The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-25

abundance OF evidence that definite re-
| suits regarding the Maine disaster and
| the Cuban question in general were
! about TO be reached.
| Among the presidents callers were
| Senators Cockrell, Turpie and Foraker
| General Dan. Siciles, former United
! States minister to Madrid. and Repre-
! sentative William Alden Smith. o!
| Michigan, who has recently returned
| from trip TO Cuba The cali OF Sem
ators Cockrell and Turpie was regarded
| as particularly significant, as they are
representative democrats in the sen
ate and their visit followed that OF Sen
| ator German yesterday 1t was gen
| orally understood that in the present
emergency the president desires patrf-
| otto unity without reference 10 party.
| Secretaries Long and Aiger also con-
| ferred with the president during the
| day. Secretary Long said later that
| the Maine report would probably reach
Washington tomorrow night. II how
| ever, it did not come before s O'Clock
| Thursday evening. Mr.. Long said he
| would probably not receive IL until Fri
| day morning, when IL would be laid
| before the president Immediately. The
| secretary did not think the president
would give the document any consider
| alton at late hour tomorrow night.
| 1t was more probable, he thought, il
Lieutenant Mark arrived a a late
| hour that he would take the report TO
! a hotel for the night.
| There has been no change in the plan
of sending the report to congress early
next week, probably Monday, accom-
panied by a message from the presi-
dent. 1t is definitely settled, however
that the message and the papers ac-
companying it will relate exclusively
TO the Maine disaster. 1t viii not take
! up the fearful condition of affairs in
Cuba, as shown by the reports of Unit
ed States consuls, these being reserved
for subsequent action and a later mes
sage to congress.
PLACING THE MONITORS.
Secretary Long determined today 10
order the double-turreted monitors
Puritan and Terror to Key West,
where they will reinforce the squad
ron in those waters. He also determin-
ed to bring into service the eight single
turreted monitors at League island
navy yard, Philadelphia, two Of which
will be sent to Boston, two to New
York and four held in reserve at Phil
adelphia. The Puritan and Terror take
the place of the 'battleships Massachu-
setts and Texas, recently withdrawn
from the squadron at Key West. 1t
was stated at the navy department,
that this move was in accordance with
a programme previously greed upon,
although this programme has not been
announced heretofore. The Puritan by
many experts is regarded as the most
formidable fighting machine in the
navy.
TO ADD REVENUE CUTTERS TO
THE FLEET
In addition to its other preparations
for possible trouble, the navy depart
fO5o nd ,,til izi
ten of the seagoing revenue cutters
for use along the Atlantic coast. Cap
tain Shoemaker, chief of the revenue
cutter service, conferred with Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt during the day ON
the plans for turning over these cut
ters to the navy. They will be first
sent to Norfolk where additional guns
will be mounted, and then will proceed
to Key West and become a part of
the squadron there. Their main ser
vice, however, will be as naval pickets.
chain of these fleet cutters being
maint aimed outside of the cruisers and
battleships. The revenue cutter SER
vice now has ready for instant and
active service 124 line officers, "A en-
gineers, 900 enlisted men and 19 ves-
sells, of which fourteen are on the At
lantic coast. Two others are ir course
of construction at Cleveland ard With
rush work can be completed and
ready for sea in from thirty to forty
five DAYS. The Manning, the GreS-
ham, the Algonquin, the Onondaga and
the Window are all new, fast and effi-
cient vessels. The Manning is consid
cred an eighteen knot boat. All Of
them, it is said, could be quickly con-
verted into torpedo boats or dynamite
cruisers. Whether this last move will
be made is not definitely decided. Sec
retary Long said today it had become
evident that torpedo boats could not
be bought abroad and could not be
built soon enough in this country, so
that we might have to equip other
craft with tOrpedOeS.
The navy department opened bids TO-
day for extensive improvements at
Dry Tortugas and Key West, formal
transfer having been effected, as re-
CARDS Tortugas, which passes from the
treasury to the war department.. These
consist of two solid steel piers to be
constructed at Dry Tortugas, with two
extensive coal sheds and an elaborate
mechanical equipment for loading
naval vessels with coal. AT Key west
the improvement IS consist OF a steel pier
and two coal sheds, with similar ma
chinery for loading warships with coal.
The bids ranged from 81, 151 900 for the
entire work down to about $400, 900.
Among the bidders for the Dry Tortu-
gas piers and coal sheds was the s. s..
Leonard Company, Jacksonville STA
700. On the Key West work the S. s.
Leonard Company's bid was $18S, 600.
Two bids were made for the entire
work at Tortugas and Key West, as
| follows: r. G. Packard 81 ISL ,000 and
Grartan & Jennings, New York, $797,
600. Other bids were made for the ma
chinery, tracks, coal cars etc, ranging
from $50, 900 down. The award will be
| made within the next day or two.
| NAVAL OFFICERS AT HAVANA TO
BE RECALLED.
The navy department has arranged
| for the practical withdrawal OF all its
naval officers at Havana and the aban-
| donment of the wreck of the ill-fated
| battlestip Maine. Captain G. d. Sigs-
bee, Lieutenant Commander Richard
Wainwright, Surgeon L. g. Heneberg-
er, Paymaster Ray, Chaplain John P.
| Chadwick, Chief Engineer Charles P.