Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-20
Seventy Warships to Rendez-
vous in Hampton Roads.
4 GREAT AGGREGATION.
Difficult to Realize tho Extent of such q
Marine Assen,blage in Ono Harhor,
Few Important Development.
In the Post War sttuatton.
(By Telegraph.)

WASN'T NGTON. AM 10
iargest fleet of warships ever essem,ins
m an American port will be bro,,rh-
, ,' IN the next few days at Fort
mo"ioe, Already fifty-seven warshtps
tre under orders to rendezvous there
ana the orders still to be issued y,i,l
ralse the total to the neigh bortood Of
seventy Naval officials say It is dim
ruls TO realize the extent OF such mn
r n, aEErssation in one marine ,1arbo-
.. o"se 'ilciuded In todays orders are the
.Newi"rt. Rogers Lebanon. wampn-
TUCK. Alorrss. Gwyn. Lancaster. Ma
s mas. osceola. Peoria. Massassott.
SIOUX. Cheyenne. Waban. Chickasaw.
tieiena. Detroit ana Yankton These
anu the ships previously ordered are
NANNY small craft. although there are
"A number of large cruisers and gun
boats. including the San Francisco. He
tena. Detroit. Topeka. Marietta ana
'aStine. The movement OF these shius
northward is due to the close of hos
tii,ties and more particularly to the de-
sire to get the ships away from points
of possible fever Infection They win
now be put in thorough repair and their
crews gradually will be changed from
naval militiamen to sailors of the reg
ular navy. Tho Navy Department has
not yet determined what ships will go
/" havana, San Juan and other points
in Cuba and Porto Rico There is felt
shority Of the United States is fully es-.
tablishcd throughout the islands. In the
meantime the matter OF pacing points
is being considered and in due time a
number of light auxiliary craft and
some OF the single turreted monitors
will he used for this coast patrol. 1t Is
found. however. that only four OF the
inonitnrs of the civil war are fit for
this service In southern waters. AS
many naval vessels Will be conferred
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 used in conjunction with the tioat-
ing dock. The dock Is now being cop-
pered and will be towed to Pensacola as
soon as the September gales are over. i
There are few developments Of iln-f
portnncc in the postwar situation to-
day The authorities are still waiting
for General Merritt's report of the list:
of casualties. and the State, War and
Navy Departments are Interested in
knowing the exact terms on which Ma
Mia was surrendered. whether the city
alone. or il all the Philippines were in
Guided. 1t was stated by officials that
nothing additional on this point had
been received up to the close OF office
hours today. The efforts to restore
the Manila cable continues. but they
have not proved successful thus far.
The claims made in Madrid that the
protocol, ana not the capitulation. con-;
trolls the status Of affairs in the Philip
pines will not be discussed by the State
Department officials The Madrid lis
cusSiun is looked upon as rather acn-a
demic. 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 received word
that Spain has chosen her military
commissioners for Cuba and Porto Rico
and som. doubt is expressed as to the,
accuracy OF the names given in London
press advic.s. The names given I'M
these reports are those Of Spanish gen-s
erals and admirais now stationed In
Cuba and Porto Rico. 50 that II the
names are correct. no time will be lost
in bringing the commissioners together.
The understanding here Is that the SEES
sinns will begin at Havana and San
Juan about the first week In September.