Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-10
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take the plaeb of the cruiser Baltimore,
now at Honolulu which is under orders to
proceed to the Chinese station with 6 large
supply u ammunition for the vessels on
that station. The Baltimore may relieve
the flagship Olympia, now at Hong Kong,
but this movement will depend upon devel-
opments within the next month or SO. In
the event of hostilities it Is not likely that
the administration will order the Olympia
nome, and SO reduce the naval strength in
chinese waters, in view Of the advantages
that would accrue from the capture or SUBJ
lection of the Spanish forces in the Philip
pine Islands. On the contrary, PROPOSE
ton Is under@c consideration to reinforce the
Asiatic fleet by the attachment of the bat
tie ship Oregon, which recently arrived at
San Francisco from Bremerton, Wash.
She Is now taking on board large sup
ply Of coal and ammunition and will be
ready for sea in about a week. The Ore
gon is the only battle ship on the Pacific
coast, and it is not likely that she would
be sent far away from home unless the
department had very important work for
her to do. 1t is impossible to get any in
formation on this subject at the Navy De-
partment. but it is not believed that the
sieeration only. So far as the Navy De-
partment is informed there are only six
small Spanish men-of-war in Asiatic wa
ters available for the defense of the Phil
lipine Islands, and they are not regarded
as competent to cope with the United
states fleet now assembled in the neigh
boring harbor Of Hong Kong.
Old StngIe-Turrct Monitors,
The work of preparing the old single
turret monitors of the civil war for sery-
ice is progressing satisfactorily They have
all been pulled out OF their bed of mud
IN the back channel of the League Island
navy yard, where they have remained for
years There are eight of them altogether.
The Manhattan and Mahopac, two of the
largest are 2l2 feet long and 60 feet wide.
Ihey draw nine and half feet of water.
The smaller monitors differ from the 9TH
ers only in having a little less length. All
lie very low in the water, showing hardly
more than four or five inches of their hull
plates. All of them float all right and have
oeen towed to the reserve basin to undergo
tests Of their machinery Although hack
NUMBERS in naval sense, they would un-
doubtedly render a good account of Them
selves In the defense of any harbor where
they may be anchored
kilograms were received at the Navv 10
lartment today from Admiral Sicard at
Key West, announcing the arrival of the
olspatch boat Fern from Havana and the
departure OF the cruiser MarbIehead for
lortusas. The date Of the departure of the
fern with food supplies for the starving
Cubans at Matanzas and Sagua La Grande
VIII depend Upon the time 1t takes to trans
Ter the supplies from the wharf to the YES
Sell Inc expectation Is that she will be
ready to start On her mission of mercy to-
morrow or Saturday. The gunboat VIII
mlngton, which has been cruising in the
west Indies for several weeks, arrived at
st. Lucia this morning from Fort de
France. ! II:
There Is considerable unfavorable COM
ment over the delay in the construction of
the submarine torpedo boat Plunger build
ing by the Holland company in Baltimore.
Under the contract the vessel should have
been finished over two years ago. The
latest reports of the condition of the work
Upon hes show that she is hardly more
than half completed, and there are no III
dications as 10 when she will become avail
able for service. She is not considered a
factor In the pending naval preparatio
for uphoiding the henor and dignity of the
CnlteC states.
CODsuls' Lot in Cuba.
1t Is realized at the State Department
that the lot of the American consuls in
Cuba IL very Lard one; 1t has been difficult
for many months, and Is nc better now
Still the department Is gratified at the
status with which these officers have dis
charged their duties and stood by their
posts So far as can 5e learned at the
State Department, none of them has re-
signed, and stories to the contrary prob
ably found their origin in the fact that
one consul whose health had broken down
applies for leave Of abs nce, which will
be granted to him.
The gunboat Wilmington arrived at st.
Lucia this morning from Martinique, while
the Vicksburg sailed from st. kits for
Martinique. The Marblehead and Fern went
over from Key West to Tortugas today
Just why the Fern, which was expected TO
carry the relief supplies to Cuba, went
over is not known at the Navy Depart
ment, but 1t Is conjecturad that she simply
used some idle time while the provisions
which she has to carry were being unIosded
to carry some supplies Of ammunition and
the like to soma of the vessels OF the fleet
at Tortugas.