was 50 late when they landed that
1t impossible to provide them with
proper clothing. Not being accustomed
to the climate, they were somewhat un-
comfortable, although they had an eX-
cellent meal that night provided by Pay
master J. p. Loomis, commissary. The
next day they were supplied with suffi-
cient warm clothing and bedding through
the earnest efforts of Paymaster Loomis,
and when left their condition had very
much improved.
For some time after the establish
ment of the new navy It was a question
whether not it would be advisable to
station marines at the rapid-fire and sec
ondary batteries. l maintained that the
men of the corps could do this work
and do ii well. as the marines are thor
oughly trained as sharpshooters. and it
has been demonstrated that good
marksman with the rifle is a good gum
ner, and, Furthermore, many of the men
are thoroughly drilled at the small guns
before going on board ship I accord
ingly urged that the marines should be
given a trial at these guns After due
consideration the department accepted
my suggestion. and included in the regu-
latlons orders to station them at the sec
ondary batteries and rapd-fire guns
Marines Made Good shots
BY the reports received after the bat
tie of the Sd of July. when the Spanish
fleet off Santiago was annihilated, and
the reports of the Spanish officers who
were on board these ships, 1t was shown
that the greatest damage on the enemy's
vessels resulted from the first of the sec
ondary batteries and the rapid-fire guns
this fire being so effective that the enc
my was driven from their guns As
great number of these guns on the ships
engaged were manned by marines I feel
safe in asserting that the Department
did not make mistake when it directed
that the small guns should be manned by
marines. 1 have received reports from
many commanding officers of marine
guards of ships which took a prominent
part in this action, indorsed very favor
ably by the commanding officers of the
vessels, showing the stations and SER