The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-04

mediate service in case the department
should decide to commission NOR.
ships The Atlanta and New York.
could be made ready in the course o<
three or four months and the Chicago
in SIX months, in case emergency orders
for their repair were issued. There
are a number Of good ships on the Pa
cific coast, however, whose repair IS
! underway, such as the Charleston, the
Philadelphia, the Yorktown and others
and the payrols OF the construction
bureau at the Mare Island navy yard
has now amounted 10 the large total Of
10000 per month for wages alone.
The navigation bureau is still busy
with the preparation of the death Ger
uncates for the families Of the victims
or the Maine disaster. Captain Haw-
ley, who has the matter Immediately
in charge, says that owing 10 the nee
eSSary formalfties, these certificates
cannot be issued before March 18th.
and this answer is returned to numer-
Gus letters daily received al the de-
partment.
PRESSING NEED FOR MACHINISTS
1t is said in the navigation bureau
that there is a pressing need of able
machiniStS for the navy caused by the
heretofore unnoted fact that every one
OF the machinists on the Maine lost
all the firemen but one Were killed
The bureau has invited enlstments
from men who have had naval service
before in the engine rooms and. as it
is said that a number of these men
are now enjoying the three months
period OF time between enlistments
during which they may come again
into naval service without loss Of ser
vice record. it is hoped that some Of
h2n WI ord ha
places made vacant by the Maine dis
aSter.
Sir Julian Paunefote came to the
state department today bearing one
of the formal expressions of deep con-
dolence and sympathy with the gov
ernment over the loss of the Maine
that have come now from every one
of the British colonies. This latest
message was as follows:
Washington, February 21 1895
'Sir:-At the request Of Sir Alfred
Maloney, governor of the Windward
Islands, I have the honor to convey
the heartfelt sympathy OF that colony
with the government and people Of the
United States in the loss sustained
through the explosion on board the
Maine.
Il have the honor, etc,
[Signedl JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE.
LARGE ORDERS FOR PROJECT
lies.
There is no unusual stir of activity
about the bureau of the Quartermaster
general Of the commiSSary general of
the army, where more than anywhere
else the preparation for Warike emer-
gency would be apparent. The Off
GERS Of these bureaus says no accum-
mutation of additional supplies is TAX
extra supplies are in contemplation.
In the Ordance bureau, the placing of
large order 70 pcOjectiles is the result
of talks between Secretary Alger,
Senator Hawley, of the senate COM
mittee on military affairs, and repre-
sentatives of the house military COM
mittee. 1t was made clear to the secTe-
ary that it was a certainty apprCpria-
tionS would be forthcoming, and it was
deemed the part of wisdom to make
the contract now as the supplies would
not be i'm hand for some months.
Although the navy department had
no reports from Havana or Key West,
a dispatch announcing the departure
of the cruiser Brooklyn from Santa
Lucia for LaGuayra had some indirect
significance in further removing one Of
the larger vessels of the navy from
what has thus far been the common
centre of naval activity, at Key West
The Brooklyn will make a short stop
at LaGuayra and Will then proceed
further SOuthWard.
TO PROSECUTE THE DAUNTL LESS.
Both the state department and the
department of justice have received
considerable detailed information rela-
tive to the alleged filIbustering steam
er Dauntless. This is accompanied by
hn +.oa+ hn trr1.
be 1ibelled under the navigation laws
for concealing her name, and under
the neutrality laws for carrying war
material to the Cubans. The CORE
|. SpOndence began on January 18th last
AID covers much data on the past
record of the Dauntless. 1t states that
the middle of January last the Daunt-
less was lowering between Florida and
Georgia ports for the evident purpose
Of eluding detection so as to get away
with a filibustering party for Cuba. The
intimatiOn was conveyed 10 the de-
partment of justice that this purpose
was so clear that it would be a wise
precautiOn to place a deputy United
States marshal or deputy collector OF
customs on board the ship. A memo
randum reciteS the basis Of suspicion
Of the Dauntless. 1t states thac in the
case Of the United States versus John
D. Harte, recently approved by the
court Of appeals, the testimony Of one
witness was that the Dauntless had
painted out her name in order . AVOID
recognition, while taking supplies for
the Cubans from the island of Navassa
TO Cuba. The testimony Of this wit
ness is given in detail. He says the
supplies We're first brought from from
United States to Nava.ssa on the shin
Laurrsta, where they were transferred
TO the Dauntless. He says he noticed
that the word "Dauntless appeared on
the buckets. handles and yawls OF the
vessel, but that the name on the DOW
was covered with a piece OF canvass
and the name on the stern was paint
ed out. For this alleged offense against
the navigation laws, il is pointed OUT,
the Dauntless has never been prose
cuted and it is claimed to be a continu-
ing offense for which she is now sub
ject 10 libel. The memorandum also
cites another instance occurring last
Nav when iS ct that he I-nire-i