The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-30

modorc' flag on the flagship Brook
lyn exc Monday. The squadron is to
consist of exactly five ships. Those
Of the squadron will be the crack al
mored cruiser Brooklyn. the battle
ships Massachusetts and Texas and
the cruisers Columbia and Minncapo-
lis. Other ships which are. now or
hereafter, at Hampton Roads. will not
be of the flying squadron, but will be
long to the North Atlantic station un-
der Captain Sampson. The flying
squadron is to be a small. compact
feet Of the hest ships il the navy, for
quick service at any point along the
Atlantic.
At the same time the North Allan
tic station, under Captain Sampson. is
to be further augmented. The cruiser
Cincinnati, which left Port Antonio
three days ago under sealed orders, is
to report at Key West and become a
part of Captain Simpsons fleet. The
gunboat Wilmington. also en- route
from Port Antonio, will likewise re-
port to Capt. Sampson at Key West.
as will the gunboat Vicksburg, now at
Hampton Roads. Late to-day the
navy department gave out the follow
ing list Of vessels, as showing the ex-
act character of each fleet:
The following vessels compose the
North Atlantic squadron: New York,
Iowa, Indiana, Miantonomoh. Fern.
Puritan, Terror, Marblehcad. Mont
gomery, Castine, Nashville, Helena,
Wilmington, Vesuvius; torpedo boats,
Footc, Dupont, Ericsson, Gushing,
Porter. Winslow: tugs, Leydcn and
Samosct.
The following vessels compose the
flying squadron: The Brookly N, Mas
sachusetts, Texas, Minneapolis and
Columbia.
Some Of the other important aevel-
opments Of the day may be sum
married. as follows:
acquisitions were made on the
naval ordnance bureau for a large
number Of quick-fre four-poundcr and
six-pounder guns to be mounted on
the revenue cutters and the steam
yachts about to be purchased. The
bureau determined to use the quick
fire guns for these craft which had
been originally intended for the At
lantic liners, st. Paul and St. Louis.
Capt. Bradford, chief of naval equip
ment, completed plans for securing a
naval coaling station in waters south
Of Cuba, and the papers arc now
ready for final action. The station
will not be on Navassa island. as has
been suggested, but is likely to he at
n of the several fine larbors of
Haiti or San Domingo, or else on the
Danish island of St. Thomas, which is
open to purchase from Denmark for Il
considerable sum.
Late to-day the battleship Texas
was ordered from Hampton Roads to
the New York navy yard 60 repair her
machinery for hosting ammunition
and guns. Favorable answers we're
received from the New York naval
militia Of their readiness On short
notice to supply officers and men to
man the sirglc-turret monitors now
called into service.
Orders were issued to-day to have
all the warships painted black, a color
that is better adapted to hostilities
because the vessels will not afford as
good a target.
The navy department was informed
by cablcgram from Lieut.. Colwell,
naval attache to the United States en-
bassy at London, that agents of this
.cvernmca. lad purchased u "Schis-
chau' torpedo boat that had been con-
structed for the German government.
The new acquisition is Of the general
type Of German torpedo boats and is
regarded as a valuable addition 30 orr
navy. One feature regarding her that
affords special qualification to the Off
cials Of the navy department is that
she is now ready for sea. 1t is cx-
pectcd that in a few days she will
leave for the United States. She will
be able to make the journey across
the Atlatic without difficulty, as she
is a good sea-going vessel and her coal
capacity is ample for a trip to this
country. She is a 23-knot vessel and
about $50 feet long. While Of the
same general type Of the Rodgers and
Foo:a of the United States navy, she
is a triae larger. At the navy depart
ment the precise dimensions Of the
new boat could not. be given. The
price paid for her, the navy officers
at this time declined to state, but it
was said to be very reasonable. Work
on the vessel has just been completed,
she never having been in service. She
is supposed to carry three torpedo
tubes and two small! calibrc rapid
fire guns. Nine to twelve men will be
needed to man her.
Word reached the navy department
officials to-day that the Spanish
authorities have taken steps to supple
ment the existing Notifications at San
Juan de Puerto Rico. the main port Of
the island of Puerto Rico. The news
is regarded as significant. Puerto
Rico is the only other possession
which belongs to Spain on this hemi-
sphere beside Cuba. The officials Of
the department. while acknowledging
that information of the above charae-
ter has reached them are very chary
about i=FsT:inS any Of the details to
the press. The city Of Puerto Rico is
fortified after the old style prevalent
in early days, the defense consisting