The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-06
OpENING OF HosTILrrrEs.
Cuban Ports BIOckaded and VOIun-
feerN Called for by the President.

Cuban Ports BIOckaded and VoIun-
teers Called for by the President.
Spain, having thus denied the demand Of
the United States, and initiated that COM
plete form OF rupture of relations which at
tends state of war, the executive powers
authorized by the resolution were at once
used by me to meet the enlarged con-
tingency of actual war between sovereign
states. On April % proclaimed blockade
of the north coast of Cuba, including ports
on said coast between Cardenas and Bahia
Honda and the port of Cienfuegos, on the
south coast of Cuba, and on the 2Sd of
April called for volunteers to execute the
purpose of the resolution. By my message
Of April % the Congress was informed of
the situation, and 1 recommended formal
declaration of the existence of a state of
war between the United States and Spain.
Congress accordingly voted on the same
day the act approved April %. 1898, declar-
ing the existence of such war from and in
Guiding the 21st day of April, and re-enact-
ed the provision of the resolution of April
q, directing the President to use all armed
forces of the Nation to carry that act into
effect.
Due notification of the existence of war,
as aforesaid, was given April % by tele-
graph to all the governments with which
the United States maintain relations in or
Ger that their neutrality might be assured
during the war. The various governments
responded with proclamations Of neutrality,
each after it's own methods. 1t is not
among the least gratifying incidents Of the
struggle that the obligations of neutrality
were impartially discharged by all, often
under delicate and difficult circumstances.
In further fulfllment of international
duty 1 issued, April &c. a proclamation an
nouncing the treatment supposed to be ac-
corded to vessels and their cargoes as 20
blockade, contraband, the exercise of the
right of search and the immunity of leu
trail flags and neutral goods under enemy's
flag. A similar proclamation was made ty
the Spanish government In the conduct Of
hostilities the rules of the declaration of
Paris, including abstention from resort to
privateering, have accordingly been OBJ
served by both belligerents although Meth
er was party to that declaration.
our country thus, after an interval of
nall century of peace with all nations,
found itself engaged in deadly conflict with
a foreign enemy Every nerve was Strained
to meet the emergency. The response to the
initial call for 125 900 volunteers was instant
second call of May p for $4,000 additional
volunteers The ranks of the regular army
increased limits nrOViOe0
act of April rs.
THE NAVY AND COAST DEFENSEs.
The enlisted force of the navy on the 18th
day of August, when it reached it's maxi
mum, numbered "a 123 men and apprentices
One hundred and three vessels were added
to the navy by purchase, one was pre-
sented to the government, one leased and
the four vessels of the International Navi-
cation Company-the st. Paul, st. Louis,
New York and Paris-were chartered In
addition to these the revenue cutters and
lighthouse tenders were turned over to the
Navy Department and became temporarily
a part of the auxiliary navy.
The maximum effective fighting force Of
the navy during the war, separated into
classes was as follows: -Four battle ships
or the first class, one battle ship of the
second class, two armored cruisers six
coast defense monitors, one armored ram
twelve protected cruisers, three unprotected
cruisers, eighteen gunboats, one dynamite
vessels of the old navy, including monitors
Auxiliary navy: An auxiliary cruiser, TWEEN
weight converted yachts, twenty-seven
converted tugs, nineteen converted Golfers,
fifteen revenue cutters, four lighthouse ten
ders and nineteen miscellaneous vessels.
Much alarm was felt along our entire At
lant1c Seaboard lest some attack might be
made by the enemy. Every precaution was
taken to prevent possible injury to our
great clIleS lying along the coast. Tenn
porary garrisons were provided drawn from
the state militia; infantry and light bat
teries We're drawn from the volunteer force.
About 1900 troops were thus EMPLOYED
The coast signal service was established
for observing the approach of an enemy's
ships on the United States. and the life
saving and the lighthouse services CO.
operated, which, enabled the Navy Depart
ment to have all portions of the Atlantic
coast from Maine to Texas, under observa-
ton.
The auxiliary navy was created under the
authority of Congress, and was Differed
and manned by the naval militia of the
several States. This organiZa ton patrolled
the coast and performed the duty of a sec
ond arm of defense.
Under the direction of the chief of en-
glneers, submarine mines were placed at
the most exposed points. Before the out
break of the war permanent mining case
mentS and cable galleries had been con-
structed at all important harbors Most of
the torpedo material was not to be found
in the market, and had to be specially
manufactured. Under date of April 10 dis
trict officers were directed to take all pre-
liminary measures short of the actual at
taching of the loaded mines to the cables
and on April Y Geographic orders were
issued to place the loaded mines in position
The aggregate number of mines placed was
LBS at the principal harbors, from Maine
TO California Preparations were also made
for the planting of mines at certain other
harbors, but owing to the early destruction
of the Spanish fleet these mines were not
placed.
PRAISE FOR THE SIGNAL CORPS.
The signal corps was promptly organized,
and performed service of the most difficult
and important character. It's operations
during the war covered the electrical con-
nection Of all coast Notifications, the es-
adjustment of telephone and telagrsphic
facilities for the camps at Manila, Santiago
and in Porto Rico There were constructed
500 miles of line at ten great camps thus fa-
cilitating military movements from those
points in manner heretofore unknown in
military administration. Field telegraph
lines We're established and maintained under
the enemy's fire at Manila. and later the
Manila-H ong-Kong cable was reopened
In Porto Rico cables were reOpEned over
quarters of the commanding officer was
kept in Geographic or telephone commune
cation with the division commanders on four
different lines of operations.
There was placed in Cuban waters a COM
pletely Quilted Sup with war cables and
of communications belonging to the enemy
and the establishment of our own. Two
ocean cables were destroyed under the
enemyS batteries at Santiago. The day
previous to the landing of General Skaters
force at Caimanera, within twenty miles of
the landing place cable communications
We're established and cable station opened,
giving direct communication with the gov
eminent at Washington. This service was
invaluable in directing the operations of the
army and navy. With a total force of over
1890, the loss was bv disease in camp and
field, officers and men. included, only five.
The national defense, under the 5000 900
fund was expended in large part by the
army and navy. and the objects for which
1t was used are fully shown in the reports
20 H. nrrrI f~.rsn- Na~l4