Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-04-02
GUNS AND SHELLS
More War Supplies Pass
Through Here.
WARSHIPS ON THE ALERT
Squadron Ready to Move at Any Tim"
Derclict Senineu Arrested and Keturn-
ed to Their Ship. ColufnbIR and
Minneapolis Expected Today.

'"elr supplies are StWi being rushed
to this section
Late last night :, special train ar
rived bringing rapid fire guns. three
Gatirng guns, six torpedo tubes, $500
pounds of deck piercing projectiles and
a car load Of Solid sjreils. These muni
items Of war weSsssfansfe rrcd ITO c. & o.
float No. . and ruwed to the govern
ment magazine on St. Julian's Creek.
ntslr Norfolk. The float left here last
night ut 1I:15 O'Clock. Hlrly last even
Ing regular freight train brought Il
car loid of powder consigned TO Fort
r. DAY OF SUSPENSE.
The flying squadron is on the alert.
All day yesterday smoke curled from
;hc stacks of the flagship Brooklyn
and thc buttleship Massachusetts.
Steam was kept UP and the vessels
ll,tticE.
1t was Il day of suspense for the OIL
GERS AMI men. They did not know nj
what time q dispatch might come from
the secretary of the navy ordering them
20 weigh anchor and put to sea at full
speed. Commodore Sairley received sew
eril di:pa tcheS during the day, but
with one exception their contents were
not learned. In this dispatch the Navy
Depamment asked to be advised of nhe
earliest moment the fleet would be
ready FOR action. Commodore Sohley'S
reply could Only be conjectured. 1t is
believed THAT ne stated in case Of an
emergency the ships could, sail at once.
Otherwise. ii would be several days,
as the Brooklyn needed slight repairs
and gihe Massachusetts bottom needed
scraping.
+ CLEANING AWAY SEA GROWTH.
The work of sCrapinG and cleaning
the bottom OF tile battleShip Massachu-
sets is being carried on very hurriedly.
The news that war is inevita-
bic has made the officers Of the big
fight CT somewhat anxious about the flu
lure Of their ship. One of the officers
SAID yesterday that the work of clean
,ng ,.he ships hull would require at least
ten days by the present inethod. The
work by Inc divers must necessarily be
SOW.
If war is declared next Monday or
Tuesday Vt us possible thtut sufficient of
the sea growth viii have been removed
from 1.-THE forward stI+s of tle MaSS.,-
chusetts to ena lie her to take .htr place
with the rest OF the flying squadron. o.
course, she will 80 into action when ut
is necessary. but unless hes hull Is
pretty we'll clcined she VIII not be able
to make the required speed.
AaRHSTpNG SAILORS.
The pdlice were kept busy yesterday
arrc.:t;n.y seamen and marines from the
battleSihip Mass ichuset'h:. who remained
ashore for n longer period than their
LIBERTY permitted.
marines were given liberty Thursday
they were given TO understand THAT
they must be back on the snip al
O'Clock yesterday morning. When Nhe
lS,ur rolled around there We're Stlii
tn:u,.y- nine sailors absent, Captain tHig-
giIsnu sent instructions to the police
dt.pa rtmcnt to arrest amy men found
a shore VINO belonged tO the lklttleShlD
'Accompa ny1lg this order was an offer
OF q reward Of $40 per man for each
Il aF.nuy ~ 10
GERS Of the ship. making j total OF $3.50
TINT the commander waIs willing to pay
for the return of his men.
Up to a late hour last night thirty
seven of The men had been captured,
leaving but two absent
The seamen We're locked up in tine
city jail TO await the arrival Of an Off
Ger. They protested against his treat
mcnt, and when they were placed be-
hind the bars they became orofane,
Vulgar and desperate. denouncing the
pG.icemen as u--n rascals, ana USING
other expressions.
RAPID FIRE RIFLES.
The empaccments at Fortress Monros
are all ready for t'he new rapid fire ri
Ties which have been ordered by Colonel
Frank. the commlndant, and which, i'm
all probability. Will arrive some tiIn@
next week. Until the guns arrive little
rtN'e can be done on THE emphcements.
rinee dra wings of the gums have not yet
arrived from Europe, and the finishing
pouches cannot be put TO THE emp,ace-
ments until these are available. There
is a great demand for rapid fire guns
at oil OF the dcfences on THE Atlantic
cens'i and requisitiinS were so numerous
that the government was obliged TO
pace orders with European gun man
ufac.urers AS Fortrets Monroe is re-
gar,led as one of the most important
GbjectiEr points on the Atlantic coast,
ii is more than probable THAT the first
guns to arrive Will he forwarded direct
IS to Old Point for the Hampton Roads
stronghold.
1t is expected that a consignment of
evenly five and six inch rapid fire rifles
will arrive i'm New York tomorrow. to-
'gether with drawings. These
drawings Will be Forwarded ilnmetlia tely
to FSrtreSs MONROE and other points
Where rifles are needed badly and the
guns and carriages will follow as sooE
thereafter as possible. 1t Is estimated
by the engineer officers ut the fort that
with the drawings in hand In advance
and THE guns received within THE next
week, the RAPID fire battery ait Fortress
Monroe can be ready for action by the
second week in April.
The necessity for rapid fire rifles a;
she 'fOrm!d bile key 10 the Norfolk navy
yard, the Newport News shIpyard. the
cities at w'nich these great war plants
are located. as we'll as the State oapitAl
s very apparent. Colonel Frank Is au-
i'hrrity for the statement that the fort
in its present condition ds pOwerieSS to
resist tiila advance of torpedo boats
either by day or night ta5 the big guns
now in position are entirely too heavy
imd too SLOWLY operated to follow the
!igh tning-like movements OF the swift
bill HE ship destOyers.
Il is understood that when the dia-
gram drawings of the new rifles ore
,.U, NNrt ,N1n yryt1 t,A A..
for the guns on the big corner OF the
stronghold which mlnds a view
down the Ronds and up the James and
Elizabeth rivers. AT This point IL will
be possible TO train the rifles on {. ship
either below or above the fort. Eight
inch converted rifles now occupy the po.
sition an which the rapid fire guns Will
be placed. AS n pI'eca utlon OF safety.
the converted rifles win not be ds'srabb-
ell Until THE other guns ARRIVE.
Batteries IT. and II, of the Sixth Ar
t!9lt4ry, which arrived ait Fortress Mon
roe Thursday from Fort McHcnry. neaI