The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-14
WAR TIME ACTIVITY.
The Significant Movements of the Battle
ship Oregon.

| Washington, March 12.-While today
was not marked by particularly import
ant events, the history of the week Just
closed will form splendid record of what
can be accomplished by the nation in O
short space of time under The spur of
necessity to provide for the national de-
tense. Beginning with the appropriation
of $50, 900 to be expended by the Presi-
dent without Limitation, there followed
rapidly the placing of orders for enor-
nous quantities of war supplies. the in
stitution of negotiations for the purchase
of ships abroad, the enlistment of men
for the navy, the creation of two adj
ditional regiments of artillery, the COM
missioning of monitors, cruisers and
rams, the manning of new posts along
the seacoasts and finally the re.arrsnge-
ment of the great military departments
| to meet modern conditions in military
practice.
| The sending of the Oregon, now at
Mare Island, away from San Francisco is
an exhibition of the far-sightedness with
which the Secretary of the Navy is OBJ
serving the situation of today. The yes
sells orders are to cruise down the Pacific
coast, touching from time to time at va
rious ports where cable connections ex-
| list, to receive any orders that tho depart
1nent may have to give. In this way it is
expected that she will work as far south
as Valparaiso. Chilli, where she will await
orders. Valparaiso is very much nearer to
| Cuba and to Admiral Sicard's fleet than
Mare Island, while if it should be desired
| to send the ship to the Asiatlc station
| this can be done almost as conveniently
from Valparaiso as from San Francisco.
At Valparaiso, therefore. the Oregon
will be where she can be most usefully
manipulated in case of an emergency.
The President held long conference
| at the White House about moo today with
Secretaries Alger, Long and Gage. 1t is
was the financ es of the nation, subject
which could not be fully treated at the
Cabinet meeting yesterday owing to the
short session. After the conference the
statement was again made, with the en-
phasis that has characterized every ut
constitutional advisers, that up to date the
administration has absolutely no knowl-
edge of the cause of the disaster to the
Maine and it has no report of any kind
FROM the court of inquiry or any one con-
nected with it.
of Naval Buraan Chiefs Fl mr.
it almost impossible to pass Judgment in
Washington upon the fitness for naval
service of vessels that may be offered for
the auxiliary branch of the navy at the
various seaports, so it has been aided in
its work by the creation of special board
which will undertake to visit each of the
ports where ships may DO offered and
make careful inspection of the various
craft. The board will consist of Captain
Rodgers, Lieutenant commander Kelly,
Passed Assistant Eng 7eer Dixson, As
sistant. Naval Constructor Tawresy and
Lieutenant Sargent. Lieutenant Kelly
having been specially charged with the
inspection of merchant vessels suitable
for naval service, will be of great service
as member of the board
The Nashville arrived at Key West to-
day while the Marblehead arrived at
Tampa. The naval officials will not state
the purpose of the Marblehead's visit to
Tampa.
The war talk has had the usual result
of bringing before the War and Naval
departments perfect food of suggestions
and inventions. Many of these are most
remarkable, balloons, flying machines,
kites and the like, centipede- like steam
ers with manifold propellers and torpedoes
of fearful and wo nderful construction
All of them are given attention and re-
ferred to the proper authorities for invest
igation, but not much is expected from
them.
The War Department on Monday will
open bids for one of the largest orders
Of shot and shell for heavy calibre guns
ever given, including armor piercing pro-
jectiles and deck piercing and torpedo
shells. The number and character of
these are as follows:
9S5 twelve-inch deck piercing shells
weighing 1000 pounds each.
1,241 twelve-inch deck piercing shells
weighing 800 pounds each.
481 ten-inch armor piercing shells.
1872 ten-inch armor piercing shot, capped.
149 eight-inoh armor piercing shells.
$50 eight-inch armor piercing shot,
capped.
The projectiles are for the heavy forth
flcation guns now mounted along the sea-
coast. The purchase is not to be made
under the fifty million dollar appropria-
ton, but is in anticipation of the forth
fication bill, which grants S94O, 900 for
reserve supply of projectiles and powder.
AS the making of the heavy projectiles
will take considerable time, the contract
will be let ahead of the passage of the
bill, assurances having been given from
men III Congress that no question would
be raised as to the regularity of this pro-
ceeding. The entire amounts designed to
give all the heavy guns now installed and
those to be put in place during the COM
ING wear full quota of prOjectiles and