Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-13

|
syor anu ana shell for heavy-calIbre guns
| iac,,,ee 'eh' including armor-pIercina nro.
shelis All, anu ueck-piercing and torpedo
these - number and character of
.nese are as follows: 935 ,9-inch 49,
piercing shells, weighing ,aoo 800
each; LA 12-inch deck.p,ercIn. LIN.
me.sning 800 pounds each: al 1o.inch ar'
"io' piercing shells: 49, 1o-inch armor-
pse.0ns snot, capped: i49 s-inch armor.
~, smells; $50 S-inch armor-pIercIng
shot capped. P'e'0'hs
.tal""Se proJectiies are for the heavy for
s'i'Oalion guns now mounted along The
Inc purchase Is not 10 he r,ado ,s..
.ne hity-million defence bill hut &c ~ a..
ucipation OF the Notifications him Viii,
SAINTS .a, $ieoOO for reserve supply Of nro-
jectiles and powder.
As the making Of heavy projectIles will
considerable time. the contract will
49,. aheao OF the passage of the bill
aSsur RANGES having been given from mo-,
IN Congress that no question yo,,,d So
raised as TO the regularity of th,s -
eeuihe' the entire amount is desle.
n"Heu 10 give all the heavy guns now in.
s.dheu' ana those to be put I'm place during
va. .no coming year, full quota of proiee
'Hes ana powder. The Pinch shot arc
among the largest made. The cost Of a
single round of this class of proniectila
is SSH Pi'P'e''he
ASIDE from the large orders TO be placed
monday, the emergency bill will permit
duuiuohai orders 10 meet the require
,ien'S Vi such tortihcation guns as may
Oe mounted Tor emergency. The present
otuer Is Ior the actual needs Of the guns
now mounted. without reference TO any
existing emergency, although II has been
made all the more Imperative nv the
Spanish crisis. ~ '"0
MINISTER POLO Y BERNABE
The Spanish Minister. Senior polo ro
ceived dispatch to-day from Canaan
General Blanco. stating that the condition
OF the cuban reconcentradoes was great
~ improved. General Blanco stated also
that he had prepared full data on this
subject, TO be forwarded to Washington
senior Polo has not yet opened business
negotiations with the state Department
except In the formal matter of present
ing his credentials. He is first ATTENDING
10 the social duties incumbent on a new
munster, and after calling on the PresI-
dent to-day, he spent the rest of the
day calling on ambassadors and minis
ters.
GEORGIA GRATIFIED.
senator Bacon, Of Georgia, was at the
war Department to-day, and expressed
MS qualification that Georgia had been
made the centre of the new department,
win headquarters al Atlanta. This step,
MT. Bacon said, was due entirely to mill
tdry considerations, and no personal or
political motives had figured in the
transaction. Heretofore there had been
only one military centre along the At
lantic-namely, that at New York-but
the present condition Of affairs made it |
apparent, from a military standpoint |
mat 1T was desirable TO have another |
centre on the South Atlantic. AS re- |
suit, the interior military centre, here |
tofore known as the Department of |
Texas, had been moved eastward, and |
centred at Atlanta.
The Bureau of Construction of the |
Navy Department finds itself exception
lilly well prepared for any emergency
work that it may be called upon TO per-
form in connection with the auxiliary |
cruisers. 1t is said that less than an
hours work would be required in the
bureau office here to complete all the
plans for the transformation of two OF
he best ships on the Atlantic into auxil-
airy cruisers. The detailed work of re-
obstruction could be accomplished with
ike dispatch at the League Island navy
'ard.
NEW RECRUITING STATION.
The Secretary Of the Navy has directed
hat a recruiting station be opened in
Washington Immediately, the special pur-
ose being to secure ordinary seamen and
nachlnIsts.
The Naval Inspection Board has gone
o Norfolk to examine the Machias Just
eturned from the Asiatic station by way
f Suez.
The Fern. laden with supplies for the
offering Cubans, arrived at MatanZas,
una, from Key West to-day. Captain
owles merely reported his arrival to the
,avy Department, without making any
lention Of the condition of affairs at
latanzas. After discharging part of his
torres there, Captain Cowles will proceed
18th his vessel TO Sagua, and leave the
emainder
SIGNIFICANT ASSIGNMENT.
Civil Engineer A. j. Menocal has been
etached from the League Island navy
ard and ordered to Key West. This is
3garded as significant, and as indi-
lting a purpose on the part of the Navy
apartment to make immediate and con-
deTabe improvements at the naval sta
on in Key West. !
John NJ. Wilson,
hief of Engineers of the War Depart
ent, returned to-day after a trip of
yer 5000 miles. which he accomplished
side of one week. Naturally his visit
southern coast points, where extensive I
work is in progress, has ex- (
ted much comment. General Wilson
cined, however TO discuss in any way
lis phase Of his trip. 1t is understood ,
at he visited Cumberland river. St =
Inns river. and the works at Tampa d
I'd Key west, Fla. :