Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-30
READY T0PUT TO SEA
Flying Squadron Under Sail
ing Orders.
CAN FlREIN TWO MINUTES
Men on the Massachusetts So Well Trained
They Can Have the Vessel i'll
Action u Moments
Notice.

'battleShip Massachusetts are under sail
!ng orders and may steam out of this
harbor at any time. Only the officers
are allowed to come ashore and they
are granted short leaves.
SAID an officer Of the A1asSa chusetts
When conve1sins with u reporter for the
Daily press yesterday regarding this
probability OF war:
Il believe we will have to fight,
thoush the stua ton at present seems
to ne somewhat pacitied. Our ship is
under sailing orders and we are lab Bile
70 "esgh anchor at any tinrt. To show
now has aboard eighty more tons of
ammunition than is specified by the
regulations We drill avery day ana
nav nave sns tactics down 10 a science. AT
any time during the day or night.
whether We are at the tabl- or in our
hantnocEs. we can have the Mussuchu
selts IN action TWO minutes after the
prueN IS gwen. nnd that means we will
nave the grlEfs belct,ing out solid shnt
and armor piercing projeetiles just as
iaplo!y ds they can be fired. -
S@ Some people entertain the foolish
1asa thet this country Will have walk
tain,,, "t tais, spain span, Well they are
IN 1.-THE the md, but we via have !, not time
uolns ". Spain has some good shins
ana they will do some nasty work be-
lore we conquer her. What we dread
aio iolllIa VI torpedo boats
ana /! think the government should coli
a matt on that fleet before it reaches
SA'heraean waters Torpedo boats ara
mean mean things to fight. They are like
w, aIus-ereo cherous. You can never
tell at what hour OF the night 49,
death dealing machines will or, en m
On you. In dense fog they could play
havoc. as 1T would be drift nit TO SPOT
thems or course. We could send them
~ We, ,ne bottom of tbs sea with SIX
R a., v'll we have got TO find them
..ns.. lou see torpedo boat is ONLY.
linihned I,y dozen or SO men and~7h,,
commanding officer VI the fleet can AZ
uoro 10 risk that many lives for !,
snahce 10 blow up a bat,!eship or cruis-
er:
One of the reasons She natinns .,r
not willing to ,ush. into war now is M
aSount or the modern warship. n ha (
s n been thoroughly tested. and If Is
1 ,,a,ls l1at they will not hold GU, in a
a "A Wiling TO axe my chances an tbasa
snpps. Ihsy can stand the shot an1
smell and we will give as good as is
The Massachusetts was ordarsa 49,,
from the Dry Toluusus, whette ~. . us
anehorsd when the Maine was blown
up. "A fearful state OF affairs .xis,S in
those waters" said the OFFICER. "Ail
vie tune | was there did not see a
Aftt the Maine was blown mn, W.. s"!pS'
pected an enga cement at any time Til.
mem slept by their guns on deck wiz
smells close by and a full had Of staan,
Vas kept up: Several times il was re-
pairing To attack u.s. All Ih,a tina W
We're there we lived in state of ay,,5.
fancy. Dut the men kept cool"
FRIGHTENED BY THE GUNS.
~ ~ 0 eock yesterday morning the
echo of twenty-two loud cannon rfnnrt.
Teverb~aratt.d over the water .,-,1 wf,b'n
aiVe minutes Hundreds of peou.1 var.
W ue seem fi,4ckints to THE river shore,
forets. >1 4' "4iete-
Men. women amid children r,,s,hs.d o,,,.
or thShr houses bak,ahe1a tix4d and h1,rs
aIe1 10 "a POINT from which they could
ootaan a view OF Uncle Sam wa 1ssaips
In the aanbOr -
Whats happened, I wollder?" was
Question heard on all sides and tu,s
Possibility of a conflict OF some kinsl
WAS entertained by not a few persons
The report gained circulation that thu
cruiser Columbia had arrived from
League Island navy yard and that the
Brobklyn, as flagship OFF the Hampton
1toa.d.s squadron, welcomed her with a
Salute OF Tweultyone guns.
Announcer report was TO THE effect THAI
Commodore Schaey had ordered the
squadron to sea and that the guns were
fred for THE purpose Of calldns the men
AS matter Of fact, the gums We're
not fired tor any OF these reasons
AJt s o'clock Commodore ScApley's
might pennant was hauled down and
the large blue flag with a white star
was hoisted to the peak.
THE battlessihip Massachusetts, fired
eleven guns i'm rapid succession ns a
salute to the flag and the Brooklyn re-
. turned the fire with proInptness
COLUMBIA NOT HERE.
The Columbia it is understood d. left
Phila delphia Monday and was due to
will probably steam into port this
mcr-ning.
GETTING READY FOR A CRUISE.
The oonnnnissary department Of The
GoapoTt navy yard Is busy nigh. and
3enay arukalq1rs orders for tn. Massachu-
sen's, and Brooklyn; It is learned on
excellent 1n thority that both ships are
T provisioning for a long cruise. This
looks very much as if the Ha mpt on
Hbad.s squadron Will go to sea in 4
few days with the expectal. Of re-
mainiThg out for some time.
THE United States navy tug WahnAta
arrived from THE Portsmouth navy yard
yesterday morning and brought several
officers to THE NIassa ch1lsetts. The tug
was alongside the big ba.ilesh,p for
me ar1y two hours.
The Wanhneta returned to Norfolk
4 about 1890 O'Clock.
VESUVTuS COMING.
at is learned that the Dynamite
cruiser Vesuvius VIII be at tachel to
Commodore Schley's squadron and Will
probably arrive here i'm THE next day OF
or two. The Veeauv,als lis the only YES
sci sof it's type i'm THE navy and will be
"a strong addition to the flying squad
gon. ~.
Notice o the Public.
Having disposed of my interest in
THE run of Fred F. Allen & Co.. de-
sire to state to the public that am
NO longed interested or in amy way
connected with that concern.
Respectfully.
1t L. B. REYNOLDS.
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