Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-03-24
SPAIN GETTING ANXIOUS.
Would Know the Reason of Uncle
Sans Elaborate and HastY
Preparations for War.
MAKING CAPITAL WITH EUROPEANS.
Movement of American War ShiPs-The
Most Formidable Aggregation of Fight
Ing Craft Ever Assembled, Except for
Review. in American Waters-Requisi-
lions on the Big Appropriation.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-The main
development in the Spanish situation
yesterday was in connection with the
definite representations submitted by
the Spanish government to the state
department concerning the assembling
OF large fleet of American war ships
at Key West, the war preparations and
the influence which these might have
on the approaching elections in Cuba.
While these representations cannot
properly be regarded as d protest
against the attitude and acts of the
United States government, they may
unGuestionably be set down as a re-
monstrance calculated to have an eff
feet in European court circles. Not,
however, being technical protest, the
statement has not called forth any Off
cial rejoinder on the part of the state
department. for it is lacking in tangi-
bic accusations, being rather an argu-
mentative presentation of alleged Span
ish grievances.
The Fern sailed for Havana from
Key West yesterday afternoon. She
goes to relieve the Montgomery as
home for the officers engaged in super
vising the wrecking operations in Ha-
vana harbor. 1t is stated unequivocally
that the Montgomery is not withdrawn
owing to any suggestion from Spanish
sources that her presence is not de-
sired. 1t was the announced in
tention of Secretary Long when the
cruiser was sent to Havana to
keep her there only so long as the Fern
should be engaged in the work of dis
tributing relief among the sufferers in
u, = l. L,
performed and, owing to the return of
the court of inquiry from Havana,
there being fewer persons to accommo-
date, the Fern, which is better equipped
than the Montgomery to assist in the
wrecking work, is returned to her posi-
ton.
Up to the close of office hours the
navy department though it knew Off
cially 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 craft
as the late Mr.. Ogden Goelet's yacht
Mayfower 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 ironclads
and more expensive vessels in opera
tions against torpedo boats. a large
number of private yachts have been Of
fered to the department, and other
acquisitions of the same type as the
Mayfower may be expected.
The fleet at Key West will be aug
mented within the next day or two by
the arrival of the gunboat Annapolis,
the torpedo boat Foote and the naval
tugs Leyden and Samoset, while the
gunboat Helena is now on the way
from the European station under Or
ders to report at Key West.
The Helena reported her arrival yes
tcrday at Funchal, on her way to join
the fleet. These and the other vessels
previously ordered to that point consti-
tute the largest assemblage of war YES
sells made since the demonstration fol-
lowing the Virginius affair, and con-
sidering effectiveness and armament it
is the strongest assemblage of ships,
for other than review purposes since
the war.
The fleet now at Key West and Tor
tugas is as follows: Cruiser New York,
battleship Massachusetts, battleship
Indiana, battleship Iowa, battleship
Texas, cruiser Detroit, gunboat Nash
vile, cruiser Marblehead, dispatch
boat Fern, torpedo boats Dupont, Cush-
ing, Porter, Winslow and Ericsson.
To these will soon be added the five
vessels now en- route there. In addi-
tion to these the Montgomery is at Ha-
yana and is practically part of the
fleet; the gunboats Wilmington and
Castine and cruiser Cincinnati are at
Barbados; the Newport at Colon,
with the Puritan, Newark, Amphitrite
and other ships of the North Atlantic
squadron at places along the coast fur
Their northward.
In point of ships, the fleet under Rear
Admiral Case. on January 3, 1874, fol-
lowing the Nirginius affair, was con-
siderably larger, as follows: Franklin,
80 guns; Wabash, As guns, Colorado, 46
guns; Lancaster, 30 guns; Brooklyn, 20
guns; Congress, 10 guns: Worcester, Is
guns; Alaska, II guns; Ticonderoga, IL
guns; Canandaigua, u guns; Shenan-
doah, IL guns; Juanita, eight guns; Os-
sippee, eight guns; Wauchusette, six
guns; Powhattan, II guns; Wyoming
six guns; Kansas, three guns; Shaw
NUT, three guns; Saugus, two guns,
Mahopac, two guns; Manhattan, two
guns; Ajax, two guns, Canonicus, two
guns; Dictator, two guns; Dispatch,
four guns; Pinta, two guns; Fortune,
two guns; Mayfower, two guns; Iris,
two guns and Yuma, two guns.
Although formidable in its day, this
aggregation was made up of old-style
wooden ships, monitors which had gone
through the civil war and every availa-
BILE craft that could bear guns. Com
pared with the modern battleships and
cruisers of the new navy, it was insig-
nifcant in tonnage and general effec-
tiveness. 1t is noteworthy, however,
that this formidable gathering of ships
was at the same place as the present
gathering and during a critical time
with Spain, and that it did not eventu-
ate in war.
Secretary Alger has made requisition
on the president for two large allot-
ments from the appropriation of $50
00O,0O0for the national defense. One is
for s., 100000 for the use of the engineer
department of the army in the compile
ton of certain fortifcation works along
the Atlantic and gulf coasts now in
progress, and the other is for s., 225,-
600 for the use of the ordnance depart
:2ent of the army in the requirement
of arms and ammunition. Pretty much
all of this money is needed to cover
contracts already made by the military
establishment.
OFFICERS Dis 9pOiNTEo