Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-23
o~uer eo''s Is Tor testing purposes at the
sandy Hook proving-grounds.
NO oVERTURFS TO SPAIN

SANDY Hook proving-grounds.
NO ovERTUREs TO SPAIN
Tending decision on the governments
80" po"cy no overtures or limitations
- oeeh conveyed TO the Spanish Gov
ana there is no official knowl-
M suse as 10 now Spain would regard n
tervention. " -"
Inc Spanish Minister Senior Polo. re-
p"Vs'eu to-day that a statement he made
mat reports attributing "a him evnros-
SONS on the subject Of indenendonce ycro
uhWarranted and untrue. Senior polo saws
ne has not discussed this or anv Other ~
me pending questions.
To-MoRRow's LAUNCHING.
c,i,I. reSident Orcutt, of the Newport News
.',l "u'iulhg Company, talked with Sec
long to-day on the plans for the
iauhcning Of the battleships Kentucky
and kearsarge AZ Newnort Neu,s 49,,
thursday. Owing to the condition OF az
iairs here, Mr.. Long is not likelv to a..
teha the launching, as Thursday is tho
uay on which the report OF the court of
irquiry may be received. For the same
reason many of the naval chiefs who had
u'ped TO see these fine ships glide into
me water will be unable to attend tho
launching '''nu the
distinguished party is TO leave here
tomorrow night. however. Including
members Of the Senate and House Na,,o1
committees, and such naval officials ss
are not pressed by the present emergency
conditions. eO"O'
Mr.. Orcutt stated that the Kearsaree
would leave the ways at 10 A. NJ. Thurs
later. '''0 nun
Mrs Herbert winslow. wife Of LIEN
tenant-Commander Winslow and MIC
christine Bradley, daughter of Governor
bradley, the two ladies who will name
the kearsarge and the Kentucky. re-
SpecuVely, VIII reach Newport News to-
morrow. Governor Bradley and a party
OF 500 KentucKans will arrive at the
same time 10 do fitting honor to the
snip which bears the name Of their State.
After the launching, an hour will be
given to inspecting the ship-yard. in
Guiding the work on the big battleship
Illinois, and later, a collation. will be
served. Mr.. Orcutt speaks in the highest
terms of the two new battleships. and
says that on pinch they could be made
ready for service within eight months,
and possibly, less time.
WE DON'T GET THE TUPY.
The negotiations for the purchase Of
ships abroad is going steadily forward,
but there was a regrettable disappoint-
ment in this connection to-day. The au-
thorties had been exceedingly anxious
TO get the big torpedo-cruiser Tupy, built
for Brazil. She is one of the most formi-
dable torpedo craft afloat, her size
placing her i'm the cruiser class, while
her torpedo armament gives her the ef-
fectiveness of torpedO-boat and cruiser
combined. 1t was learned positively to-
day. however that the Brazilian Gov
ernment would not part with the Tupy,
and this closes the efforts for one of the
best ships under negotiation.
In a small measure this was offset by
the success of the Navy Department in
securing a trim little YarrOw-built launch, |
which. though very small, will serve as
a harbor torpedo-boat. She Is of the |
same class of craft as the MoXito, built |
for the Brazilian navy.
The Navy Department was notified to- |
day Of the arrival Of the cruiser Cincin- |
natl and the gunboats Castine and VIII |
mington at Port Antonio, Jamaica. Thls |
is about the same distance from the south |
shore of Cuba as Key West IS from the |
north shore. The gunboat Marietta an
nounced her arrival at Panama The |
Marblehead has gone from Port Tampa |
to the Dry Tortugas.
BARKER'S MISSION.
Captain Barker, naval aide to the Sec |
retary of the Navy, returned to his |
desk at the Navy Department to-day, |
after few days absence, He went to |
Key West on a secret mission, the exact |
ma ature of which has not been disclosed. |
Inasmuch as he conferred at length with |
Rear Admiral Sicard. commanding the /
North Atlantic squadron, and with Cap
tain Sampson. president Of the naval
court of inquiry investigating the cause
of the Maine disaster, there appears TO
be good reason for the inference that his
business related to that affair and its
possible consequences.
one Of the most active branches of the
Navy Department just now is that en-
gagged in the enlistment Of recruits for
various positions in the service.
Yesterday notice was given by adver-
tisement that recruiting stations would
he opened at number of cities. mostly
on the coast To-day, in response to
that come TO hand, the
enlistment bureau gave notice that
board Of officers would be detailed to
visit various cities in the vicinity of the
great lakes, where, IL is said, there are
numbers of persons who would be willing
to enlist Many of them are Scandina-
yians. who have been to sea before.