The herald., 1898-03-05


The original intentions of the government
were to allow the emplacements and ce-
ment work at the point fully six months TO
set and harden before the guns and car
riages, with their enormous weight, were
put in place. But present orders are 70
hasten the work. at least to point where
the gums can be put In promptly II needed
AFFAIRS IN SPAIN
LONDON, March 4-The Madrid corre-
spondent of the Daily Mail says:
In contrast with the clamor in America,
there IL almost absolute calm here, ana
that, too, even on the bUurses, where the
falls are due to foreign selling. The gen
eral opinion IL that the United States dare
not make the suspicion, which Is unsup-
ported by evidence and Is abhorred by Eu-
ropean opinion. the pretext for war. Ihe
distress In various parts of the country oc-
cupies the public mind far more than 90
American relations. Notwithstanding the
reduction in the grain duty, famine
threatens. The Socialists are utilising the
dearth, under guise of electioneering, as q
means Of fomenting popular agitation, and
it would require some overt act OF in1us-
tice on the part of America to divert pub
lie sentiment.
A letter just received here from Madrid
says 1t Is definitely reported that fresh
Spanish squadron, destined for Cuba, is
being organised at Cadiz: 1t consists OF
four ironolads, the Carlos v, Pelayo. Alton
SO XIII and another; several gunboats and
transatlantic steamer.
Active work Is also proceeding upon the
torpedo boat destroyers Prosperino, Audaz
and Osada, and upon the torpedo boats Re-
tamosa and Barcelona. which form the
second torpedo boat flotilla which Spain is
sending to Cuba.
The government has consulted the cham
- CHI AIT 40 ~
respecting the proposed commercial treaty
with the United States. The Bilboa cham
ber replies that considering the present
condition of mercantile relations 1t can see
no necessity for q treaty. If the negotia-
tions, however. are successful. it is of the
opinion that two treaties will be requisite,
one between America and the peninsula
and another between America and the An
| TILES. The former treaty. In the opinion
of the Bilboa chamber. ought to be based
on reciprocity. granting the United States
a second column in the peninsula tariff,
with mutual concessions, II possible.
The treaty between America and the An
titles, in the Judgment Of the Bilboa cham
ber, should be limited to the concessions
contained in the Cuban tarin law dated
August 8, 1897, and should maintain pro-
lection at so per cent maximum and 20 per
cent minimum for Spanish products.
IHINh IdlNdS AftE tEAO1
SAN FRANCISCO. March 4.-rncreased
supplies of ammunition for high-power
guns have been ordered by the war de-
partment from the Benicia arsenal to the
forts at the Preside and Lime point. To-
morrow twenty tons Of powder and large
supply of projectiles will be placed aboard
barges at Benicia and towed to the Pre-
sdio wharf The supplies of munitions
at the arsenal, which will be almost ex-
hausted by the shipment, will be replen-
ished by trainload Of ammunition from
the east.
veteran army officers stationed at the
Preside are confident that the works at
Fort Point and Fort Baker are now strong
enough to resist any fleet that Spain would
send to the Pacific.
DECORATING GRAVES
HAVANA, March AT Colon cemeter,
| this afternoon the graves of 161 person:
who perished in the Maine were decorated
| with two large floral wreaths and cross
| in the presence Of score or more OF Amer
leans, including Consul General Lee, Capt
Sigsbee and Chaplain Chadwick.
Chaplain Chadwick offered brief prayer
and Mr.. George Mayer OF Chicago mad'
brief remarks, in the course of which HI
said that flowers were the only tribut
possible at present to the poor fellow
who died on the line of defense, but som
| day a shrine would rise there, to whicl
| Americans, visiting Cuba, would come t.
/ pay honor to the dead.
| Neither Consul General Lee nor Capt
Sigsbee spoke. The American flag wa
| spread for time over the grave. bu
eventually removed, and It's place wa
taken by a red, white and blue ribbon, will
the following stamped in gold letters
an Memory of Our Dead America
Heroes. American citizens Mourn Thei
Boys"
At the Hotel Inglaterra the followin
brief memorial, signed by all the Ameri
cans, will be left as a nucleus Of the regis
ter of future visitors:
1.-The undersigned Americans have to
day decorated the, as yet, unfinished grave
of the American sailors and marines VIII
perished February Is, 1893, in the destrue
ton of the man-of-war Maine.
May the modest first decoration day be
come an annual demonstration In Havan
OF Americas remembrance Of America
dead"
Part of a body was recovered from unde
the smokestack today. The other pertio
of the body is already buried.
COAL FOR WARsHIPs
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March A special
the Commercial Appeal from Birmingham
Ala, says:
|
learned, recently been buying Alabam
coal in considerable quantities for imme
date delivery at the gulf ports for the pur
pose of coa1ing warships.
The coal operators do not give out details
but 1t is known that the cruiser Detroit
which was in Mobile harbor ten days age
was coaled with Alabama coal, and larg
shipments have been going to Mobile, Pen
| sacola, Tampa and Key West.
! A WRECKER WRECKED
NEW ORLEANS, La, March 5.-A spe
cial from Norfolk, Va, reports the loss o
the powerful wrecking tug Underwood o
Boston in a storm of Cape Hatteras.
WILL BE PREPARED
NEW YORK, March A special to tht
Herald from Washington says
Fully realizing the Importance of prep
arations for any emergency, the presiden
has directed the navy department to oper
negotiations looking to the purchase
abroad Of warships. This fact is now FOL
the first time made public. 1t probab bly,
would not have transpired at this juncturt
] but for tho excitement caused by the state.