The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-07

the war department today secured a0-
ditiona1 troop ships OF a capacity APP
proximating 5000 men, for the Cuban
army of invasion. This swells the total
number Of available vessels to over
thirty with a carrying capacity Of ear
ly 80, 600 men. The ships secured today
will be sent to Florida ports, chiefly
Tampa, as fast as practicable and pre-
pared for service. The vessels are:
The Commanche, Of the Clyde Line,
now at New York, capacity 1,2OO men;
the Louisiana and the N~ickerbocker, OF
the Cromwell line, one of which is at
New York and the other New Orleans,
capacity 600 men each; the Specialist
and the Unionist be.onying to a for
eIgn line and which before the war
played between Mobile, Ala, and Porto
Rico, estimated to carry 1,00G men each.
They are now at Mobile. The charter
of the last two named vessels is sub
ject to the granting By congress of an
American register for which the assis-
tant secretary will ask that body.
AT the same time, Mr.. Mielklejohn
announced that the Mantea, a small
vessel, now at one of the gulf ports was
ready for service and she will proceed
to Tampa immediately. Her capacity
is 200 men.
The chartering Of the additional ships
at this time, is taken as an indication
u IAiC P1 oAliPlllCSo Will VIZ I'll liz w oil
department proposes ID undertake the
offensive operations against the Span
ish in the West Indies and CT the inten-
ton to carry out the plan indicated by
Secretary Alger in his letter to the
house asking for more mCney to be i'm
mediately available.
SENIOR CAPOTE IN NEW YORK.
New York, June 2.-Domingo Mendez
Capote, the vice president of the Gu
ban republic, arrived in this city 1T
noon today. After going to a hotel,
where he met General Palma, the head
Of the Cuban junta, he visited Cuban
headquarters, where he met a number
of newspaper representatives, with
whom he talked quite freely, Horatio
5. Rubens, the counsel for the junta,
acting as interpreter.
When k what his mission to this
country was, Senior CapOte replied that
before saying anything about tina he
wished to thank the American press
collectively for the stand it had taken
in the behalf of the Cuban insurgents.
stating that the Cuban people and the
government were deeply grateful for
the support given by the American
people, and for the action of this ma
ton in coming to their ppo Con-
tinuing he said:
"Ay 10 IN d punt OUc All
public acts relative to the situation
between the United States and the
Cuban republic will continue, as here
tOfOre, to be conducted by General
Palma. He has the thorough conf
dence of our people, who have a high
appreciation of what he has done.
II do not come here to negotiate any
loan. I come to consult with General
Palma on a matter which does not
| 49,,
| public interest. I have no present in
tention of calling upon President Nc
Kinley, although I probably shall
make a call upon him before I return.
How long I shall remain here I cannot
say at his time, but shall make my
stay as short as possible"
STRENGTH OF THE CUBAN ARMY.
Mr.. Capote holds the position Of
judge advocate general in the insur-
gent army. Questioned as to the
strength of the army, he said:
mot counting those who have re-
Gently joined his forces, Garcia has
about 10000 men under him in the
eastern department at Santiago and
Porto Principe. About $500 of these
men were in the neighborhood of San
tiago when I last received word. All
were fully armed and equipped and it
was the intention to concentrate all
of the force in the eastern portion to
that point.
Il cannot tell definitely how many
men there are in the other provinces.
Gomez has 5000 men in Santa Clara.
Probably 10000 men, all fully armed
and equipped, are in the ranks of the
Cuban army. A large number, prob
ably $1,000, more are armed with
machetes, and there are thousands of
others who have recently left the
towns to join the army because they
could no longer live in the owns.
From Porto Principe alone, 5000 rpen,
women and children have left because
Of the scarcity of provisions, prefer
ring to take their chances in the coun-
try, and further Influenced by the fear
that at the last moment, the Spanish,
forces, driven to despair, will, out Of
revenge, resort to slaughter"
He last saw Gomez in May, at which
time the headquarters of the Cuban
government were at ~Sebastopol, a
town in Porto Principe.
w had complete dispatches from
General Palma" said Mr.. Capote,
keeping US informed of the action of
the United States and the movements
Of the army n navy Lieutenant
Rowan saw Gomez at Ciberga, and had
a conference with him concerning sail
ors and guides to be furnished the in
vading troops from the insurgents
THE CINCINNATI AT THE NAVY
YARD.
Norfolk, Va, June 2.-The The Unit
ed States steamship. Cincinnati ar
rived at Hampton Roads this after
noon and came up to Lamberts Point.
where she anchored for the night. She
will go to the navy yard tomorro"
morning. Her boilers are to be re-
tubed. 1t will take about two weeks
to put her in trim again. h has not
been re-tubed since h went in COM
mission. The Cincinnati is not dam
aged in any way.