The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-22

startling cf1aracte- Some of them
found the high officials OF the state de-
partn1ent deHiberating upon the line of
policy to be pursued in case the report
Of the naval court Should have the eff
| feet of entirely eliminating the Maine
incident from the the situation. The
state department officials did not make
any positive declaration that such in
| formation was in their possession, rath
er advancing Ut as a tentative sugges-
ton, and when pressed for informa-
| tion on this point replied that they
only knew that the report was ito come
| next week and that they had no ad
vance Information as to it's contents.
| IMPORTANT CONTRACT AWARD
| An important contract was let by
! the bureau of yards and docks of the
| navy department today. It was. for
| dredging about 100000 feet of the 1far-
| Dor about Fort Jefferson, on Dry Tor
| tugas island, which will enable - large
naval and merchant vessels to anchor
| very near the shore to take on coal.
| This is the first step taken by the navy
! department toward making a naval sup
| ply coaling station at the Tortugas
work ON which viii now be pushed as
rapidly as possible. The Alabama
Dredging Company, of Mobile, were
| awarded the contract
WATCHING THE SPANISH FLO
| TILIGA.
| There is no doubt that the autho1f-
ties here are keeping themselves fully
| advised as to the movement of the
| Spanish torpedo f10tilfa now en- route
| from Spain. Persons acquainted with
| the facts say that the stop at the
| Canary islands is only temporary, and
THAT There is no purpose ON the part of
| the Spanish government to turn back
| the torpedo boats because of the remoy-
| al Of the Texas and Massachusetts,
| from Key West. On the contrary the
| purpose, as made known in Washing
ton, is that the torpedo f1otilla will con-
, tinue it's trip to Cuba and Porto Rico
Tt was stated today by one high in
naval authority that no steps had been
taken toward interceptfng this f1otilla
| or warming it away.
The state department posted the fol-
lowing memorandum during the day:
| The elections for the Cuban house of
representatives will take place on
| April 24th and that for the council of
administration ON April z8th. The Gu
ban parliament will meet May 2nd.''
| The diplomatic aspect of the Spanish
| question developed no new phases to-
| day.
| Messrs. Angulo, Valera and Cadenas,
| the three commissioners named by the
| Cuban cabinet to act with Minister
| Polo in framing a commercials treaty,
will be presented to secretary Sherman
and Judge Day on Monday next. They
expect to take up the negotiation Wi tn
| Commissioner Kasson after the cere-
mOny of presentation is concluded.
THE PORT ROYAL SQUADRON.
Commodore Farquhar, formerly chief
of the bureau of yards and docks of the
| navy yard was in conference with the
naval officials today. He reported that
the finishing touches have been put on
the monitor Puritan and that she is in
a fine condition for sea service. 1t is
expected that the Puritan will leave
soon for Port Royal, s. c., at which
place it has been reported the navy de-
partment will locate a fleet Of torpedo
boats, which may he called on for as
sistance either by the fleet at Hamp-
ton Roads or that at Key West, should
necessity arise. The monitors which it
has been said will compose the fleet in
clude the Anphi tT'ite, Terror MiantO-
nonaih and Puritan.
spain PLAYING HER LAST CARD
Havana, via Key West, Fla, March
| 19.-NewS has just reached this cores
pondent from authentic sources that
the autonOmists government, backed
| by the military authorities here and
the government at Madrid,i now play
ing dts last card to secure peace in
Cuba and prevent intervention on the
part of the United States. Near Pale
Prioto, and Via Jacas Gordasa, in the
| province of Santa Clara, on the WeS
side of the Jucaro-Moron trocha, are
gathered several thousand insurgents
under command of General Calixtc
Garcia and other prominent chiefs, &C
commpanied by Senator Masso, presi
dent of the Cuban republic, with sew
eral members of his cabinet. ALSO or
the west side of the trocha in the dis
trict of Santi Spiritus, less than thirty
miles distant from General Garcia:
forces, are stationed 1000 fnsurgent:
under Generals Pancho, Garlic, Mon
, ! teaguedo, LanclieZ, Legion and Con
zales. The Spanish Commander, Gen
eral Pando with General Pamirez
Charvez and other generals, is within
a few miles of General CaliXto Garcia
, General Gomez is west of the Jucaro
Moron trocha within easy reach.
All the insurgent generals, Presideni
Masso and the insurgent officials with
, General Garcia, got through Genera
| Pando's lines some times ago and tn.
| latter gave up the campaign, which
| was to be a grand military coup d
, grace But in addition to passing
, | through the trocha, the insurgent
D | I0nOTdl UdIlk. II
, just possible that this flank movemen
!, | was winked at by General Pando TO
I the purpose of attempting to carry ou
his 1llterior political purposes.
Such was the position Of all concern
| ed when the last advfces We're receive'
) | at THE palace in Havana. Genera
r | Pando's purpose, to further which h
| | has ordered a practical armistice in th
e eastern part of Cuba, it is stated sue
cinctly as follows:
I GENERAL PANDOS OFFER.
To have a personal conference wit
| General Cahxto Garcia, PreSden
v Masso and other insurgents, and eve
q ! with General Gomez, if possible, and t
n make them formal offer of autonomy
I according to the programme drawn u
by the left or radical wing of the party
e las previously cabled, this offer Include
a in return for the ending of the insured
| tiOn the disarmament and diSbandin