The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-13
OUR ASIATIC SQUADRON
FLEET THAT MAY SOON BE BOM-
harding MANILA CITY.
Plenty of Coal Aboard and Ready to
Dash Across the Sea to the Philip
pines When Ordered.
,coprrlght. 1sss. bz the Assoelatea press,


HONG-KONG. March lion Saturday,
Feb. %, Commodore Dewey, commanding
the United States Asiatic squadron, re-
ceived important advices and orders from
Washington, a consultation of commanding
officers was held and prompt action was
taken to collect the United States squadron
at this port and put it in the highest possi-
bic state of readiness. The United States
cruiser Concord, which had just arrived on
this station, had been sent to Chemulpo,
Corea, to relieve the cruiser Boston, which
had been lying there five months. Both
these ships were ordered to proceed here
with the utmost dispatch.
The question of coaling the fleet in Hong
Kong was serious one. All the coal on
hand in the ports of India, China and the
rest of the far East had been bought up by
the British Admiralty, in anticipation of
trouble with Germany or Russia. The Ger
mans, had, however, secured 900 tons of
Cardiff coal which was being held here for
them. They cabled that day that they
would not need the coal. The paymaster of
the American fleet heard of this and
promptly snapped it up. 1t was just about
enough to fill up the bunkers of the United
States cruisers Olympia and Raleigh ana
the United States gunboat Petrol. This
was got on board in rapid fashion, the
ships coaling all night in some cases. All
repair work on the engines ashore was
stopped and everything was got in readi-
ness to leave i'll a few hours. Since then
the necessary daily expenditure of coal has
been replaced promptly, so that the squad
ron has full bunkers all the time.
When the American commodore cabled for
the Boston and Concord then lying off
Chemulpo, the orders to come here were un-
expected. Yet the two ships were able to
start the next day (Monday, Feb. 2S), and
Friday morning the people of Hong Kong
were astonished to find that they had ar
rived at midnight, having made the run of
over 1900 miles in less than four days and
at an average speed of over fourteen knots
This was a remarkable performance and
the Boston carried off the honorS.
Commodore Deweys five cruisers are
ready to sail in a few hours, and should the
Spanish imbroglio lead to hoStilitieS a dash
across the China sea of seven hundred miles
would put the United States fleet in posses
sion of Manila. Although the Spaniards
have seventeen vessels doing duty in these
waters, most of them are in reality tug
boats of three hundred tons displacement,
with only two modern cruisers of about
three thousand tons. The latter could easily
be handled by the Raleigh or Boston.
AT the close of the last revolution in the
Philippine islands several of the old leaders
sought an asylum in Hong-kong. Prompt
ly on the receipt of the news of the eX-
United States and Spain these men disap-
peared from their old haunts in this city,
and now violent rebellion has broken out
in the provinces near Manila. Immediately
after the receipt os news of the outbreak
the land wires between Manila and Bo-
linoas, where the cable lands from Hong
Kong were cut, which rendered Impossible
the gathering of any reliable news OF az
fairs in Manila. Five days ago report
came that an English telegraph operator
had been shot by the insurgents near Bo-
linoas. The British cruiser Edgar. then
lying at Hong-Kong, was hurriedly dis
patched to investigate the matter. She is
now in Manila, but has not made any re-
port of affairs.
On March the squadron commanded by
Prince henry OF Prussia arrived AFTER III, us
long and VeXatious cruise from Kiel. The
prince flies the flag of rear admiral from
the old battle ship Deutschland, and has
the cruiser GefiOn in company with him.
He has naturally been the subject of IA
great deal of curiosity, and has been much
feted officially and socially. Throughout it
all he has borne himself with such dignity
and good fellowship that those who were
inclined to smile have ended by admiring
him and becoming loud in his praise.
The fleets of all the powers in these
waters are being strengthened enormously.
Closely following the British first-clasS
cruiser Powerful has come the British bat
tie ship Barfleur, with another battle ship,
the Victorious, on her way out. A few days
ago the powerful battle ships of Russia, the
Navami and the Sissorg Valeki arrived in
Hong-Kong and are coaling before proceed
ing to Port Arthur Their great first-class
cruiser, the Rossia, in reply to which Eng
land had to build the Powerful, of slightly
greater tonnage and speed, also arrived in
station few weeks ago. The French are
sending a battle ship and a first-class
cruiser.
All sorts of vague rumors are passing
about as to threatened revolts in the in
terror of China, one of the most substantial
being that the old Black Flags, who were
disbanded after the late war between China
and France, are gathering together to in
dulge in revolt on their own account if
certain old claims Of theirs are not settled
by the imperial government. Reports say
that troops are being massed on both sides
of the Tonquin-China border.