The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-23
THE CABINET ALERT.
Continued from First Page.)

poses at the Sandy Hook Proving
grounds.
Pending "a decision on the govern
ment's fiHHl policy, no Overtures OF il-
tinlations have been conveyed 10 the
Spanish government. and there IS no OF
fetal knowledge as to how Spain would
regard a recognition of Cuban lndepeh-
dence, or intervention. The Spanish
Minister, Senior Polo, requested to-day
that a statement he made that reports
attrlbut:ng to him expressions on the
subject of independence We're unWar-
ranted and untrue. Senior PoIo says
he has not discussed this on any other
of the pending questions.
President vrcutt, of the Newport
News Ship Building Company talked
with Secretary Long to-day ON the plans
for the launcnlng of the new battle ship
Kersarge and Kentucky at Newport
News next Thursday. Owing to the
condition of affairs here, Mr.. Long is
not likely to attend the launching, as
Thursday is the day on which the re-
mort of the Court of Inquiry may be re-
ceived. For the same reason many of
the Naval chiefs who had hoped to see
these fine ships glide into the water
will he unable to attend the launching.
\ distinguished party is to leave here.
tomorrow night, however, including
members of the Senate and House Naval
Committees and such Naval officers as
are not pressed by the present emergency
conditions. Mr.. circuit STATED that the
Kearsargc would leave the ways at 10
Il. IN. thursday morning and the Ken
lucky one hour later. Mrs. Herbert
WinSlOw, wife OF lieutenant Commander
IL
daughter of Governor Bradley, the two
ladies who will chr:sten the Kearsargc
and Kentucky, respectively, will reach
Newport News tomorrow. Governor
Bradley and party of 300 Kentuckians
win arrive 1t the same time to do fit.
ting honor to the ship which bears tho
name of their State. After the launch
ing an hour WILL be given to inspecting
the ship yard, Including the work on the
big battle ship Illinois, and later col
latiOn Will he served Mr.. Orcutt speaks
in the highest terms of tine two new
battle Ships, and says that on a pinch
they could he made ready for service
within eight months and possibly less.
The negotiations for the purchase of
ships abroad is going steadily forward,
but there was Il regretable diSappOint-
ment in this connection to-day. The alI-
thOrities had been exceedingly anxious
to get the big torpedo cruiser Tupy,
built for Brazil. She is one of the
most formidable torpedo craft afloat her
size placing her in the cruiser class, while
her torpedo armament gives her the eff
fectiyeness Of torpedo boat and cruiser
combined. 1t was learned positively, to-
day that the Brazilian government
would not part with the Tupy, and this
closes the efforts for one of the best
ships under negotiation.
In a small measure this was offset
by the success of the Navy Department
in securing a trim little narrow-builr
launch, which, though very small, Will
serve as barber torpedo boat. She is
of the same class of craft as the MoxotO,
built for the Brazilian Navy.
The Navy Department was notified
to-day of the arrival of the cruiser Cln-
cinnati ana the gun boats Costine and
Wilmington ut / Ort Antonio, jamaica.
This is about the same distance from
the South shore of Cuba as Key West
is from the north shore. The gun boat
Marietta announced her arrival at Pana-
ma. The Marblehead has gone from
Port Tampa TO Dry Tortugas.
Captain Barker. Naval aide to the Sec
rotary OF the Navy. returned 10 ll1S
desk at the Navy Department. to-day
after a few days absence. He went to
Key West on Il secret mission, the eX-
act nature of which has not been dis
closed. InaSnIIch as he conferred Il
length with Rear Admiral S:card, COM
manding the North Atlantic squadron
and with Captain Sampson, President
of the Naval Court of Inquiry inYcsti-
ga ting 1he cause of the Maine disaster,
there appears to be good reason for the
Inference that his business related to
that affair and its possible consequences.
One of the most active branches Of thu
Navy Department just now is that en-
gagged in the enlistment of recruits for
various positions i'll the service. Yester-
day notice WAS given by advertisement
that recruiting stations would be opened
at a number of cities, mostly on the
coast. To-day. in response to represen-
tatiOns that have come to hand, the
Enlistment Bureau gave mIotice that
IL board of officers would I've detailed to
visit various cities in the vicinity of thl
great lakes where, it is said there are
number of persons who would be willing
to enter the service. Many of them
are Scandanayians who have been at
sea in their native country.