The Portland daily press., 1898-08-20
Fifty.Ssyen Ships Already Under
Orders to Rendezvous There.
OLD MONITORS TO BE SENT TO
CUBA TO POLICE SHORES.

Will Probably Begin in Two Weeks.
Washington, August 19-Ons Of the
largest fleets of war ships ever assembled
in an American port will be brought
together In the next few days at Fort
Monroe. Already 81 war ships are under
orders to rendezvous there and the orders
still to be issued will raise the total to
the neighborhood of ". Naval officers
say it is difficult to realize the extent OF
such a marine aggregation in one harbor.
The orders began issuing last Monday
when five ships were ordered to Fort
Monroe. On the 10th another ship was
added; on the 18th eight more were
sent and on the 18th II ships were added.
Today's orders include II more ships.
Before the orders began issuing there
were s ships at Fort Monroe, so that the
total up to today is 81. Those included
in today's orders are the Newport, Rodg-
ers, Lebanon, Wan,patuck, Morris, Grim.
Lancaster, Machias, Osceola, Peoria.
Massasoit, Sioux, Cheyenne, Waban.
Chickasaw, Helena, Detroit and Yank-
ton.
These and the ships previously ordered
are mainly small craft, although there
are number of larger cruisers and gun
boats, including the San Francisco,
Helena, Detroit, Topeka, Marietta and
Castine.
The movement of these ships northward
is due to the close Of hostilities and
more particularly to the desire to get the
ships away from points of possible fever
infection. They will now be put in tho
rough 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 hurry about this
until the authority of the United States
Is fully established throughout the shore
In the meantime, the matter OF policing
the shore points is being considered and
in duo time a number Of the light
draught auxiliary craft and some of the
single turretted monitors will be used for
this coast patrol. 1t is found, however,
that only four of the old monitors OF the
Civil war are fiJ for service in Southern
waters.
AS many naval vessels will be cen ntered
about the West Indies from this time
forward, the navy department. will send
the new floating dock, recently bought
kLn 20 Dnv7o
cola, Fla, where 1t will be kept for dock
ing warships. A t hat point also there
are good naval workshops to be used in
conjunction with the floating dock. The
dock is now being inspected and will be
flowed to Pensacola as soon as the Sep
tember gales are over.
There were few Developments of i'm
nortance in the war situation today. The
authorities are still waiting Tor Gen.
Merritt's report upon the list OF casual
Ties and the state, war and navy depart
ments are interested in knowing tne ex-
iered-whether the city alone, or If all
the Philippines weresincluded. It was
stated by officials that nothing additional
on this point had been received up 70
the close of office hours today: ihe
efforts to restore the Manila cable con-
tinue, but they have not proved SUCCESS
full thus far.
The claims made in Madrid that the
protocol and not the capitulatton: con-
trolls the status of affairs In the Philip
pines, will not be discussed by state de-
pertment officials. The Madrid discus
sion is looked upon rs rather academic,
as it is taken for granted that claims
will be made on both sides and that the
Paris tribunal will be final arbitrator of
the case.
Neither the state department nor the
French embassy has yet received word
that Spain has chosen her military CON-
missions for Cuba and Porto Rico and
some doubt is expressed as to the accura-
cy of the names given in London press
advices. The names given in these re.
ports are those of Spanish generals and
the admirals now stationed in Cuba
and Porto Rico so that If the names are
correct, no time will be lost in bringing
the commissioners together. The under
standing here is that the sessions will be.
gin at Havana and San Juan about the
1irst week in September.