Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-04
STRONG INFLUENCE
OfMaine Delegation in Con-
gress Shown in Many Ways.
Warships PatroIing the Maine Coast
at Their Request.
And Notifications Being Erected and Com
pIeted at Exposed Points.

paonla in Maine are accustomed TO
talk about the influence OF their ueie-
cation in Congress but there was heNoi
a better example of ii than III the Wal
ships that have been speeding north ioi
the last week and in the WarShips tha'
will continue to speed noftn lot Nei"'
DAYS vet to come until there Is d lhol
ough double patrol along the coast
There have been frantic Appeals from
almost every quarter of the Maine
coast appeals that demonstrated the
undue excitement on the part OF APP
ne,lants for immediate protection. ii
The Maine senators and representatives
had been able to grant in full these de-
mands Admiral Schley would nave
hAen compelled to leave Fort Monroe
with his flying squadron and Admlrai
Sampson would have been compelled
TO forsake the blockade OF Cuba.
These fears of Maine people have
haen nagnified by the sending of the
Minneapolis and the COLUMBIA TO patfol
the Maine coast. This was part OF the
precaution taken by the navy depart
ment in case Spanish fleet should san
across the Atlantic and attempt an at
tack Of the New England coast. bul
the result was that the more protection
the Maine coast received the more they
called for and late last week and early
this week boards Of trade at Portland,
Bath. and other cities and prominent
individuals swooped down upon the
Maine senators with vigorous Appeals
AS Senator Frye stated some weeks
ago people in Maine have been much
exercised on account of the ola TRAM
lions of attacks upon the Name coast
If the Spaniards should come across IN
their warships they would lind them
selves separated from their base OF
supplies by thousands of miles OF
ocean and entirely helpless because oil
n lack of coal They would have no
pilots to guide them along the danger
Gus coast. They might fire few shots
into some of the Maine cities. just as q
matter of revenge, but they never could
do extensive damage. AS soon as the
smoke from their hostile tunnels We're
spied on the horizon, the news would
be heraIded from one end of the coun-
try to the other and the flying squad
ron would speedily be on hand with
mighty battleships and swift powerful
cruisers to give the Spaniards battle.
But whether there is any danger of
that at present or not Maine ought to
rest quite content with what she has
received or has been promised in the
Way of coast defense. The Columbia
and the Minneapolis are already along
her shores and the New Orleans and
the San Francisco are already on their
way to patrol the Maine coast. These
four fine cruisers will form an outer
patrol and will be likely to catch any
Spanish ship that dares to poke It's
nose into the waters that lap the rag
god shores of the Pine Tree State. The
navy department has also proceeded
well towards establishing an inner pat
rol of small war craft. Portland al
ready has a monitor, the MOntauk, and
Bath will have one within a few days.
Senator Frye is authority for the state
mcnt that one of the old iron monitors
of the same type as the Montauk will
be sent to Bath as soon as she can be
prepared for the trip north. He does
not know what the name of the moni-
tor will be.
Further a number of small ships will be
sent to protect Maine points 50 that it will
he quite impossible for a Spaniard TO do
extensive damage. The Maine delegation
are hurrying the sending of these boats
as much as possible In addition it should
be remembered that Maine has powerful
gums at Portland. Fort Popham and 9TH
or places, that would be heard from if an
attack was made. Exposed states like
F'lorila and South Carolina have re-
ceived comparatively no protection, al
though they are but a few hundred miles
from Cuba. Should the Spanish cruiser
now cooped up i'll Havana harbor be able
to run the blockaSe and pass the ships ot
Capt. SIMPSONS squadron, she could
scoot over to the coast of Florida and do
Il lots of damage without receiving much
punishment
So it is well for Maine people to realize
the debt they owe to their senators and
representatives i'll securing so much pro-
lection for the State. 1t is also well to
bear III mind that Augusta, Gardiner
HaIlowcll and Bath will be better protect
ed than any other part of the State. BE
sides the guns at Fort Popham there viii
Ice the monitor at Bath with powerful
guns that coull do great injury to an!
ship that should enter the Kennebec.
Capt. lsoutclle of the Fourth Maine dis
trct, who, as chairman of the House
committee on naval affairs, has had i'm
portant work to do in connection with tn,
naval preparations and has done it nobly
At the close of debate on the naval bill
Saturday. he gave some Interesting state
ments about what the committee on naVa
affairs has accomplished since his incum
bency as chairman. He told how iifteel
years ago there was not a single moderl
ship of war that flew the Star Spanglet
Banner and could not make ton o
armor in this country. During that fiji
teen years Congress has appropriated
$SS1, 9S7 $40, including the appropriation!
for this year In the five years that Capt
Boutelle has been chairman of the com
mittee on naval affairs. the House ha
appropriated $1.2. 6SH, 900. or almost 80 pc
cent of the whole amount which has beer
provided for this purpose in one thr,
of the whole period. The entire increas
in the tonnage Of vessels in the navy ha!
been 25S,0li tons and of that amount bill
have been introduced by Capt Boutell
in the House that led to an increase O
13o,SG0 tons. nearly u per cent in thre,
years. The bills reported in five year.