Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-04

She is expected to have target practice
at least once every quarter, yet the regu-
lations provide that her supply of powder
must never be allowed to drop beyond
certain specified quantity. sufficient to meet
any emergency. In this case, from the
expenditure of an undue proportion of am
munition in target practice, or through the
failure of the department to keep up the
supplies. the ships are obliged to forgo fur
ther target practice until fresh INSTALL
ments of powder are received. This is the
case with some Of the ships on the China
station now.
The department has gathered 100 tons Of
ammunition at Mare Island for the Asiatic
fleet. and this stock has been lying there
LOT several months on account of the ina
bllity Of the ordnance bureau to forward it.
l. seems that the merchant marine en-
gagged in regular passenger traffic either
refuse absolutely to carry such a danger
Gus cargo or ask excessively high freight
rates In order to protect themselves against
loss OF insurance. The first opportunity
that presented itself in many months was
the sailing of the gunboat Concord some
carrying capacity she was able to trans
port only a portion of the ammunition
The present plan is for the Mohican to take
the remainder to Honolulu, where it will be
bennington. now lying there. and forward
ed to the fleet at Hong Kong.
Shelter to Cuban Orphans.
The only word received at the State De-
partment from General Lee during the past
twenty-four hours came in a short cable
gram, received last night, addressed to As
sistant Secretary Day. The consul gen.
eral had formally notified the department
that as one result of his efforts to amelio-
rate the condition of the poor in Havana
he had secured from the Spanish author
tiles the use Of a large storehouse which
nc proposed to use as an orphan asylum to
ohf 1aR<
fellows:
Have established asylum for destitute
small orpnans, regardless Of nationality
Inc money sent by you will be applied to
the purchase of food for said orphans"
Trying to Secure the Tortuxas,
The War Department Is trying, with what
success cannot yet be predicted, to induce
the treasury officials to return to it the
Tortugas Islands. Although the officials
at the War Department are very non-com-
municatlve on the subject, there is nc
doubt that they regard the islands as an
essential link In the chain of coast de-
lenses. In fact, the fortif1cations toard,
headed by Gen. Miles, long ago called at
tent1on to the necessity for refortifying
Dry Tortugas.
The strategic Importance of the Tortugas
Is FULLY recognized by officers of the War
Department. During the civil war 1t was
occupied by considerable force of north
ern volunteers. including the famous Will
son Zouaves, who used it as a base of har-
assfng operations against the south. In
Its present defenseless condition II is
pointed out, 1t is positive source of
Danger, as 1t could be occupied by an en-
emy as base of naval and military op-
erations. The most essential feature of its
defense would De the mounting of heavy
guns, and with these the harbor would
give one OF the best protected roadsteads
in southern waters. The main defenses are
on Tortugas (meaning turtle) Island, and
occupy practically the entire island, al
though small narrow coral reef sweeps
around 1t, affOrding additional shelter The
fort was known as Fort Jefferson. 1t is q
three-story brick structure with case.
mates. the walls being four feet three
inches thick. The garrison quarters are
located In these classmates, the old plan
being to place the artillery in the upper
stories and tie infantry below. The old
defenses consisted OF thirty-two and forty
two-pounder guns, and one or two PARROTS
of 800 and 800 pounds. These four feet
three-tnch walls and old-style guns would
be Of little service in modern warfare, and
such as remain are probably out of practi-
cal service by the quarantine uses to which
Fort Jefferson has been put in recent
years. 1t fs thought, however, that the old
brick fort would serve temporary uses as
garrison, and that the surroundings
would afford good location for heavy
guns to protect the roadstead.
The TurtOgas Needed as q Base.
The naval scheme of defense of the coast,
as laid down in the plans by the Naval
War College last summer, contemplated the
Tortugas Islands as a base OF operations,
while the board appointed by Secretary
Long to select sites for dry docks last fall
also devoted considerable space in its re-
port to showing the importance of the
islands from a strategic point of view. The
anchorage is probably better than that Of
Key West, fact made evident by the
preference for Tortugas harbor, shown by
Admiral Sicard during the maneuvers Of
gress.
1t is by no means certain, however, that
the treasury authorities will be willing to
accede to the request to relinquIsh the is
lands. This took the shape of q simple let
ter from the chief Of engineers, Gen. Will
sen, reciting the fact that the islands had
been conveyed to the Treasury Department
about ten years ago. with distinct condi-
ton that they should be restored to the
War Department upon demand. But the
Treasury Department has not always hon.
o-ed such requests and 1t is recalled that
In the case of ships loaned by the Navy to
the Treasury Department under precisely
similar conditions as to return upon de-
Mand, the treasury has refused to honor
such demands on the plea of urgent need
for the property 1t so happens that tho
QCdIdutiue SldtiOn at lOTtuBdS IS Regarded
by the treasury officials as a great value
not only from the amount of money repre-
sented In the investment, but from the I'm
pcrtance of the islands as a safe outpost
for the isolation Of the numerous cases Of
yellow fever coming from West Indies
Central and South America.
A Message From Minister woodford.
The President today received a cable mes
sage from Minister Woodford, at Madrid.
congratulating him on the successful close
Of the first year Of his administration.
From this message were circulated wild
stories that the minister had cabled that
danger is Imminent and that Spain is pre-
pairing for and expecting war.
This was the only message OF the day
from any place in Spanish territory. All
the members of the cabinet stated that
there was nothing new from Havana, and
that nothing was expected soon. There
were no developments of any kind. it was
emphatically stated.
The fact that Secretary Long went to
the White House more than half an hour
before the arrival of other cabinet MEM
bers was construed as significant in some
quarters. but the SecrQfarv. said hat ha