Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-30
SAILED FROM SPAIN
Another Fleet of Warships on It's
Way Westward.
CAUSES A RENEWAL OF ACTIVITY
Regarded as Anything But a
Friendly Move.
BOAT COMMANDERS

TORPEDO BOAT COMMANDERS
There was a revival of activity in the
| War and Navy Departments this morning,
| Cue no doubt to the latest advices from
| Spain TO the effect that another powerful
| fleet of Spanish war ships had left there
headed in this direction and presumably
bound for the port of Havana.
The Information of the sailing of the
Spanish fleet was contained in dispatch
to the State Department from United
states Minister Woodford at Madrid. The
Slips sailed this morning from Cartegena,
Spanish naval station on the Mediterra-
mean sea, and according to the ministers
dispatch they were headed westward. This
Is undoubtedly the most formidable array
OF vessels that has departed from Spain
during tine present crisis, and the presupp-
ton generally held by the Navy Depart
nent officials is that they are bound for
Havana, and will be first heard of at the
Canaries. The feet is composed of two
armered cruisers of the second class and
a formidable torpedo boat destroyer The
names of the cruisers are the Infanta
Maria, Teresa, a sister ship to the Viscaya
which visited New York preliminary to her
trip to Havana, where she now is, and the
Cristobal Colon. The former is built of
steel, is 364 feet over all. of 65.2 beam and
has displacement of $3.50 tons, with a
mean draft of PIG. Her speed is put down
at twenty knots an hour. The Cristohal
Colon is 32S feet long and sos beam. She
is $50 tons displacement and has speed
of twenty knots Both cruisers are heavily
armored. The torpedo boat destroyer is a
fsv, s,I.,1x1
400 tons displacement and capable of doing
excellent service in case of emergency.
Naturally there was a disposition to
criticise the action of Spain in this par
ticular. which is regarded as anything but
friendly move.
Callers on the Military Secretaries.
Secretaries Long and Alger were busily
engaged all morning in receiving visitors
and attending to the large amount of bus
mess that is devolving upon them in con-
nection with the emergency preparations.
Among the prominent callers on the mil
itary Secretaries were Senators Proctor,
Eawley, Mason and Bacon, all of whom
are taking a most active interest in the
preparations of the two departments to
put the country on most efficient war
basis.
One of the NEST prominent visitors at
Secretary Ayers Office was General John
NJ. Schofield, who formerly commanded the
army. and who is now en- his way TO New
York city. General Schofield is the pres
ident oil the National Volunteer Reserve
Association of the United States, which is
seeking to enroll in it's rank from 100000
to 100000 men who will be ready to re-
spond to any call that may be made upon
the government in case of war. Another
prominent caller was General Daniel
Slckles who was minister to Madrid at a
former critical period in the relations be-
tween Spain and the United States.
Torpedo Boat Commanders,
In execution of his policy of preparing
the naval service for possible hostile con-
urgency, Secretary Long today detailed off,
GERS to command all the auxiliary torpedo
boats recently added to the naval service
These details are as follows: Lieut. James
NJ. Helm. to command the Hornet; Lieut.
w. H. H. Switzerland, to command the
Eagle; Lieut.. John Hood, late of the Maine,
to command the Hawk; Lieut.. Roger
Welles, jr., to command the Tecumseh
Lieut.. +. r. Brainard. to command the
Cncas; Lieut.. John L. Purcell, to command
the Osceola, Ensign w. K. Gherardi, to
command the Sioux: Ensign w. S. Crossley.
All these officers have been instructed to
report for duty without delay. The vessels
under their command Will form part of the
mosquito fleet, the main purpose Of which
is TO act as an interior line of defense at
the principal harbOrs on the Atlantic and
gulf coasts. AS has been already stated,
this fleet will be in command of Comman-
der Horace Elmer, who is now in New
York arranging for its organization and
distribution into squads at seaboard Cities
Movements of Wnrshipx
There was nothing specially significant In
the movements of naval vessels reported to
the Navy Department today. The gunboat
Annapolis arrived at Key West yesterday
from cruise in the West Indies. Tie
cruiser Montgomery sailed from Key West
yesterday for Norfolk to receive necessary
repairs to her machinery. The battleship
Iowa arrived at TOrtugas yesterday. The
gunboat Bancroft arrived at Bermudas yes
terday on her way from Lisbon to Hamp-
ton Roads. The torpedo boat Somers, pur-
chased in Germany, started from Eibing
for the United States yesterday.
Tug Alice Bought.
the large tug Alice. This boat was pur-
folk this morning for duty. She will be
used as supply steamer for the special
benefit OF the vessels composing the flying
squadron so long as they remain in Hamp-
ton Roads. Her special function will be the
transportation of stores from the Norfolk
navy yard to the vessels anchored in the
Roads. Secretary Long has concluded to
make no change in her name. and she win
| be carried on the naval register as Alice"
offered to the Government.
DR.. w. Seward Webb of Verne mt has
rendered his steam yacht Ell Frida to tn,
United States government, without COM
pensation. for any service she can be put
| to. The Ell Frida is steel yacht of mod
ern construction, and was built by the
| Harlan and Hollingsworth Company at a
cost of $25O.CO0. She is 125 feet long and
% feet beam. with a coal-carrying capacity
Tor cruise of eight days, at speed Of
| fourteen knots. She is now in winter duac-
| tiers in Lake Champlain co,,,d no ,>,,.