The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-02

JERSEY PREPARING,
Plans to Mobilize the Troops
at Sea Girt All
Completed.
TO INCREASE NAVAL RESERVE
State Authorizes Call Governments
Attention TO Vulnerable
Coast Points.
TO INCREASE NAVAL RESERVE

ing mas redcneu IeVef neat III lnlS CRY
and runors of a sensational charactel
caused the citizen-soldiers considerable
anxiety. AT an early hour word was
| passed around that the President had re-
/ quested Governor Voorhees, to increase
| the naval force to the full quota allowed
| by law, and it was said that recruits Were
wanted Immediately.
The basis of this rumor was a circular
! letter received by Adjutant General Stry-
| ker from Assistant Secretary of the
Navy Roosevelt, requesting New Jersey
to increase the Naval Reserve force to
| the full limit of the law. There are now
about 400 recruits In the Reserve, and BY
| law but SO more can be added Receiv-
| ing officers for the Trenton Division, Bat
| TALON of the West, enlisted twenty mine
/ able-bodied men last night. Under the
supervision of Ensign F. H. Silvers the
| division praeticed signaling until a late
| hour from the Trenton Battle Monument
| to ahigh elevation of land on the Penn
! sylvania side of the Delaware River, a
! distance of nearly four miles.
All kinds of runners were afioat about
| the State House, the principal one being
| that the National Guard was ordered to
get under way for immediate mobilizing
at Sea Girt. This was not true. 1t is
evident, however, that the State military
authorities have left nothing undone for
immediate action in the event OF a call to
arms, and it is also apparent that they
are convinced that war is inevitable.
The camp grounds at Sea Girt have
undergone transformation during the
past4few days. and today "A double fores
of men were at work extending the wafer
supply Of the grounds, SO that 5000 men
can be mobilized there at a moment $
notice. There are 4,2oo men in the New
Jersey National Guard, and but one
brigade of about 2,100 men goes into
camp annually. Consequently, the hy-
drants and the water mains were run
only a sufficient distance to accommodate
a single brigade. 1t was necessary, there
fore, to extend this water supply.
Quartermaster General Richard A. Dom
nelly has been most active during the
past few days preparing for an emer-
gency. He has been in communication
with the contractors for meat and other
rations, and has virtually contracted for
supplies to be shipped to Sea Girt upon
ten hours notice. AT the State Arsenal
there was much activity yesterday and
the accoutrements for further compile
ments of New Jersey citizen soldiers were
packed and ready for shipment at a mo-
ment's notice. The Quartermaster Cen
eral has also arranged for a special
through train in the event of a hasty call,
and is fully prepared, apparently, and can
carry out any order the Governor may
issue.
General Donnelly had a conference yes
terday with General Plume at Newark,
and it was decided, in the critical situa-
ton of affairs. that the contractors hav-
ing in charge the making of needed cloth
ing, leggings, belts, etc, for the National
Guard should be urged to make haste.
The contractors were also notified to ship
to the State Arsenal whatever goods they
had completed and to finish their con-
tract within given number of hours.
The Navy Departments attention has
been called to the condition of the coast
at Egg Harbor, and also to the unpro-
tected position Atlantic City would oc
cupy in the event of open hostilities with
Spain. At Egg Harbor the inlet has a
depth of water calculated to admit any
ordinary cruiser over the bar. The
Naval Reserve Corps reports a depth of
eighteen feet. AT high tide, it is said,
this would be twenty-one feet The inlet
is narrow, and it is the opinion of the
officers of the Reserve that it can be
fully protected by submarine mines and
torpedoes This opinion has been given
the naval authorities at Washington, and
it is intimated that the necessary mines
and torpedoes will be Forthcoming in
stantly upon the opening Of hostilities
Atlantic City is in difficult position.
It is directly on the coast, and there is
no bar to stop man-of-war or even a
battleship from coming dangerously near
the city. The six gun companies connect
ed with the National Guard who handle
howitzers, which carry a ball three miles,
it is understood, will be distributed at
Atlantic City and such points along the
coast.
1t was also said here today that
cargo of ammunition and some new arms
were received during the night at the
arsenal from the War Department at
Washington. This could not be verified.
IT is the intention of the Federal Govern
ment apparently, to send regiment of
regulars to Sea Girt to be enca1nped with
would be done because Sandy Hook and
other points are easily accessible from
Sea G1rt.
vINELAND, April 2, 1898 The war
feeling was red hot in Vineland yester
day, and in the evening Major Charles
2. Lord patriotically opene2 his offices
for the enlistment Of volunteers under the
command of Lieutenant Frank B. Potter,
". Moore's regiment Of South Jersey
Volunteers.
BRIDGEToN. April 3, 1895. An inds-
pendent military company is being orgaH-
lied N Bridgeton. The company vii
there is a. conflict with Spaiu