Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-22
AN IMPORTANT ORDER
Che Monterey to Reinforce DtYsy's
Squadron.
WORLDS MOST FORMIDABLE MONITOR
she Can Herself Safely Defy al the
Batteries at Manila.
GREAT NEWS LOOKED ron
events Of the Highest ImpoFtance
May Occur at Any Moment-Fsn.
Record of the 0regon-BunaIo TO
ne G~erhauIed at Newport News.

WASHINGTON. May 1.-THE news
event Cd the day at the Navy Department
was the dispatch Of an order to the Mon
terey 10 proceed 10 Manila, to reinforce
Admiral Dewey's squadron.
The Monterey is a tower OF strength
en- herself. and her addition to Admiral
Dewey's force. together with the dispatch
o. thousands Of troops to Manila, is am.
pie evidence that the administration has
assumed no half-hearted attitude toward
The Philippine question. and is determined
20 take 10 chance OF dispossession until
such time as the United STATES itself has
arranged for the disposition Of the is
lands
The Monterey is probably The most for
gnidable monitor In the world. vet she
combines with the enormous offensive
and defensive qualities Of the monitor
type seaworthiness that is almost
phenomenal The Monterey IS described
technically as a barbette-turret. low
free0oard monitor Of 400 tons displace-
ment. She is 255 feet long. by 20 feet
beam ana Is feet inches draft. She car
res in two turrets. surrounded by bar-
bettes, two 12-inch and two lO-inch euns
while on her superstructures between the
turrets are mounted six e-pounders. four
l-pounders and two Gatlings.
PROOF AGAINST ALI. MANILA
The turrets are 71-2 inches thick. and
she surrounding barbettes are IA inches
and u1-2 inches of steel. and against
fhis armor all the batteries in Manila
might thunder away without efecting
On entrance,
The Monterey's personnel is 10 officers
sne i72 men, and once she is safely in the
entrance OF Manila harbor nothing in
the Spanish navy would be likely to bulge
her from her post. Her dispatch. there
fore, may have an important bearing upon
the plans Of the Spanish Government
p openly published. OF sending reinforce
snents to Manila.
The only doubt as to the feasibility of
sending the Monterey is her small coal
tapacity She has bunker-room for only
20 tons OF coal. and though more might
b stored on her decks. it is doubtful
whether she could at the utmost carry
more than enough coal to take her 10 |
Honolulu, one third Of the way to the
Il is probable that the Monterey will go |
b convoy. and after exhausting the coal |
that she Will take ON in Honolulu, she
must either be towed about 1000 miles on |
Der trim. or perform the difficult operation
~ coaling at sea.
GREAT NEWS EXPECTED.
The Navy Department gave out no news
!o-day touching the movements Of the
American end Spanish squadrons. in the
,d1hborhood Of Cuba 1t is plain to be
ieen, however. that the officials are ex-
'eeting great events TO occur at any mo-
nent. What they most fear is the ef-
cct that might be produced upon our
'eople by greatly exaggerated and mis-
eading reports from Spanish sources Of
ONE great naval engagement in which
he Soaniards would claim the victory
c Is realized that the first news OF an
Engagement IN the neighborhood of Cuba
n 70 the eastward may reach the United
tates through the Spanish cables via
ladrid, and these are elmost certain.
10 matter what the result may be, TO
lake such a claim for victory for the
panish side as is even now put forth by
he Spaniards in Habana in the case Of
he battle Of Manila bay. Obviously,
ne only manner in which the truth could
e discovered would be through our own
fhclal reports.
PRIDE IN THE OREGON.
The Navy Department rs proud of the
ecord made by the Oregon, from an engi-
eering point Of view. The reports to
he department from the ship show that
be does not need cents worth of repairs
, her machinery, after her 1900 miles
run. The record is said never !
, have been equalled since the building
the first from warship.
The Buffalo. which comes with the
RECON from Brazil, is 10 be overhauled
Newport News. furnished with armor,
ven good battery Of 5-inch guns, and
together made a very effective and
odern cruiser. This will take about
no months.
WITH SAMPSON AT SAN JUAN. ,