The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-17
FLEET Is FORMIDABLE
STRONGEST AMERICA HAS AS
sEMBLED SINCE THE WAR
Four Battleships and Three Cruisers
Included In the Squadron Off Key
West-Fern Ordered to Havana
While the Montgomery Thus Re-
lieved Will Join the FIeet-This
Move Not Made to Please the
Wishes of the DOns.

WASHINGTON, March 16.-The Fern
sailed for Havana from Key West
this afternoon. She goes to relieve the
Montgomery as home for the officers
engaged in supervising the wrecking
operations in Havana harbor
1t is stated that the Montgomery is
not withdrawn owing to any sugges-
ton from Spanish sources that her
presence is not desired.
1t was the announced intention Of
Secretary Long when the cruiser was
sent to Havana to keep her there only
so long as the Fern should be engaged
in the work of distributing relief
among the sufferers in Eastern Cuba
This task having been finished and
owing to the return of the court of in
quiry from Havana, there being fewer
persons to accommodate, the Fern
which is better equipped than the Mont
gomery to assist in the wrecking oper-
ations, is returned to her position.
Up to the close of office hours, the
navy department, though 1t knew Of
ficially that the court of inquiry had
come over to Key West from Havana,
was not Informed as to the findings or
plans of the court.
The fleet at Key West will be aug
mented within the next day or two by
the arrival of the gunboat Annapolis,
the torpedo boat Foote and the naval
tugs Leyden and Namoset, while the
gunboat Helena is now on her way
from the European station under or
ders to report at Key West. The Hell
ena reported her arrival today at Fun
chal on her way to join the fleet.
Formidable Fleet.
These and the other vessels previous
ly ordered to that point constitute the
largest assemblage of war vessels made
since the demonstration following the
Virginius affair, and considering effec-
tiveness and armament, it is the
strongest assemblage Of ships for other
than review purposes since the war.
The fleet now at Key West and Tor-
tugas is as follows:
Cruisers-New York, Detroit and Marble
head.
Battleships- Massachusetts, Indiana, Iowa
and Texas.
Gunboat-NaShyil,e.
Dispatch Boat-Fern.
Torpedo Boats-Dupont, Cushing, Porter
Winslow and Ericsson.
To these will soon be added the five
vessels now en- route there
In addition to these the Montgom-
cry is at Havana and Is practically q
part of the fleet; the gunboats VIII
mington and Castine and cruiser Gin
cinnati are at Barbados; the New
port at Colon, with the Puritan, New
ark, Amphitrite and other ships of the
North Atlantic squadron at points
along the coast further northward
Meanwhile it appears that there Is a
much larger supply Of vessels at home
available for naval use than was gen
orally supposed Many Of them will
make very efficient cruisers and gun
boats, almost equal to vessels Of the
unprotected cruiser type now in the
navy.
Such vessel is the yacht Mayfiower,
acquired today. She can be transformed
easily, owing to her staunch construc-
ton, into good dispatch boat or a
small cruiser about equal to the Cas-
tine class, although lacking the protec-
tive deck of the latter.
The house committee on naval affairs
discussed the recommendations of the
secretary of the navy today as to in
creases in some branches Of the serv-
ice, but took no important action.