The record-union., 1898-02-23
A QUIET DAY AT THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL.


least had not been checked up TO the
9Th inst. He telegraphed as follows:
HAVANA, Feb. 21.-Filler tobacco
February 10th, to New York, oo5 oaies'
40 barrels; 10Th. to Tampa, % ha'eS'
to Key West, $50 bales; nth. III baies
to New York. II to Philadelphia; l9th,
23 bales to Tampa. 16 TO New YORK. 40
to Baltimore and 3S TO Chicago.
Judge Day had received no news OF
the rumOred capture of the Dauntless.
and m fact the above telegram was all
he had had from Havana in the last
tWen-y-four hours.
In the Navy Department few orr
cials came down to look over the mails
and for any kilograms that might nave
been received. Secretary Long himself
spent an hour in his office in the fore
noon looking over his private mail. He
said he had had nothing from Havana,
and did not expect anything. The ma
val regulations under which the court
of inquiry was proceeding at Havana
absolutely precluded the conveyance by
any member of the court or the court
as a body TO any person, even the Sec
retary of the Navy, of any facts de-
veloped during the progress OF the IN
qury, unless the action of the depart
nent was necessary on some develop
ment to further investigation. For TINS
reason, the Secretary does not expect
to learn anything officially or unoItl,
cially for several days from any of the
members of the court, and as Captain
Sampson, the President Of that boGy,
has given notice at Havana that ane
proceedings would be kept secret there,
the officials here do not see how any
one can see what the court is doing.
The following telegram was receive
by the Navy Department this Afternoon
from Captain Sigsbee:
Send to Forsyth for Sigsbee trans
verse sectional drawing OF Name
through forward 10-inch magazine and
shellroom, showing pocket coal bunk
ers.'
This request was Immediately com-
piled with 1t is supposed that CAPITA n
Sigsbae wants those drawings TO assist
in the work of wrecking the ship, as
they would be of great aid to the div
ers. They will be useful also as the
basis for the testimony now being taken
by the court of inquiry at Havana. The
fact that it is deemed essential thai
the drawing shall show the pocket coal
bunkers. which abut on the magazine,
is evidence that Captain Sigsbee has
in mind the spontaneous combustion
theory. though it does not follow by
anv means that he is committed TO A.
Some of the employees of the Navy
Department have been making est1-
mates of the amount of money tha'
win be required to meet the demands
xxrh htfh
proposes to introduce in the House, al
lowing a years sea pay to the famllles
of the dead sailors and money Tor los'
clothing ard effects not to exceed
years pay to the survivors. The reso-
luton fixes the sum at not to exceed
S130.00O.
The naval officers assert that the re-
port to the effect that the movements
of the South Atlantic squadron, now
| under way, are with a view to the
early assembling OF the vessels neal
Havana is without foundation. This
movement they say, is IN direct ac-
cord With the plan outlined in Decem-
Der last by Captain Chester of the Cln-
cinnati. In command Of the squadron
and approved by the department. This
plan was about as follows: After the
smaller vessels We're docked at BuenoS
| Ayres. he would assemble the squad
ron and proceed up the coast of South
! America for squadron drill, visiting al
the ports where American interests ex-
! list. going as far as Para. Upon the
return of the squadron from the north
| he would make Il long visit TO Rio dc
Janeiro with all the vessels. Near Rio
| is the harbor of Isle de Grande. where
the vessels would have target practice
! and other squadron exercises. This
/ would also give the smaller vessels ar
/ opportunity for torpedo practice.
In further explanation Of the move
ment Of the two ships of the South At
! antic squadron. it is said at the Navy
! Department that some time ago woro
/ came that they were in need of coal
| but that yellow fever prevailed al
( Para, where they were then, and south
Of them in Brazil They We're author
( lied to proceed to some healthy port
/ for their coal, and thus il is stated
they came to go to Barbados.
! In explanation of the order giver
yesterday to the Norfolk Navy Yard Of
! fcials TO have the Terror in condition
! for service. Secretary Long said this
order had been given to replace the
! Maine. it being deemed desirable thai
the armored fleet should not fall below
/ 4 certain number. There was very
little work to be done on the Terror
and forty-eight hours should suffice to
finish It, The Terror is our most pow
erful double turreted monitor, and al
though not as effective as sea boat
as a battleship in the smooth waters
IL
able to hold her own against almost
any craft
The commander of the Right Arm is
ordered 10 place himself with his div
ers and machinery under the orders OF
Captain SigsDee, who thus will be free
TO avail himself Of their services in the
recovery Of bodies or any particularly
desirable place Of equipment OF prop
erty before the regular wrecking oper-
ations begin. These are emergency
steps which precede the main wreck
| ing expedition, which will. be outfitted
at Boston. New York and Norfolk. with
| 4 view to beginning extensive opera
| tons within week.
| The terms CT the contract as con-
Guided and signed to-day provide for
the payment TO the wrecklng companies
the sum of SS11 per day for the reg
ular plant and an additional payment
of 500 per day for the use of the
i, Monarch while the latter IS actually
employed. An express provision is
made that the Government may ter
inmate the contract at any moment I,
is also provided that the compensation
shall not exceed the sum of money
tS2oe'o00 appropriated by Congress for
this purpose in the joint resolution
passed. 1t is also provided that If the
/ companies succeed in raising the Maine