Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-17
NOT BEFORE MONDAY.
CONTINUED from FIRST Paxe.,

Brazilian cruisers in its honor. A tele-
gram from the New Orleans newspapers
was effectual in bringing the entire New
Orleans delegation to the Navy Department
soon after the opening Of the doors for the
days work. Albany, n. Y, is also a
formidable candidate for the honor of act
ing as sponsor to the Amazonas, and Sena-
tor Platt called upon Secretary Long a lit
tie before noon to urge that the boat be
&c lied Albany, adding, in support of the
application. that Albany was the natal
place of Capt. Sigsbee.
The naval officials are somewhat per-
picked at the receipt of additional quanti-
ties of provisions at Key West destined for
the relief of the suffering re,oncentradoes
in Cuba The point is that the department
has not just now available any suitable
vessel for the delivery of the supplies, and
1t may become necessary to charter a mer-
chant vessel
representative of Kansas City news
paper called at the State Department today
and notified Judge Day that it had collect
ed a very large quantity of fruit supplies,
which he desired transported, in accord
ance with the promise held out in the
Presidents proclamation, to Cuba. Without
doubt some method will be found speedily
to forward these supplies.
Movements of Warships.
The gunboat vicksburg sailed from Mar
Unique for St. Thomas, and the expectation
Is that the boat will finally join the squad
ron at Key West. That peculiar and ex-
detrimental craft, the Vesuvius, sailed this
morning from Fort George, Fla, for this
city. Many and substantial advances have
been made in the mechanism of dynamite
guns, such as the Vesuvius carries since
she was built, and the department proposes
to Immediately overhaul her machinery at
the Washington navy yard.
First Payments of the Big ApprO-
pfiatiOn.
The first payments out of the Cannon
So0.OOO.OO0 national defense appropriation
We're today ordered by the treasury OIL war
rants drawn on the order of the President
himself
The Treasury Department today cabled
10000. or $1JO,0O0. to the Armstrong; of
England, in part payment for twelve
rapid-fire guns. including mounts and am
munition. These things were ordered by
Secretary Alger. because he desired them
at once, and because they are of pattern
not to be had in this country. The guns
will be brought to this country as quickly
as possible, to be used on Notifications
The first payments on the Brazilian
cruisers Amazonas and AbreuaI were also
ordered by the treasury The warrant is
sued is for s1,6S9,621, and is in full pay
ment for the AmaZonas and part payment
on the Abreuall which Is not yet COM
pleted. The amount will be cabled to the
Rothschilds.
Both of these payments will have to De
made in gold. The amounts will come out
OF the abundance of gold in the treasury,
and will not be missed.
Fleet to be Increased.
The feet at Key West will be augmented
within the next day or two by the arrival
of the gunboat Annapolis, the torpedo boat
Foote and the naval tugs Leyden and Sam
oset.- while the grnboat Helena Is now on
her way from the European station, under
orders to report at Key West. These and
the other vessels previously ordered to that
point constitute the largest assemblage Of
war vessels made since the demonstration
following the Virginius affair, and, consid-
ering effectiveness and armament, IL is the
strongest assembiage of ships for other
than review purposes, since the war. The
feet now a. Key West and Tortugas is as
follows: Cruiser New York, battle ship
Massachusetts, battle ship Indiana, battle
ship Iowa, battle ship Texas, cruiser De-
troit, gunboat Nashville, cruiser Marble
head, dispatch boat Fern, torpedo boats
Du Pont. Gushing, Porter, WinsIoW and
Ericsson. To these will soon be added the
five vessels now en- route there In addi-
ton to these the Montgomery Is at Havana,
and is practically part of the fleet; the
gunboats Wilmington and Castine and
cruiser Cincinnati are at Barbados; the
Newport at Colon, with the Puritan, Ter
TOR. Amphitrite, Columbia Minneapolis,
Katahdin and other ships Of the North At
lanttc squadron at points along the coast
further northward.
The Fern sailed for Havana, from Kew
West, yesterday afternoon. She goes to
relieve the Montgomery as a home for the
officers engaged in supervising the wreck
ing operations in Havana harbor. 1t may
be stated unequivocably that the Mont
gomery Is not withdrawn owing to any
suggestion from Spanish sources that her
presence is not desired. 1t was the an
nounced intention of Secretary Long when
the cruiser was sent to Havana to keen
her there only SO long as the Fern should
be engaged In the work Of distributing re-
lief among the sufferers in eastern Cuba
Ihis task having been performed, and,
owing to the return of the court OF inquiry
from Havana, there being fewer persons
to accommodate. the Fern, which is better
equipped than the Montgomery to assist
in the wrecking operations, is returned to
her position.
To Rinse Army's War STRENGTH.
Representative Hull OF Iowa, chairman
of the House committee on military affairs
introduced today bill reorganizing the
line OF the army. 1t is sweeping meas
ure. making many changes in the existing
81 stem. 1t makes the peace organization
OF each regiment of infantry now in serv-
Ice hereafter embrace one colonel one Heu
tenant colonel. two majors, ten captains
twelve first Heutenants. ten second Hen
tel ants, one sergeant major, one quarter
master SERGEANT, one chief musician. two
principal musicians. two battalions of four
companies each and two skeleton or I'M
manned companies, the organized COM
panies to be constituted as now authorized
by law.
1t is provided. however, that nothing in
the bill shall be construed as abolishing the
office Of chaplain in each regiment of col
ored troops.
Section 2 provides that in time of war,
no Sn Iii