The record-union., 1898-03-08

as near being a transport as anything
in our naval service, her selection will
accord with the Spanish suggestion
that a transport or merchant ship un-
dertake this carriage of relief sup
plies.
The sending of the Montgomery to
Havana has primarily tended to re-
place the Fern, which is now at Ha-
vana The Montgomery is an unar-
mored cruiser of 2.0S9 tons, with an
armament of ten guns.
The plans of the Navy Department
are TO have the Montgomery start foi
Havana at once, in order that the Fern
may return to Key West in time to
take on the relief supplies reaching
there next Wednesday. 1t will be the
second visit of the Montgomery tc
Cuba, as she has only recently returned
from trip to Santiago de Cuba and
Matanzas.
Captain Crowinshield, Chief of the
Bureau of Navigation, says that no
time has been fixed for the stay OF the
Montgomery at Havana, as the only
decision thus far reached is that she
will replace the Fern there at pres
ent.
AAC hiii pO liz AAA~N
United States warship at Havana since
the Maine disaster.
WILL PROBABLY SAIL TO-DAY.
KEY WEST, March doubt has
been thrown upon the identification Of
one Of the bodies buried to-day, which
at Havana was believed to be that of
First Sergeant Wagner of the marines.
Chaplain Chadwick seems uncertain
whether the body is that Of Wagner or
of Private Lamiette.
Naval officers here had scarcely
learned of Admiral Sicard's order di-
recting the departure of the cruisers
Nashville and Montgomery for Matan-
zas and Sagua La Grande with supplies
for the reconcentrados when an order
was received resembling it. A tele
gram received from Washington was
followed by hurried conference be-
tween Admiral Sicard and Commodore
West, and shortly after ) o'clock Ad
miral Sicard countermanded the order
issued at noon, and directed that the
Montgomery proceed as soon as pos
Sible to Havana, and the Fern was
again assigned TO the duty of carrying
supplies to MatanZas. The Montgom-
cry is being hurriedly coaled, and work
on her viii be carried on through the
night. 1t is hardly expected that she
will leave for Havana before morning,
and her departure may be further de-
layed. The official reason for the Mont
gomery's going to Havana is that she
is merely to relieve the dispatch boat
Fern.
naval officer, one of the few at the
time this dispatch is sent who are
aware of the latest change of plans,
said he thought it most significant that
a cruiser Of the Montgomery's caliber
should be sent to take the place Of a
mere dispatch boat.
The officials expressed the greatest
surprise when shown the Associated
Press dispatch from Washington re-
garding the sending of the Montgomery
to Havana, as the strictest orders had
been issued to keep this movement Sc
cret. The frequent changes in orders
during the last twenty-four hours have
thrown all the naval arrangements and
opinions on the situation in more or
less disorder.
A Mallory line steamer is expected
Wednesday with provisions for Cuba.
This afternoon the torpedo boat Por-
ter arrived from Mobile. The torpedo
boat Gushing probably will have to be
laid UP for repairs, and the Ericsson is
in none too good condition. A schoon-
er with coal for the fleet at the Tortu-
gas passed during the afternoon.
The correspondent of the Associated