The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-04-04

4nIOrmat1On ABOUT the mOVe@
ments of the Torpedo F1otil1a--
Preparing Bases of Supplies.
| WASHINGTON, April 3.-There was
comparative quiet about the White
House and the departments to-day. The
members of the Cabinet did not call
on the President during the early part
| of the day nor did they visit the de-
partments. The White House was in
| its usual state of Sunday quietude, AS
! sistant Secretary Day being the only
| forenoon caller, remaining with the
President for about half an hour. Judge
| Day did not go to the State Depart
ment and it is presumed will do most
of his work Of preparation for matters
| to be incorporated in the Presidents
message at his home. Several of the
higher officers of the State Department.
and clerks in charge of tranSlating
cipher cables were on duty. Some cable
messages were received during the fore
noon, but it was stated that none OF
| them were on matters of much import
ance 1t was stated that the DEPART
ment had no official information about
the Consuls of the United States going
| to Havana for safety.
| Secretary Long did not visit the Navy
! Department but his mail was sent TO
| his residence. Assistant Secretary
| Roosevelt was at the department for a
| short time attending to his correspond
| ence. A number of naval officers and
! clerks were at their desks, principally
those who have charge of active opera
tons and the preparations that are pro-
| crossing for equipping and supplying
the navy. The naval officers read with
| interest and discussed the Associated
| Press Madrid bulletin regarding the
movement of Spanish ships and tor
pcdo flotilla. 1t was said that the flo
tilla perhaps had encountered bad
weather in attempting to sail di-
| rect for Porto Rico and might have
! been driven to the Verde Islands. 1t
was also said that experienced naviga-
tors were of the opinion that the flotilla
had taken that course in order to avoid
adverse winds and to find better course
! by way of the Verde Islands. This would
save coal, SIS sail power could be used TO
advantage Some naval officers were
of the opinion that they could not trust
wholly to Madrid information concern
ing the movements of the Spanish war
ships at present, especially if the Span
ish admiralty thought advantage would
be gained by misleading the American
Navy Department.
Both the War and Navy Departments
! have been considering bases of supplies
in the event of hostilities and all avail
able ports on the Southern and Gulf
coasts have received attention The
general opinion is that the Gulf offers
more and better places than the At
lanti0 PanSaoOla
bile and New Orleans are all believed
to be available. No one place will be
depended on. The water stages given
are: Pensacola - feet, Mobile % feet,
| Tampa 20 feet and the Mississippi 26
feet. This is the low water entrance.
! 1t is not intended that the big war yes
sells should be taken into these places
to receive supplies. They will be eoaled,
provisioned and receive ammunition
from lighters, which can be sent over
the bars in the harborS. 1t is regarded
as impracticable to attempt to get the
big ships up to wharves, and moreover
their coming to land would not tend
to increase the efficiency and discipline
of the crew. 1t is said that Punta Gorda,
farther south than Tampa, is being con-
sidered by the War Department as a.
point for embarking troops and supplies
in case an army was to be sent to Cuba.
Light draught vessels could easily en-
ter this bay for such a purpose.
Assistant Secretary Day came to the
State Department early in the afternoon
and Immediately began debating to his
stenographers. He gave orders to adj
nit nc one and would not be interrupted
for any purpose. Other officers OF the
department remained in their rooms
during the day.
President Mckinley did not so to
church to-day, but was DusiIy engaged.
Quite a number of executive clerks were
also at work during the cay.
The best information obtainable here
is that no reply to SPANS memorandum
(for it appears that the response Senior
Sagasta gave to General Woodford's
last representations that hostilittes
must cease was in the nature of a me
norandum instead of a note) has been
sent This statement was made ct the
State Department by a gentleman who
almost certainly would be in a position
TO know. The superstition that the last
cablegram, described as an eleven-page
message, is a reply probably based on
the fact that there are, as Madrid says.
eleven pages of it, but that is not sig
nificant since the. department uses
group cipher and it is said that eleven
pages probably would be in reality
comparatively short message and the
department has been cabling Minister
Woodford for several days, sending him
information and instructions. These
communications, it is stated, as indi-
Gated in the foregoing, have not been i'll
the nature of a reply to SPANS last re-
Spouse, an abstract of which was given
out after Fridays meeting.
The Navy Department has received q
dispatch saying that the Spanish war
ship Carlos V. has been delayed from
sailing for Ferroll up to this time be-
cause she was waiting for the arrival
of twenty French machinists. Seven of
these machinists We're selected and
taken aboard and the vessel departed
for Ferroll.
This confirms information which the
Navy Department has received fire.
quently that the Spanish navy is very
poorly supplied with machinists for war
vessels, aud has been seeking expert
enced men in France.