Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-03-20
Inc Register Has Only Sunday TeIegraphiC News Service
NEGOTIATIONS GETTING HOT.
Uncle Sam Almost Sure to Get the
0'Higgins and Varese.

UHlgglns and vareSe.
The Argentine Republic Has Made
Arrangements With the Builders
of the Varese to Dispose of Her.
Though the Name Of the Buyer Is
Not Stated - Cablegrams From
Commander BrownsOn TEND to
Show the Negotiations for Both
Varese and O'Higgins Are About
Closed-Two Fine Modern Fight
ing Ships-Big Orders for Powder
P.aced-Senators Get Little ntOr-
NATION From Cabinet Officers.
Rome, March 19-Arrangements
have been made between the Argentine
Republic and the Orlando Shipbuilding
Company for the sale of the armored
cruiser Farese. The name of the pur-
chaser of the Varese is not stated.
Washington, d. c., March 19-Late
in the day the prospects became much
brighter for the acquisition by the
United States OF two exceptionally fine
WarShipuS, the armored cruiser San
Matino, belonging to the Argentine
Republic, and the battleship General
O'Higgins, belonging to Chile. The
hope of getting these ships had been
almost given up, but cablegrams re-
ceived to-day from Commander Brown
son, now in Europe, made the outlook
more encouraging. Up to the close of
a n
not been concluded, but a high official
summed up the situation by saying the
negotiations were getting very hot"
The San Matino was originally built
for the Italian government and was
then known as the Varese, but since
her purchase by Argentina she has
been renamed. Her dimensions are:
Length, 1928 feet; beam, SO; draft,
"a; displacement $50 tons; horse
power, 10000; speed, 1923 knots.
Her armament is two eight-inch rapid
fire guns, mounted on barbettes and
protected by hoods; ten 6-inch quick
fire guns in a central redoubt: six At
inch quick fire guns on the upper deck
and % smaller quick fire guns on the
upper deck. All the guns on the upper
decks are protected by steel shields.
The General O'Higgins is battle
ship of $500 tons, built at Elswick.
Her dimensions are:
Length 400 feet; beam, 81; draft
%. Her contract speed is 21A knots
Her armament is four eight-inch, ten
6-inch, four Az Armstrong guns, eight
12-pounders, ten 6-pounders and four
submerged torpedo tubes. Her pro-
tective deck is a belt of Harveyized
Steel inches thick. Her gun houses
for the eight-inch guns and the case
ments of the 6-inch guns are protected
by six inches of nickel steel.
Both the navy and war departments
continue their active preparation for
emergency and contracts in all
branches of armament are being made
by the various bureaus. The naval
bureau of ordnance has contracted for
100000 pounds of brown powder.
which IS probably tie largest single
order ever given. This was divided
between the California Powder Com
pany and the Dupont Powder Com
pany.
These concerns together are furnish
ing the bureau about 10000 pounds
daily, and within a week or so it is
expected the capacity of these two
works Will be brought up to 10000
pounds of powder daily. The order
is sufficient in the aggregate to give
200 rounds for every gun afloat in the
American navy, and with this large
supply on hand, the navy for the first
time in years Will be more than amply
supplied with powder.
An unusually large number Of SEN
ators took advantage of the fact that
the Senate was not in session to-day
to call upon the cabinet officers with
the hope of securing information as to
the Cuban situation. They succeeded
only in learning that the report of the
Maine court of inquiry had not arrived.
but that it was expected early next
week, and that it would be forwarded
to Congress Immediately upon its ar
rival, unless of an Unexpectedly start
ling character.
Some of them found the high officials
of the State Department celebrating
upon the line of policy to be pursued
in case the report of the naval court
should have the effect of entirely elm
mating tho Maine incident from the
situation. So strongly was this cor
tingency dwelt upon that the inference
was drawn by some of the Senatorial
visitors that the department had been
led TO believe or bad even been in
formed that the report would fail to
connect the Spanish authorities or the
Spaniards with the tragedy. Still the
State Department officials did not
make any positive declaration that
such information was in their posses
sion, rather advancing it as tentative
suggestion, and when pressed for in
formation on this point replied that
they only knew that the report was to
come next week and that they had no
advance information as to its con-
tents. They seemed inclined to seek
suggestions rather than to give out
opinions as to plans. apparently indi-
eating that no definite course had been
decided upon pending the Maine re-
port.