The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-22
TO REINFORCE DEWEY
WILL PROVE A GREAT ACQUGSl-
TION TO HIM.
NO HALF HEARTED PHILIPPINE POLICY
The Administration will Take no Chances Of
Being Dispossessed Of These
Islands --DiscripiiSn Of
re MontereY.


Washington, May 21.-The new event
of the day at the Navy Department was
the despatch of the order to the Monte
rey to proceed TO Manila to reinforce.
Admiral Dewey's squadron. The Mon
terey is a tower OF strength in herself
and her addition to Admiral Dewey's
force, together with the dispatch of
thousands of troops to Manila, is ample
evidence that the administration has as
sumed no half-hearted attitude toward
the Philippine question: and is deter
mined to take no chance Of disposscssion
until such time as the United States it.
self has arraigned for the disposition of
the islands. The Monterey is probably
the most formidable monitor in the
world, yet she combines with the enor-
nous offensive and defensive qualities
of the monitor type, a seawOrthliness
that is almost phenomenal. The Monte
rey is described technically as a har,la-
rette turret, low, free board monitor Of
1000 displacement She is 256 feet long
by 50 feet beam, IA feet 6 inches draft.
She carries in two turrets surrounded
by barbarettes, two 12-inch and two 10
inch guns, while ON her supeF-stmctdre
between the turrets are mounted six G.
Founders, four l-pounders and two Cat
things.
The turrets are ~ and s inches
thick, and the surrounding barbettes are
HE inches of steel. and against this
armor all the batteries in Manila might
thunder away without affecting an en-
tranee. The Monterey persoaaael s. 20
officers and 1I2 men. and once she is
safely in the entrance of Manila harbor.
nothing in the Spanish navy would be
likely TO bulge her from her post. Her
dispatch, therefore, may have important
bearing upon the plans of the Spanish
government, who so openly published the
sending Of re-inforcements to Manila.
The only doubt as to the feasibility of
sending the Monterey is her small coal
capacity. She has hunkerro0m for only
200 tons of coal, and though more might
be stored on her decks, it is doubtful
whether she could at the utmost carry
more than enough coal to take her to
Honolulu, one-third the way to the
Philippines. 1t is probable that the
Monterey will go in convoy, and after
exhausting the coal that she will take on
in Honolulu, she must either be tOwed
about two thousand miles on her trip,
or perform the difficult operation of coal
ing at sea. The navy department gave
out no news to-day touching the move
ments of the American and Spanish
squadrons in the neighbOrhood Of Cuba.
1t is plain to be seen, however. that The
officials are expecting great events to
occur at any moment. What they most
fear is the effect that might be produced
upon our people by greatly exaggerated
and misleading reports from Spanish
sources, il some great naval engagement
in which the Spaniards would claim the
victory 1t is realized that the first
news of an engagement in the neighbor-
hood of Cuba, or to the eastward. may
reach the United States through the
Spanish cables via Madrid, and these are
almost certain, no matter what the re-
suit may be, to make such Il claim for
victory for the Spanish side, as is even
now put forth by the Spaniards in Ha-
vana, in the ease OF the battle Of Manila
bay. Obviously the only manner in
which the truth could be discovered
would be through our own official re-
ports.
The Navy Department is proud of the
record made by the Oregon from an
engineering point Of view. The reports
to the department from the ship, show
that she does not need five cents worth
of repairs to her machinery, after her
1900 miles Of continuous run. The
record is said never to have been equall-
ed since the building Of the first iron
warship.
The buffalo, which comes with the
Oregon from Brazil, is TO be overnauled
at Newport News. furnished with armor,
given "A good battery of 5-inch guns and
altogether made very effective and
modern cruiser. This will take about
two months.