The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-10
ADVICES FROM HAWAII
ARRIVAL OF CITY OF PICKING WITH
ADMIRAL MILLER AND STAFF.
Movements of Our Ships at Honolulu
Hurried Departure of the MOhi-
can-NO Annexation.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. May 9.-The
steamship City of Picking, from Hong Kong
and Yokohama, arrived here tonight. The
Peking with the steamer Australia and the
cruiser Charleston, will leave here about
Saturday or Sunday next with troops and
provisions for the Philippines. The health
officials boarded the City of Picking and she
was ordered to the quarantine station at
Angel island, where she will be examined
Advices by City of Picking are as follows
HONOLULU, May 1.-Admiral Miller and
his personal staff received orders by the
Alameda on the 2Sth to proceed at once to
San Francisco and there to await further
orders Another dispatch directed Captain
Book of the training ship Mohican. to take
his ship back to Mare island. The gunboat
Bennington has been directed to remain
here to look after Americans and their in
terests in the islands, So far as can be
learned these are all the orders that have
been received by the American naval off,
GERS in port ~ 81 +e
Admiral Miller and his staff will sail for
San Francisco by the City of Peking. The
admiral does rot believe the islands are in
any danger of attack from the Spanish,
particularly as they are neutral. Anyhow,
Spain has less than dozen war ships in the
Pacific, and only three of them are of any
size. 1t is believed that only the two largest
vessels of the three could carry coal enough
to steam this far. Even if they were to
leave the Philippines the American squad
ron now at Hong-Kong could intercept them
and are more than a match for them. The
other boats of the Spanish fleet, including a
gunboat at the Caroline islands, are insig-
niticant.
The United States steamship Mohican
sailed this morning under emergency orders
due to the war with Spain, cutting short
her intended cruise of two years through the
South seas and on the ASatic station. The
orders were brought by the Alameda Prep
arations for her departure were begun at
once and rushed through to completion, and
this morning she sailed.
Two hours after she left port considerable
excitement was created when the Diamond
Head lookout reported that she had come
to anchor in Waialae bay. More excitement
was created two hours later when 1t was
reported that she had pulled or had drifted
so far into the bay that she could no longer
be seen from the signal station. Fears
were at felt that she might have
drifted upon the rocks and become total
loss. These fears, however. were allayed
when no boats were put ashore nor signals
given. This was accepted on the Benning-
ton as conclusive that her machinery had
broken down, and she had simply come to
anchor until repairs were made. At $3.50 in
the afternoon the Mohican resumed her
voyage without having any communication
with the shore.
1t is stated on excellent authority that
several vessels in the Hawaiian trade will
likely apply for Hawaiian registers within
the next few weeks if Spain and the United
States are at war. Sailing under a neutral
flag they could continue iii the trade with
out endangering their cargoes. Owners feel
confident that sooner or later the islands
will be annexed to the United States, and
that their ships will become American:
again, so that the expense attached to the
transaction would be more than covered in
the saving of insurance. 1t was expected
that insurance rates will be very high If
hostilities are already opened.
According to a local paper instead of
the Hawaiian islands being annexed as a
war measure Immediately on the out
break of hostiliteS with Spain, the prospect
is that they will virtually be abandoned by
the United States until the war is over. 1t
is understood from several sources of good
authority that the United States has al
ready asked Great Britain to dispatch a
cruiser to the islands on the outbreak of
war, so that our vessels stationed here
might be permitted to return home to take
their share in protecting Pacific coast
cities
Among the arrivals from Honolulu on the
City of Picking were Admiral Miller and
Lieutenants Rodgers and Andrews United
States navy. who came here to await or
ders from Washington. Captains Sakcia
Kashewabara, with several lieutenants and
other officers of the Japanese imperial navy,
who came to assume charge of the new
Japanese cruiser ChttoSe, recently completed
at the Union iron works, also arrived on the
Picking.