The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-08
WAR snip FOR HAVANA.
The Montgomery to Be Sent There
and the Fern to Carry Supplies.

The Montgomery to BE Sent There
and the Fern to Carry Supplies.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-The Navy De-
partment announced this afternoon that the
cruiser Montgomery would relieve the dis
patch boat Fern at Havana, and that the
Fern would carry provisions and relief sup
plies to Matanzas and Sagua La Grande.
The decision of the Navy Department was
made known at o'clock. when the follow
ing brief statement was posted by the Bu-
reau of Navigation: 1.-THE Montgomery will
relieve the Fern at Havana. The Fern will
carry provisions to Matanzas and Sagua
La Grande." This conclusion was reached
after conferences between the officials of
the State and Navy Department, and it is
understood to be such an adjustment as will
not lead to further objection by the Spanish
government.
The Fern is a dispatch boat, without
heavy armament or guns, although she be-
loPgS to the navy and is, technically,
naval vessel. AS she comes as near being a
transport as anything in our naval service,
her selection will accord with the Spanish
suggestion that transport or merchant
ship undertake this carriage of relief sup
plies.
The sending of the Montgomery to Ha-
vana is primarily intended to replace the
Fern, which is now at Havana The Mont
gomery is an unarmored cruiser of 2,0S9
tons, with an armament of ten guns The
plans of the Navy Department are to have
the Montgomery start for Havana at once
IN order that the Fern may return to Key
West in time to take on the relief supplies
reaching there next Wednesday. 1t will be
the second visit of the Montgomery to
Cuba, as she has only recently returned
from a trip to Santiago de Cuba and Ma
sanzas.
Captain Crowninshield, chief of the Blu
feau of Navigation, says that no time has
beer fixed for the stay of the Montgomery
at Havana, as the only decision thus far
reached is that she will replace the Fern
there for the present. The Montgomery will
be the first United States war ship at Ha-
vana since the Maine disaster.
1t is not felt at the Navy Department that
the people of the Montgomery are taking
any particular risks in going to Havana at
this time, for it is said that even should
hestilities break out it is the rule Of honora-
bic warfare that they be given safe con-
voy out of the waters of the hostile coun-
try. OF course, General Lee and the men,
bers of the court of inquiry at Havana
would be equally exempt from, molestation.
The personnel of the Montgomery is: Com
mander Converse, Lieutenant Commander
and Executive officer Beld; navigator,
Lieutenant Hutchins; watch officers, Lieut..
Field and Ensigns Steiguer, Spear and Os-
borne; surgeon, DR.. Curtis; paymaster,
Ramsey; Chief Engineer Reeves, Assistant
Engineer Allen. The ship carries a crew of
22S men of all classes.
AS has been stated, the complaint against
sending relief for sufferers to Cuba in war
ships was made through Mr.. Du
Bose. the Spanish charge, but when
the matter was fully explained to him he
freely expressed his entire satisfaction with
the arrangement, and intimated that he
would withdraw his protest. The Fern is
naval Ship but not war ship" her
principal use being in dispatch carrying
and in transportation Of freight from one
navy yard to anotneS. Because of her abil-
ity to handle freight this way, she is un-
doubtedly better adapted than either the
cruiser Montgomery or the gunboat Nash
vile for the transportation of supplies.
These war ships are SO cut up with small
compartments below and so filled with ma
chinery that their freight carrying capaci-
ty is limited practically to a little space on
the upper decks. Secretary Long calculates
t1ldl the supplies winch lelL New 1Ofk sat
urday by steamer for Key West will reach
the latter port Wednesday. No attempt is
made to deny that the attitude of the Span
ish government toward the entry of the
war ships into Cuban ports may be full of
significance, and le91 in the end to trouble.
1t is realized that if it is conceded that
vessels of the United States navy may be,
In times of peace, excluded from Matan-
zas or Sagua, by the same rule they like
wise may be kept out of Havana harbor,
and the administration would thereby not
only be prevented from redeeming it's prom
Use to send another war ship to Havana to
replace the Maine, but would be obliged to
leave American citizens resident in Ha-
vana entirely without protection in case of
need. This possibility is not contemplated
with equanimity by the administration.
Hence the officials will stick to their tech
meal purpose to use "a naval vessel for
the transportation of supplies