The herald., 1898-03-05

ling and mounting of the guns.
The original intentions of the government
were to allow the emplacements and ce-
ment work at the point fully six months to
riages, with their enormous weight, were
put in place. But present orders are TO
hasten the work. at least to point where
tho guns can be put In promptly II needed
AFFAIRS IN SPAIN
LONDON, March 4-The Madrid corre-
spondent OF the Daily Mail says:
In contrast with the clamor In America,
there IL almost absolute calm here, ana
that too, even on the bOurses where the
falls are due to foreign selling. The gen
eral opinion IL that the United States dare
not make the suspicion. which Is unsup.
ported by evidence and Is abhorred by Eu-
ropean opinion, the pretext for war. The
distress In various parts of the country oc-
cupies the public mind far more than do
American relations. Notwithstanding the
reduction In the grain duty, famine
threatens. The Socialists are utilizing the
dearth, under guise Of eleetioneering, as
means of fomenting popular agitation. and
it would require some overt act of injus-
tice on the part of America to divert pub
lie sentiment.
A letter just received here from Madrid
says 1t Is definitely reported that fresh
Spanish squadron, destined for Cuba, is
being organised at Cadiz. 1t consists OF
four ironolads, the Carlos v, Pelayo. Alfon-
so XIII and another; several gunboats and
a transatlantic steamer.
Active work Is also proceeding upon the
torpedo boat destroyers Prosperino. Audax
and Osada. and upon the torpedo boats Re
tamosa and Barcelona. which form the
second torpedo boat fotilla which Spain Is
sending to Cuba.
The government has consulted the cham
bers Of commerce throughout the country
respecting the proposed commercial treaty
with the United States. The Bilboa cham
Der replies that considering the present
condition of mercantile relations 1t can see
no necessity for treaty If the negotia-
tions, however, are successful. 1t is of the
opinion that two treaties will be requisite.
one between America and the peninsula
and another between America and the An
TILES The former treaty, in the opinion
of the Bilboa chamber, ought to be based
on reciprocity. granting the United States
second column In the peninsula tariff
with mutual concessions, II possible.
The treaty between America and the An
titles, in the judgment Of the Bilboa cham
Der, should be limited to the concessions
contained In the Cuban tariff law dated
August 8, 1897. and should maintain pro-
lection at 32 per cent maximum and 20 per
cent minimum for Spanish products.
THINK THINGS ARE READY
SAN FRANCISCO. March 4.-1ncreased
supplies of ammunition for high-power
guns have been ordered by the war de-
partmsnt from the Benicia arsenal to the
forts at the Preside and Lime point. To-
morrow twenty tons Of powder and large
supply of projectiles will be placed aboard
barges at Benicia and towed to the Pre-
sidio wharf. The supplies of munitions
at the arsenal, which will be almost ex-
hausted by the shipment, will be replen-
ished by a trainload Of ammunition from
the east
Veteran army officers stationed at the
Preside are confident that the works at
Fort Point and Fort Baker are now strong
enough to resist any fleet that Spain would
send to the Pacific.
DECORATING GRAVES
HAVANA, March AT Colon cemetery
this afternoon the graves of 161 persons
who perished in the Maine were decorated
with two large floral wreaths and cross,
in the presence of score or more of Amer
leans, including Consul General Lee, Capt.
Sigsbee and Chaplain Chadwick.
Chaplain Chidwick offered brief prayer,
and Mr.. George Mayer OF Chicago made
brief remarks, in the course OF which he
said that flowers were the only tribute
possible at present to the poor fellows
who died on the line of defense, but some
day a shrine would rise there, to which
Americans, visiting Cuba, would come to
pay honor to the dead.
Neither Consul General Lee nor Capt.
Sigsbee spoke. The American flag was
spread for time over the grave, but
taken by red, white and blue ribbon, with
the following stamped In gold letters:
| "In Memory of Our Dead American
Heroes. American citizens Mourn Their
Boys
| At the Hotel Inglaterra the following
brief memorial, signed by all the Ameri-
| cans, will be left as a nucleus Of the regis
ter of future visitors:
1.-THE undersigned Americans have to-
day decorated the, as yet, unfinished graves
of the American sailors and marines who
perished February Is, 1885, in the destruc-
ton of the man-of-war Maine.
May the modest first decoration day be-
come an annual demonstration in Havana
of Americas remembrance Of American
! dead"
Part of body was recovered from under
the smokestack today. The other portion
| of the body is already buried.
| COAL FOR WARSHIPS
| MEMPHIS, Tenn, March A special to
the Commercial Appeal from Birmingham
Ala, says:
The United States government has, 1t is
learned, recently been buying Alabama
coal in considerable quantities for imme-
date delivery at the gulf ports for the pur-
pose of coaling warships.
The coal operators do not give out details,
but 1t is known that the cruiser Detroit,
which was in Mobile harbor ten days ago,
was coaled with Alabama coal, and large
shipments have been going to Mobile, PEN
sacola, Tampa and Key West.
A WRECKER WRECKED
NEW ORLEANS. La, March 5.-A spe-
cial from Norfolk, Va, reports the loss of
the powerful wrecking tug Underwood of
Boston in storm of Cape Hatteras.
WILL BE PREPARED
NEW YORK. March A special to the
Herald from Washington says:
Fully realizing the Importance of prep
arations for any emergency, the president
has directed the navy department to open
negotiations looking to the purchase
abroad of warships. This fact is now for
the first time made public. 1t probably
would not have trarspired at this ttncture
but for tho excitement caused by the state