The herald., 1898-04-18
UNDISTURBED BY APPROACH OF
POSSIBILITIES
TRANSPORTATION Of TROOPS
To Begin in Earnest This Morning.
A Battleship Ready for Launch
ing-Converted Cruisers
Associated Press Special Wire


| ceptionally quiet in official circles and on
the surface, at least, there were no new
developments in the Spanish situation
The reports Of yesterdays action by the
senate were All absorbing subject of dis
| cussiou. and the probability of what the
house will do was uppermost in every ones s
mind. For the first time in several weeks
the president was able to devote Sunday
almost entirely to himself. and to resume
his church going. which had been inter-
rupted by the important Sunday confer
ences with members of the cabinet. In
company with Mrs. Mckinley and some
friends. the president went for long drive
this afternoon, enjoying the country seem
cry Assistant Secretary Day was at
the White House for a short time in the
morning, and saw the president. Vice
President Hobart and Postmaster General
Gary also called while the president was
at church.
In the war and navy department was also
notlceably lacking the evidence OF activity
and rush which has characterized them for
so many Sundays past.
In the war department Adjutant General
Corbin was at his desk for a short time.
He said there had been no changes in the
details for the mobilization OF troops nor
any important assignment Of Officers The
proposals from railroads for transporting
troops will be opened tomorrow, and the
expectation is that the soldiers, IN many
Instances, will begin their journeys ON the
same day.
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt was at
the navy department some time during the
morning. He had a visit with Commander
w. H. Brownson. The commander says
he had an enjoyable trip. having spent
practically all his time in Italy, France
and England. He made number Of rec
concentrations and reports to Secretary
Long during his inspections abroad. and
will submit the final one to the secretary
tomorrow. He asked to be excused from
discussing the results OF his trip pending
his report to the secretary. He was able
to gauge the feeling of the European ma
tions- Concerning the Englshmen, he
said their sympathy is for the United
States and that they are with US to a
man. A great many Frenehmen sided
with Spain. although the commander said
his observations regarding them were
based on reports only. Italy. being one of
the Latin countries, there Is an element
WAlCA SyulpdtulLcS Will 0pdltis dltHouSil
many of the commercial class. realizing
that much Of the trade Of the country is
with the Uuited States look upon our con-
tention with favor. He says that owing
to the uncertain state of affairs IN Europe,
growing out of the eastern questions in
which most OF the great nations are in
terested. very few really satisfactory war
ships are on the market, while in six
months from now, when possibly no one
will want amy, some will no doubt be avail.
able Unfinished ships and inferior YES
sells were to be obtained If desired. but the
government preferred not to purchase ves-
sells Of that kind.
| The commander will leave the city to-
morrow for New York, where he is to as
| sumo command Of the Yankee.
Ready for Launching
PHILADELPHIA, April lit was
| learned here today that May 18th has been
| fixed as the date for the launching Of the
United States battleship Alabama, In
| course of construction at Cramps ship
yards Miss Morgan. daughter Of United
| States Senator Morgan, will christen the
ship named in honor of her native state.
| The Alabama will be the first in the water
! OIL the tulec U!S, UdllpcSIlpS COAlIdCltQ lOi
| In October, 1896. The other two the Wis.
cousin and Illinois, are being built re-
specuvely at San Francisco and Newport
News. All three are identical. The Ala.
| bama's keel was laid in November, 1896, and
work on her has been considerably delayed
because Of the complication over payment
| for armor plate.
| The Alabama is eight feet longer thar
the Iowa, completed by the Cramps last
year. Her length on load water line Is
| 1868 feet, extreme breadth 12 feet inches
mean draught 20 feet inches. displacs.
ment 11,225 tons. She will have two ver-
| tical inverted, three cylinder triple-ex-
panson engines driving twin screws. estl-
mated to develop 10000 horsepower under
moderate forced draft. Her guaranteed
speed is to be 16 knots. The boilers are to
carry 1SO pounds pressure. The armament
Will be four 13-inch breech-loading rifles
| mounted in pairs in two elliptical turrets
on the middle line, fourteen 6-inch rapid
| fire, breech-loading rifles mounted on spon-
sons, and q secondary battery of sixteen
gx-pounders and four one-pound rapid fire
guns, one Calling and one field gun. She
will have four torpedo tubes. The side
armor is to be 16ls inches thick. tapering ia
| 9Hs In the turrets the plates will be seven
| teen inches face, and the others fifteen
inches. Inside of this will rise protective
deck with armor four inches thick on the
slopes aft, three inches forward and az
on the fiat top.
A Converted Liner
PHILADELPHIA. April 1.-THE Ameri-
can line steamer st. Paul passed in the
Capes this evening. She will reach
Cramps shipyard tomorrow and on Tues
day the work of transferring her into an
auxiliary cruiser will begin. 1t is esti-
mated this work will require about fifteen
days
A Monitor Moving
NEW YORK, April 1.-THE monitor Ma
hant arrived early this morning from
Philadelphia and anchored off Tompkins-
vile, S. I. The Nahant left League island
on the 18th, and was towed to this port by
tug. She is manned mostly by naval
reserves.
Roosevelt's Resignation
WASHINGTON, April 17.-Hon. Theodore
Roosevelt probably will resign his office
as assistant secretary Of the navy in case
Of hostilities with Spain, to accept COM
mission for active service in the army.
Nothing definite has been yet decided upon
as to what assignment he will accept, but
he would prefer to serve with the New
York state troops.