The Anaconda standard., 1898-03-16


One of the boats is building at Hortan
& Hollingsworth's one at the Gas En-
gine and Power company and one at
Wolff & Zwicker's. Portland, Ore.
Not much concern is expressed by Of
ficers of the administration over the re-
ported intention of European govern
ments. at the instigation of Austria, to
intervene between the United States and
Spain in the settlement of the questions
pending between them. So far ii has
been stated that this has taken no Off
cial shape or at least no indications of
such a design has reached the state de-
partment What the attitude of our
government would be If representations
in that line were addressed to it by Eu-
ropean powers, was a question that the
officials actually do not care to answer
in anticipation. The suggestion that the
Spanish government has protested
against the sale by Brazil of the two
cruisers to the United States likewise
fails TO cause any feeling of concern.
the naval officers holding that there can
be no question of the right of the United
States to increase its navy.
Senator Proctor called at the state
department about noon to-day and
spent some time in conference with As
Sistant Secretary Day.
The navigation bureau of the navy
department is receiving reports of the
results of the efforts making at the var
iouS recruiting stations TO OBTAIN men
for the navy. So far, the Columbia is
about 200 men short of her full quota
of 402, but it is hoped that the necessary
men, mostly firemen and coal passers.
can be secured in the course of few
days.
Lieutenant Very, the representative
of the Howell Torpedo company. has
submitted to the war department
proposition to supplement the defenses
of the largest coast ports, such as New
York and Boston, by equipping num-
ber of light draft and steam launches
with torpedo outfits. He urges that by
the full use of this means of defense,
the harbor may be kept open for COM
merce up to the last moment which
would not be the case were reliance
placed on the ordinary fixed mine and
torpedo. These torpedoes have range
of about two miles and start off at
speed of 80 knots. If the boats from
which they are discharged are properly
sheltered, as proposed by Lieutenant
Very, it is believed they would be valu
able adjuncts to the steamers defense.
The government, however, has hereto
fore regarded automobile torpedoes as
proper Instruments for naval use, and
is scarcely disposed to change policies
at this date.
A good deal of encouragement was
created at the navy department to-day
by report from the capitol that ma
jority of the naval affairs committee is
disposed to substitute six battleships
for the three provided for in the pend
ing naval appropriation bill. This num-
Der is supposed to represent about the
normal working capacity of the three
shipbuilding concerns in this country
that are able at present to undertake
the construction of battleships.
The Notifications board began it's ses-
sions to-day in the war department.
The proceedings are guarded zealously
against publication.
The gunboat Annapolis has started
home from the West Indies, leaving Gu
racoa yesterday directly for Kew West
A representative of the Winchester
Arms company was in conference to-
day with General Miles and General
Flagler at the office of the bureau of
ordnance of the army. with a view to
examining various patterns of rifles
made by this concern and of ascertain
ing how speedily these could be fur
nished in large quantities in case of
emergency. Samples Of two of the lat
est patterns of 30-calber rifles, one a
Winchester and the other Lee straight
pull gun, were examined. No contracts
were made. but the conference led to a
full understanding. The representative
of the Winchester company stated that
the present commercial demand par
ticularly that connected with the
Klondil<e excitement, kept the company
at its full capacity. but that govern
ment orders would be filled without a
reference to these private obligations.
The company has a force of 200 men.
and by working 10 hours a day with
several shifts ii is believed that the
government could be supplied with
rifles at a very rapid rate. A large
number of Winchesters could be sup
piled at once.
Bids were opened in the quartermas-
ter's office for transportation of some
artillery batteries that are to man the
fortification works recently completed
The batteries for whose movements
proposals We're received Include the fol-
lowing: Battery L, Fourth artillery,
from Fort McHenry, Md, to Fort Del
aware: Battery /. Fourth artillery,
from Washington Cd. CD barracks, TO
Fort Mott, near Fort Delaware; Bat
terry f. Fourth artillery. from Fortress
Monroe 10 Sheridan's point on the Po-
tomac: Battery !, Second artillery. from
Fort Monroe to Fort Caswell. near the
mouth of the Cape Fear river; Battery
+. First artillery. from Fortress Mon
roe to Tybee Island. Ga; Battery I.
First artillery, from Fortress Monroe
to Fort Morgan, Ala.
Other batteries that are to be moved
as result of recent orders TO man for
tifications, are: Battery c, First artil-
lery, from ST. Augustine to Sullivans
Island, Charleston harbor; Light Bat
terry b, Fourth artillery, from Fort
Riley Kan, TO Jackson barracks. La;
light battery of the Fourth artillery
from Fort Riley to Fort Monroe light
battery of the Fifth artillery from Fort
Riley TO Savannah, Ga: the ligt bat
terry at Fort Sam Houston to Calves
ton: Fifth artillery. two batteries from
Fort Slocum TO Fort Hancock; one baf-
terry from Fort Wadsworth to Fort
Hancock, and one battery from Fort
Hamilton TO Fort Hancock: Second ar
tillery, one battery from Fort Adams
to Long Island Head.
Inspired by the war sentiment pre-
vailng in many parts of the country,
officers of state military organizations
have heer innniring of the war denart-