The record-union., 1898-05-05
Navy Department Securing Vessels
to Take Supplies to Manila.
Great Interest Felt as to the Whereabouts
Of the Spanish Fleet Reported
to Have Returned to
Cadiz.

WASHINGTON, May "A sensa-
ton was caused throughout the city
by the news that came this morning
of the reported arrival of a vessel sup
posed to be the dispatch boat McCul-
loch at Mrs Bay, forty miles from
Hongkong, the cable terminus The
officials Immediately fell into an air of
expectancy, waiting for some word
from Admiral Dewey that would not
only confirm officially the stirring news
of the battle of Manila as reported by
the press, but telling what had hap
pened since the cable was interrupted.
Up to the close of office hours no
word had come from Hongkong. Among
explanations suggested for the delay
were the twelve hours difference in
time, the distance from Mrs Bay to
Hongkong, which had to be overcome
by the messenger and the slowness of
cable communication, owing to the
number of relays on the enormously
long circuit from Hongkong to New
York. Some of the other naval Off
GERS, however, who steadfastly contend
ed that Admiral Dewey would not have
sent away his dispatch boat until he
had completed his dispatch and re-
ceived the surrender of Manila, pointed
out that if they were right in that as
sumption it would not be possible for
the McCulloch to reach Hongkong be-
fore tomorrow evening.
| Great interest is felt in the reported
returning Of the Spanish Cape Verde
| fleet to Cadiz, but, while admitting the
| possibility of the fast vessels of the
! Spanish flying squadron making the
passage in the five days that the YES
sells have been out from st. Vincent,
the naval officers are disposed to re-
gard with suspicion news of this kind
emanating from Portugal, because OF
the recognized sympathy of the Portu-
guese with the Spanish side. 1t would
| be worth a good deal to the Spanish
Admiral commanding the flying squad
ron, supposing he were on his way
across the Atlantic, to throw us off
our guard by having US believe that
he had returned to Spain.
| The Navy Department has now Sc
cured two vessels in San Francisco, the
Australia and the City Of Pekin, which
will be loaded with coal and supplies
and rushed off to join Commodore Dew
ey's fleet. Whether or not they will
carry troops will be determined posi-
/ lively when the Commodore is heard
from on this matter.
| The Navy Department is hurrying to-
gether an exceedingly large stock of
ammunition to go forward by the City
of Pekin to recruit the ammunition of
| Commodore Dewey's fleet The first
shipment of projectiles left New York
yesterday and additional shipments
will be made until the full quota of
powder and shot will be in San Fran
/ cisco within the next few days. There
will be total of more than 10000 pro-
jectiles of various caliber and weight.
For the four big eight-inch guns of the
OLYMPIA there will be 500 light steel
/ armOr- piercing SnellS, weighing dDoul
900 pounds each. For the six-inch
guns of the Olympia, Baltimore ana
Boston and other ships there will be
1 900 steel projectiles. The other ship
ments will include about 10000 six
pound rifle balls, 1000 five-inch shells,
1900 three-pound balls and 5000 one
pound balls.
The Navy Department is fortunate
in having laid in an ample stock of pro-
iectiles of all weights and sizes, so that
there will be no delay in getting full
supply ready for shipment to Commo-
dore Dewey. The supply of powder Is
not so readily obtained, as powder has
been distributed to the several fleets
and ships as fast it has come from the
powder mills. But owing to the emer-
gency in the case of the Asiatic fleet
nowder intended for other uses will be
forwarded to San Francisco and sent
to Commodore Dewey. The recent ex-
pIosions at powder mills have not
crippled the Navy Department in Sc
curing supplies of powder, but they
have caused some delay in filling the
lorders of the War Department.