The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-20
FILLED WITH WARSHIPS
RARE SCENE IN THE HARBOR AT
FORT MONROE
Fifty-Seven Vessels of the Fighting
Type Have Been Ordered There,
and the Number VIII Be Increased
to Unde-
cided as to What Ships VIII Go
to Havana, San Juan, Etc.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.-One of the
largest fleets of warships ever assem-
bled in an American port will be
brought together within the next few
days at Fort Monroe. Already fifty
seven warships are under orders to rem
devious there, and the orders still to
be issued will raise the total to the
neighborhood Of seventy. Naval off,
cials say it Is difficult to realize the
extent Of such marine aggregation
in one harbor. The orders began is
suing last Monday, when five ships
were ordered to Fort Monroe. On the
18th another ship was added. On the
18th eight more were sent, and on the
18th seventeen ships were added To-
days orders include eighteen more
ships. Before the orders began issu-
ing there were eight warships at Fort
Monroe, so that the total up to date
is f1fty-seven. Those included in to-
days orders are the Newport, Rodgers,
Lebanon, Wampatuck, Omorris, Grim,
Lancaster, Machias, Osceola, Peoria,
Massassoit, Sioux, Cheyenne, Waban,
Chickasaw, Helen, Detroit and Yank-
ton. These and the Ships previously or
dered are mainly small craft, although
there are number of large cruisers
and gunboats, including the San Fran
cisco, Helena, Detroit, Topeka, Mari
eta and Castine. The movement Of
these ships northward is due to the
close Of the hostilities and more par
ticularly to the desire to get the ships
away from points Of possible fever in
lection. They will now be put in thor
ough repair, and their crews will be
gradually changed from naval militia
men to sailors of the regular navy.
The navy department has not yet de-
termined what ships will go to Havana,
San Juan and other points Of Cuba and
Porto Rico There is felt to be no hur-
ry about this until the authority uf
the United States is fully esta blished
throughout the islands In the mean
time the matter of policing the shore
points is being considered and, in due
time, number Of the light draught
auxiliary craft and some of the single
turreted monitors will be used for this
coast patrol. 1t is found, however, that
only four Of the old monitors of the
Civil war are fit for this service in
Southern waters. AS many naval ves-
sells will be centered about the West
Indies from this time forward, the
navy department will send the new
floating dock, recently bought in New
York, down the coast to Pensacola,
Fla, where it will be kept for docking
the warships. At that point, also, there
are good naval workshops to be work
ed in conjunction with the floating
dock. The dock is now being coppered
and will be towed to Pensacola as soon
as the September gales are over.
DEVELOPMENT AWAITED.
There Were few developments Of i'm
portaEce in the postwar situation to-
Gay. The authorities are still waiting
for Gen. Merritt's report on the list Of
casualties, and the state, war and navy
departments are interested in knowing
the exact terms on which Manila was
Observation-Disclosures the city alone, OF
ii all the Philippines were included. 1t
vas stated by officials that nothing ad-
ditional on this point had been
received up to the close Of
office hours today. The efforts to
restore the Manila cable continue, but
they have not proved successful thus
far. The claims made in Madrid that
the protocol and not the capitulation
controls the status of affairs in the
Philippines will not be discussed by
state department officials. The Madrid
discussion is looked upon as rather
academic, as it is taken for granted
that claims will be made on both sides,
and that the Paris tribunal will be the
final arbiter of the case.
Neither the state department nor the
French embassy has as yet received
word that Spain has chosen her mill
tary commissioners for Cuba and Por-
tc Rico, and some doubt Is expressed as
to the accuracy Of the names given In
London press advices. The names CIV
ell in these. reports are those of Span
islh generals and admirals now sta
tioEed in Cuba and Porto Rico, so that
If the names are correct, no time will
be lost in bringing the commissioners
together. The understanding here is
that the sessions will begin at Havana
and San Juan about the first week in
September.
TARIFF FOR PORTO RICO.