The Portland daily press., 1898-03-31
BIG FLEET CDM ING.
spain Gives Another Evidence of Its Desire
for Pence

Wash;ngtons March G0-Ihere were the
usual number of callers at the state,
war and navy departments To-Day. AT
the navy department Secretary Long
was unusually busy in seeing large
number of persons and in conference
with his bureau chiefs. During the
morning Secretary Long also announced
the detail of officers who are to command
the newly acquired tugs and yachts desig-
mated for the auxiliary navy and the pub
lie statement was made that the govern
ment was negotiating for the acqnisit-
ion of the St. Thomas island in the West
Indies for use as coaling station.
A matter that caused a great deal of
excitement was the information from
Minister Woodford at Madrid CT the de-
parture of a Spanish fleet Of three YES
sells. In view of the many peace protes-
tations that have been made by Spain
suoh action was regarded as anything but
friendly move.
The information stated that the ships
sailed from Carthagena, Spanish naval
station on the Mediterranean sea, and
according to the minister's despatch they
were headed westward. This, it is
said, is undoubtedly the most formidable
array Ol V6sS6lS DlltiU Aldc dOPol OOA 1loiii
Spain in this direction during the pres
ent crisis The feet is composed OF two
armored cruisers of the second class, un-
der the convoy of a formidable torpedo
boat destroyer The names of the
cruisers are the Infanta Maria Teresa, o
sister ship to the Visoaya and the Girls
tobal Colon. The former is built OF steel.
is 1854 feet over all, of 65.2 beam, and has
q displacement of $500 tons with mean
draught of 2l.6. Her speed is put down
as slightly over 20 knots an hour. The
Cristobal Colon is 1928 feet long and SO. s
beam. She is of c, $40 tons displacement
and has speed of 20 knots. Both cruisers
are heavily armed. The convoy Of the
vessel, the Destructor, is formidable
ship of her class, of about 400 tons dis
placement and capable of excellent SER
vice.
AS stated repeatedly in these dispatches
the navy department has had in view
the acquisition of q coaling station in
the West Indies.
The government is now without any
coaling station in foreign country OF
any Importance. Ever since the trouble
with Spain has been threatened Capt.
Bradford, the chief of the Bureau of
eouipnent, has been looking over the
field very carefully and has indicated to
Secretary Long several desirable places
in the West Indies, where excellent bar
bOrg exists, which IN MS Juug1nen1 mlghG
be acquired by the government One
of those locations is the Island of St.
Thomas, a Danish possession, where it
is said the facilities for the establish
ment of coaling station are admira-
BILE. Secretary Long has laid the ques
tion before the state department officials
with q view to the acquisition of ST.
Thomas 1t is said at the navy depart
ment today that no purchase of the island
to6 hIyt hat no
gotiatlons are under way.
In execution Of his policy of preparing
the naval service for possible hostile
contingency Secretary Long today de-
| tailed officers to command all the auxili-
ary torpedo boats recently added to the
naval service. These details are as fol-
| lows:
Lieut.. T. James Helmn, to command
the Hornet; Lieut.. W. II. H. Souther-
| land to command the Eagle; Lieut.. John
Hood, late of the Maine, to command the
Hawk; Lieut.. Roger Weller, Jr., to COM
mand the Tecumseh; Lieut.. f. r. Brain
ard, to command the Uncas; Lieut.
John L. burneI to command the Osceola !;
| Ensign w. II. Gherardi, to command the
Sioux; Ensign W. r. Crossley, to COM
mand the Algonquin.
All these officers have been instructed
to report for duty without delay. The
vessels under their commands will form
part of the Mosquito fleet, the main pur-
pose of which is to act as second line
| of defense to the principal harbors on
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.