The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-02-28
All the Naval Vessels Of
the Station to Be Kept
on Duty.
Cruiser Baltimore and Gunboat
T.: Bennington Will Remain in
s. Hawaiian Waters to Pro-
r. teCt the Islands.

. NEW YORK, Feb. pa Washing
ton special to the Herald says: Fear
ing in the event of hostilities that an
armored cruiser might be sent to the
Pacific Ocean to attack the Pacific
ports of the United States the Navy
Department proposes to keep on that
coast the force of naval vessels now
stationed there. 1t is recognized by
the department officials that the
strength of the North Atlantic squad
ron would be greatly increased by at
taching the battleship Oregon to Rear
Admiral: Sicards command, but they
appreciate the danger of leaving the
Pacific Coast without a vessel of this
class. just as they appreciated the i'm
portance of defending the ports of the
Atlantic coast by vessels of the mont
tor: type. There are now stationed on
the Pacific Coast the Oregon, coast de-
tense. vessels Monterey and Monad-
mock and the training ship Adams.
The Oregon; which is at Puget Sound,
will be ordered to leave that port and
proceed to San Francisco harbor, and
her place in northern waters will
be probably taken by the Monterey.
The department recently directed
that the Monadnock be laid in reserve.
but these orders have not been carried
out. and she will probably be sent to
San Diego. Besides these ships the
department has at Honolulu thecruis-
ere Baltimore and gunboat Benning-
ton. Ne orders have been issued for
the return of these vessels, and in view
Of hn A.
administration to bring those islands
within American jurisdiction, it is ap-
preciated that Spain would probably
attempt to do as much damage as pos
sfble TO Honolulu. The department
plans contemplate, therefore, the re-
tention of these two ships in Hawaiian
waters. The cruiser Alert and gun
boat Marietta are in Nicaraguan and
Guatemalan waters, respectively
These ships will in case of trouble be
ordered to proceed to San Francisco
and TO hold themselves there ready
active service. The department does
not anticipate that Spain will send a
fleet TO the Pacific Coast in case OF
war. but there is some expectation
that a detached armored cruiser will
be ordered around to the Pacific to
make a demonstration there with a
view to compelling the United States
tC.s strengthen the naval force there.
There is reason to believe, however.
that the department hopes to check
mate any such plan by a little diver
sion of its own
9 :0ne of the objects of the department
In securing sufficient men to place the
cruisers Columbia and MINNEAPOLIS in
commission is to attach them to Rear
Admiral Sicard's command at Key
west. With these vessels in southern
waters 1t will be an easy matter to
nave them Joined by the cruisers New
j ork and Brooklyn and to send them
10 spanish waters in order to make a
demonstration upon one of the ports
or Spain, probably Cadiz. The depart
ment does not anticipate, Of course.
that this flying squadron would be able
TO take Cadiz, or any other fortified
town, but it is appreciated by naval
tactlcians that Spain of necessity will
have to keep force at home to pro-
tect her own ports. She will also be
compelled TO REINFORCE her Cuban
squadron. The result will be that she
will in all probability find it desirable
to divide her forces, which will give
this Government greater advantage
over the Spanish forces than is now evil
dent
The authorities say that the Column
bla, Minnesota, Brooklyn and New
York will be the ideal ships to form a.
flying squadron. The Columbia and
Minneapolis have a bunker capacity of
1870 tons of coal each, the Brooklyn 1850
and the New York 1890 Their steaming
radius is sufficiently large to enable
them to carry out the programme con-
tenplated by the department, and so
far as obtaining coal on the other side
Is concerned the authorities point out
that although coal was a contraband
or war during the rebellion a ship of
the Union had no difficulty in getting
from English merchants all it wanted.
NO trouble is anticipated in the event
or war in the future in case an Amer
lean man-of-war should run out of coal
on a European station.
Inc monitor Puritan, which as stated
in the Herald this morning. will he re-
tanned near Hampton Roads to defend
Baltimore, Washington; Norfolk and
Richmond, will have her repairs com
pleted the first of next week. She now
has a part Of her crew, and Lieuten-
ant-Commander J. NJ. Hawley is pre-
pairing detail of men who will be as
signed 70 fill vacancies now existing on
board ship. AS to showing plans of
the department with respect to the pro-
lection of the Atlantic coast this ex-
tract. taken from the report of the
Bunce board which met last fall is of
especial interest at this time:
ION the Atlantic coast the positions
most likely to be sought by an enemy
are Massachusetts Bay, Long Island
Sound, New York and Chesapeake bays.
The positions strategically important
for naval defense and which should be
strongly held are the harbors and
their approaches, which are at Port
land, Me, and Provincetown, Mass,
the eastern entrance to Long Island
Sound, and Sandy Hook at the en-
trance to New York Bay. and Cape
Henry Channel at the entrance to
Chesapeake Bay. The entrance to
Delaware Bay and to Port Royal
Sound, s. c.. should also be secure
from occupancy. On the Gulf coast
an attack will be through Florida or
Yucatan channels, and the natural de-
Tense will be on line from Tortugas to