The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-05-07
Dewey NEEDS SUPPLIES.
The Government Preparing to Send
Shot, Shell and Reinforce
ment to Manila.
TWO TRANSPORTS ALREADY SECURED.
Dhpatch Boat at Mrs Bsy-The Al
legged Return of the Spanish Squadron
to Cadiz Viewed Asksnce-The Report
ed Tender of the Hawaiian Islands, Etc.

WASHINGTON, May "a sensation
was caused throughout the city by the
news that came yesterday morning of
the arrival of a vessel, supposed to
be the dispatch boat McCulloch, at
Mrs bay, 40 miles from Hong Kong,
the cable terminus. The officials i'm
mediately fell into an air of expectancy
waiting for some word from Commodore
Dewey that would not only confirm
officially the stirring news of the bat
tie of Manila, Is reported by the press,
but telling what had happened since
the cable was interrupted.
Up to the close of office hours no
word had come from Hong Kong, and
the officials who believe that the Nc
Culloch was really in Mrs bay were
put to devising ingenious explanations
of the delay in the receipt of a cable
gram. These touched upon the IL
hours difference in time, the distance
from Mrs bay to Hong Kong, which
had to be overcome by the messenger,
and the slowneSs of cable communica-
ton owing to the number of relays on
the enormously long circuit from Hong
Kong to New York.
Some of the other naval officers. how
ever, who steadfastly contended hat
Admiral Dewey would not have sent
away his dispatch boat until he had
completed his attack and received the
surrender of Manila, pointed out that
if they were right in hat assumption
it would not be possible for the Me-
Culloch to reach Hong Kong before this
evening.
The navy department has now Sc
cured two vessels in San Francisco, the
Australia and Cityo Pekin, which will
be loaded with coal and supplies and
rushed off to join Commodore Dewey's
fleet. Whether or not they will carry
troops will be determined positively
when the commodore is heard from
upon this matter. The navy department
is hurryIng together an exceptionally
large stock of ammunition to go for
ward by the City of Pekin to recruit
the ammunition of Commodore Dew
ey's fleet. The first shipment of pro-
j~ectiles left New York Tuesday, and
additional shipments will be made IN
til the final quota of powder and shot
will be in San Francisco within the
text ten days. There will be a total
Of more than 10000 ~prOjectiles of va
rious caliber and weight. For the -four
big S-inch guns of the Olympia there
will be 500 S-insh steel armOr-piercing
projectiles, weighing about 900 pounds
each. Fol- the 6-inch guns of the
Olympia, Baltimore and Boston and
other ships there will be 1000 steel
projectiles. The other shipments will
include about 10000 1-pound rifle balls.
1000 5-inch shells, 1000 3-pound balls
and 1900 1-pound balls.
The navy department is fortunate in
having laid in an ample stock of pro-
j~eotiles of all weights and sizes, SO
that there will be no delay in getting
a full supply ready for shipment to
Commodore Dewey. The supply of
powder is not so readily obtained, as
powder has been distributed to the
several fleets and ships as fast as it
has come from the powder mills. But,
owing to the emergency in the case of
the Asiatic fleet, powder intended for
other uses will be forwarded to San
Francisco and sent to Commodore
Dewey.
The recent explosions at powder
mills have not crippled the navy de-
partment in securing supplies of pow
der, but they have caused some delay
in filling the orders of the war depart
ment.
Great interest is felt in the reported
return of the Spanish Cape Verde fleet
to Cadiz, but while admitting the pos
sibility of the fast vessels of the Span
ish flying squadron making the pass
age in the five days that the vessels
have been out from st. Vincent, the
naval officers were disposed to regard
with great suspicion news OF this kind
emanating from Portugal, because o.
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.
No new official news has come to
confirm the report from Hawaii that
the islands have been rendered to the
United States for war uses. 1t is said
that if the incoming mail brought the
proposition to San Francisco, it would
scarcely be trusted to the telegraph
there, on account of it's Importance,
but would be forwarded by mail.
Without exception the naval officers
would welcome the possession of
Hawaii as a base for naval operations
in the Pacific; but. it is said. Pres
ident Dole's proposition must be
submitted to congress, so that it will
be for the legislative branch, in the
end to pass upon this offer.
The fine British cruiser Blake left
Gibraltar yesterday, bound straight
for Rio, and it is supposed here that she
goes to observe any engagement that
might threaten between the Oregon
and the Spanish feet.
The nomination, yesterday, of a num-
Der of major-generals and brigadier-
generals is an indication of the purpose
of the president to avail himself of She
full number of troops called for by his
proclamation, and eve to follow the
call by another very soCn, for it is evil
IL 49, Ao- 80 @.