The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-18
RETURN OF THE FERN.

Key West. Fla, March 1.-THE Unit
ed States dispatch boat Fern arrived
here this afternoon from Matanzas.
The Ferns trip was uneventful. She
reached Matanzas on Saturday and
at once began ~discharging provisions
into lighters. On shore a few persons
had gathered, but there was no dem
onstration of any kind. The share OF
provisions for Matanzas was gotten rid
of in a business like way and the Fern
then sailed for Sagua Ia Grande, where
the same programme was gone through
on Sunday, the operation Of landing
the stores occupying about six hours.
United States Consul Barker boarded
h Fern Upon her arrival at Sagua-
He was overjoyed TO see an American
ship once NOR. even though il was
only the little Fern. The consul said
there were about $4,000 starving re-
concentrodoes in his district.
Ar officer of the Fern said TO the
correspondent of the Associated Press
today: 1T seemed as if the gladness
of the wretched Cubans at our arrival
was stiied by the overpowering dread
that hangs above the people Of Cuba
and hat could not be dispalled even
with the coming of the food for which
they longed. Naturally, We saw little.
Ours was no exploring trip. But We
saw enough to convince us tina the
stories emanating from Matanzas and
especially from Sagua la Grande are
not exaggerated"
The Fern will probably &c back with
more provisions about Friday.
TORPEDOES AND SHELLS.
The torpedoes and shells which ar
rived Saturday were transferred today
to Fort Taylor and considerable local
$500 @,-o1
that they were being placed in position.
An officer who would be connected
with such work, however, denied this
report and said: When you see these
mines or torpedoes being placed you
can make up your mind that war is
more imminent than it is at present.
They will not be put in position until
the last moment; for, however good
the mine, it is always liable to become
useless through the action of the wa
ter. We are not going to risk the use
fulness of expensive explosives by pre-
mature submersion. All these tor
pedoes can be aid in t~wenty-four
hours. If we laid them now they
would not only be liable to ~corrosiOn,
but everybody on the island would get
an idea Of their positions. The deli
cate nature of these defense torpedoes
seems hardly to have been realized by
theorists as to the Maine explosion. 1t
is incomprehensible to me that the
Spanish government in times of peace
allowed high power torpedOes to lie at
the mercy of the water in Havana har-
Dor. 1t would be against the judge
ment of all experts and the practice
of all governments; for, now adays,
these weapons can be laid at the short
est notice. Although / do not think
Havana harbOr was mined, / know
there are tOrpedOeS in MORO castle and
the naval arsenal that a be put in
position very quickly
ANXIOUS FOR RETURN OF THE
COURT.
The return of the court of inquiry is
wearily awaited, especially by the of
ficers of the Maine, who will a been
here a month next Wednesday,. They
have been expecting to go to their
homes on every boat of late and now
the hope deferred, added to the fact that
they are still without adequate ward
robes, makes them thoroughly discOn-
tented. Their orders, which are here
awaiting the courts pleasure, provide
that they shall return to their homes
and await orders, which probably
means a months leave.
The impression is growing here that
the report of the cour of inquiry will
not be presented for ONE time yet.
More tOrpedOes are expected and
some of these will be taken to the Tor
tugas for submarine defense.
The torpedo boat Winslow has arriv-
ed from Charleston. She made the
longest continuous run ever made by
a torpedo boat. The Schooner Harry
A. Bruner, Captain Hewitt, from Phil
adelphia is here with 1900 tons of coal
for tho fnaf Tho foot &c rnDnrtn1 sta
tionary.
COLA.
Pensacola, Fla. March 4.-The
schooner Josephine Meister has arriV-
ed with a large quantity of shot and
shell for the forts and batteries here.
A large lot of powder for the govern
ment arrived over the Louisville and
Nashville road this morning and two
car loads of torpedoeS arrived tonight.
The movement of troops from Fort
BarrancaS to the heavy batteries on
Santa Rosa island began today. This
is preparatory to practice with the big
disappearing guns which is expected
to begin this week.
THE SPANISH SQUADRON SAILS.
London, March IA special dis
patch from CadiZ, Spain,
that the Spanish squadron has sailed
from that port. 1t is understood the
Spanish warships are going to Porto
Rico, where they will await the or
ders of Captain General Blanco.
Enthusiastic crowds of people gather
ed to bid farewell to the wal vessels.
THE BIDS FOR SHOT AND SHELL.
Washington, March 1.-THE bureau
of ordnance OF the war department
opened bid today for a large supply
of armor piercing projectiles and for
u. 000, 600 rifle ball cartridges. The bid
ding brought together a number of
the representatives of the large steel
and ammunition companies, some of
whom took occasion to give
that in the present emergency govern
ment work would be given the prefer
ence over commercial orders. The bid
ders for steel projectiles, varying in
size from the S-inch steel capped shot
to the 1,000-pound shot, were the Mid
vale Steel Company, the B. Atha IL
lingsworth Company, the Carpenter
Steel Company and the Furth Sterl-
ing Company. The bid varied only
Sliptbly on tha vario11S ola SSaS of heavy