Warren sheaf., 1898-01-27
THE AMERICAN FLEET.
Movement of United States Cruisers
81 Or IES,v

& Off Key West. w
Key West, Fla, Jan. 24-The fleet
Of battle ships will sail for Dry Tortu-,
gas this morning.
Jacksonville. Fla, Jan. 24-A special
to the Times-Union and Citizen from
Key West, Fla, says: There has been
much excitement in this city during the
last "a hours, due to an alarming tele-
gram from Havana stating that the
streets had been flooded with an anony-
nous circular calling upon all anti
American elements to mobilize and raid
the American colony. Capt. Gen.
Blanco, fearful that the rabid element
of the city might attempt such violence,
has placed an extra military guard
around Consul General Lees office.
The feeling Of uneasiness felt here
because of the proximity of this city
has been allayed, especially since Sun
DAY morning at ten o'clock, when Ad-
miral Sicard's imposing fleet of battle
ships, consisting of the New York, In
diana, Massachusetts, Iowa and Texas,
arrived off the bar. The Maine, Mont
gomery and Detroit, and the torpedo
boats Gushing and Dupont left the har-
Dor at II o'clock and joined the fleet,
the whole making an impressively
formidable appearance and one inspir-
ing confidence in the strong right arm
of the American government. The
stopping of the war ships here is a
break in the, programme of the admiral,
whose plan, under orders, was not to
stop. The fleet, however, will leave to-
day for Tortugas.
Washington, Jan. 24.-Both Secrc-
tary of the Navy Long and Secretary of
State Sherman unequivocally deny that
any war ships have been sent to Havana.
They denounce the report contained in
Il dispatch from Jacksonville, Fla, as
wholly unfounded, and say that if Ad-
miral Sicard had received dispatches
. from Consul-General Lee to go to Ha-
Vana they would have heard something
from Gen. Lee here in Washington. No
message at all has been received by
either the secretary of state or the
secretary of the navy to give rise to the
report that the war ships had gone to
Cuba. Assistant Secretary of State Day
says he, thinks the appearance of the
gunboats off Key West is the cause OF
these sensational reports.
A later dispatch from Jacksonville
contained sensational rumors of excite
ment in Havana. It said the guard about
the consulate had been doubled and
that circulars had been distributed
among the volunteers calling Upon them
to protect the Americans. The officials
say that if Consul-General Lee had Sc
cured information of this threatened
outbreak in time to make ell of these
preparations for the protection of the
consulate and the American citizens in
Havana he would certainly have had an
opportunity to notify the state depart
ment of the threatened crisis. 4,
=. Madrid, Jan. 24.-The report that
American war ships have been ordered
tosCuban waters has caused great ex-
citement here. The Impartial, in the
course of a violent article, says: "We
see now heeagerness Of the Yankees to
seize Cuba" The cabinet met and de-
cided-so it is: reported-to address a
manifesto to the country. One minister
in the course of an interview said the
government was quite tranquil respect:
ing the movements of American war
ships, which were fully known to the
minister Of marine. - .-s
Aprivate report from Puerto Principe
confirms the report that Gen. Caste1lauo
has destroyed Esperanza. lat. the ex-
treme west Of the Sierra Cubitas). the
ID headquarters of fethesinsurgent govern
ment, which moved to Navajaz. saving
documents and files. When the insur-
gents retired they left 81 Of their num-
ber dead on the field, but carried away
their wounded. The government troops
lost q killed and 81 wounded.