The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-20
May BE Well Supplied with Grape and
Cannister and Used as Floating
GarrisOns Where Needed.
BATTLE SHIPS In LINE TODAY
DESTROYERS OF CERvERA's FLEET
TO PARADE AT NEW YORK.
Most of the Cabinet to View the Ma
rine Pageant, but the President I'm
able to Attend--The Programme.

WASHINGTON, Aug. leone of the
largest fleets of war ships ever assembled
in an American port will be brought to-
gether in the next few days at Fort Mon
roe. Already fifty-seven war ships are un-
der orders to rendezvous there, and the or
ders still to be issued will raise the total to
the neighborhood of seventy. Naval off,
cials say it is difficult to realize the extent
of such a marine aggregation in one harbor.
The orders began issuing last Monday,
when five ships were ordered to Fort Mon
roe. On the 10th another ship was added
On the 18th eight more were sent, and on
the 18th seventeen ships were added. To-
days orders include eighteen more ships.
Before the orders began issuing there were
eight war ships at Fort Monroe, so that the
total up to date is fifty-seven. Those in
cluded in to-day's order are the Newport,
Rodgers, Lebanon, Morris, Grim, Lancas-
ter, Machias, Osceola, Peoria, Massasoit,
Sioux. Cheyenne, Waban, Chickasaw,
Helena, Detroit and Yankton These are
the ships previously ordered and are mainly
small craft, although there are number
of large cruisers and gunboats. including
the San Francisco, Helena, Detroit, Topeka,
Marietta and Castine The movement of
of hostilities and more particularly to the
desire to get the ships away from points
of possible fever infection. They will now
be put in thorough repair and their crews
will be gradually changed from naval
militiamen TO sailors of the regular navy
The Navy Department has not yet de-
termined what ships will go to Havana, San
Juan and other points of Cuba and Porto
Rico. There is felt to be no hurry about
this until the authority of the United States
is fully established throughout the islands
In the meantime the matter of policing the
shore points is being considered, and in due
time number of the light draught auxil-
larry craft and some of the single turreted
monitors will be used for this coast patrol.
1t is found, however, that only four of the
old monitors of the civil war are fit for this
service in southern waters.
As many naval vessels will be centered
about the West Indies from this time for
ward, the Navy Department will send the
new floating dock recently bought in New
York down the coast to Pensacola, Fla.
where it will be kept for docking the war
ships. AT that point also there are good
naval workshops to be used in conjunction
with the floating dock. The dock is now
being coppered and will be towed to Pensa-
cola as SOON as the September gales are
over.
Final orders have been sent to Admiral
Sampson relative to the naval parade at
New York city on Saturday. The ships
will proceed to the anchorage at Tomp-
kinsville and there await the arrival of
Mayor Van Wyck and a delegation of citi-
zens who are to go aboard the flagship
and deliver an address to Admiral Sampson
nd he of
mony will occur before 10 o'clock Saturday
morning, as the orders contemplate a start
up the North river at 10 o'clock. Antici-
patin& a pressure to gain admission to the
flagship during the review, the orders are
that no one is to be allowed aboard ex-
cept on the express direction of the Presi-
dent. The salute at the tomb of General
Grant will be the national salute Of twenty
enc guns.
The national administration will be repre-
sented at the parade tomorrow by six
members of the Cabinet. Secretary Bliss.
Postmaster General Smith and Attorney
General Griggs left on late afternoon
train for New York, and Secretaries Alger,
Gage and Wilson left at 11:S5 tonight in a
special car attached to the regular Pennsyl-
vania limited. They were accompanied by
Of Secretary Alger.
Admiral Sampson probably will come to
Washington in the early part of next week,
but no orders have been issued thus far
concerning his movements. 1t is understood
he will continue in command of the North
Atlantic fleet while serving as a member
of the military commission at Havana Be
ing thus in command of the feet he will
be enabled to select a flagship and proceed
thereon to Havana, although it is more
likely that the commissioners will proceed
together on a war ship. probably the Dol
phin. In that event the Dolphin would be
the admiraPs flagship temporarily. A high
naval official said to-day that Admiral
Luce at one time made a steam launch his
flagship and in this way came from New
York to Washington. III the commissioners
do not proceed in a body Admirals Samp-
son and Schey may take their respective
hasships TO Havana and San Juan pending
the work of the commission.