Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-17

OpmentS or Yesterday Were in
Connection With Representations
Made by the Spanish Minister.
The Fern Goes to Havana to Re-
ieve the Montgomery.
Washington, March 16-The main
Development in the Spanish situation
to-day was in connection with the
finite representations submitted by
tRo spanish government to the State
Department. concerning the assembling
IF large fleet of American warships
81 Key West, the war preparations in
the United States and the influence
which these might have on the an
preaching elections in Cuba.
These representations were exactly
n line with the semi-official utterance
given in these dispatches last night
and accredited to high official CON
yersant with the view Of the Spanish
cabinet. While these representations
can not properly be regarded as a
protest against the attitude and acts
Of the United States government, they
may unquestionably be set down as
rcmonstrance calculated to have an
effect in European court circles Not,
however, being a technical protest.
the statement has not called forth any
official rejoinder on the part of the
State Department, for it is lacking in
tangible accusations. being rather an
argumentative presentation of alleged
Spanish grievances.
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
barbor
1t is stated unequivocany that the
Montgomery il not withdrawn owing
to any suggestion from Spanish
sources that her presence is not de
sired It 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 en-
gagged in the work of distributing re-
lief among the sufferers in Eastern
Cuba This task having been per-
formed and owing to the return of the
court Of inquiry from Havana there
being fewer persons to accommodate
the Fern, which is better equipped than
the Montgomery to assist in the wreck
Ing operations, is
RETURNED TO HER POSITION.
Up to the close OF Office hours the
Navy Department, though it knew Of
fcially 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
1t is said that the object of the navy
department in purchasing such crafts
as the late Mr. Ogden Goelet's yacht
)IayAower is to provide as quickly as
possible a number of picket boats of
good speed and seagoing ability to act
as scouts, and also to aid our iron
clads and more expensive vessels in
operations against torpedo boats. A
large number Of private yachts have
been offered to the department, and
other acquisitions of the same type as
the Mayhower may be expected.
The fleet at Key west and Tortugas
Is as follows:
CRUISER NEW YORK.
BATTLESHIP MASSACHUSETTS
BATTLESHIP INDIANA.
BATTLESHIP IOWA.
BATTL ESHTP TEXAS.
CRUISER DETROIT.
GrNBOAT NASHVILLE.
CRUISER MARBLEHEAD.
DISPATCH BOAT FERN.
TORPEDO BOAT DUPONT.
TORPEDO BOAT CUSHING.
TORPEDO BOAT PORTER.
TORPEDO BOAT WINSLOW.
TORPEDO BOAT ERICSSON.
To these will soon be added the five
- ubN tu ltuNS lHelV. III duoA-
ZION to these, the Montgomery is at
Havana and is practically a part OF
the feet; the gunboats Wilmington
and Castine and cruiser Cincinnati are
az Barbados the Newport at Colon.
with the Puritan, Newark, Amphitrite
ana other ships of the North Atlantic
squadron at points along the coast
uuther northward
IN point of ships, the fleet under
Hear Admiral Case on January 3, 1874,
following the Virginius affair, was con-
SIderably larger, as follows:
franklin, SO guns; Wabash, As guns;
dorado, As guns; Lancaster, % guns;
hioo6lyn, 20 guns Congress, 16 guns;
Worcester, IS guns; Alaska. II guns;
'leonderoga, II guns; Canandiagua, 10
SUMS shenandoah, / guns; Juniata, s
SUBS, 0ssippee, s guns; Wauchusetts,
e1ns; Powhatan. Il guns; Wyoming.
suns; Kansas, guns; Shawmut,
guns; Saugus, guns; Mahopac,
Suns; Ajax. 2 guns; Canonicus, ?
GUNS; Dictator. 2 guns; Despatch,
SUNS, Piuta. guns; Fortune, ? guns;
4y10wer, guns; Iris, guns; and