Evening star., 1898-03-26

foreign relations. A desire had been ex-
pressed by the naval committee that the
report. being the findings on q naval dis
aster. should be referred to that commit
tee. but Senator Piatt was Of opinion that
an agreement would be reached by which
1t would 80 to the foreign relations COM
mittee.
It Is practically settled that when the re.
port on the Maine disaster reaches the Sem
ate it will be referred to the committee on
foreign relations. Some of the members of
the committee on naval affairs have felt
that that committee should have the re-
Port In view OF the investigation which 1t
has been ordered by the Senate to conduct,
but the foreign relations committee claims
jurisdiction because of the international
character OF the questions involved. and
Senator Hale. chairman Of the naval COM
mittee. said today that he did not now ex-
Feet to make any objection to the matter
going to the foreign committee.
The hope is expressed by all the more
conservative senators that the Presidents
message and the accompanying papers will
De allowed to go to the committee without
any debate or comment whatever in the
Senate, but they are not confident of ac-
compiishing this result. Most Of the sem
ators have tac..iy agreed that this should
be the course, but there are q few from
whom no promise has been secured, and
there Is some apprehension that one or
more of these may make objection to i'm
mediate reference. or that some OF them
may offer resolutions providing for direct
Intervention
There Is. however, continued and persist
ent effort to prevent such action and tn.
Indications now are that this effort will
succeed.
silence for more than a few days, and it is
generally understood that the Cuban ques-
tion will force its way to the front in the
Senate under any circumstances by the end
of the week.
TO WORK TWELVE HOURS.
New Orders for Machfnists I'm the
Navy Yard Gun Shops.
Machinists in the gun shops at the navy
yard will be required hereafter to work
twelve hours a day. The new order takes
effect at midnight Sunday. when a full
force will begin and work continuously
Until noon Monday. A second shift will
work from noon until midnight. and they
VIII relieve each other from day to day.
For several weeks the officials have been
working the force in three shifts Of eight
hours each, but the failure to secure the
requisite number Of hands to push the work
as rapidly as they desire causes the change
in their plans. Captain Pendleton. who is
in charge. also says the work should not
be In the hands of three different men. as
1t is too important.
Guns are being turned out rapidly and
prepared for shipment to the warships.
Several large 13-inch guns are being given
the finishing touches, and a large number
of smaller caliber will soon be ready for
business. -
DEFENSE OF LONG ISLAND SOUND.
Major Leach in Conference With Sec
retnry Alger.
Major s. g. Leach of the engineer divi-
SION. U. S. A, stationed at New London,
Ccbn., has been in consultation with Sec
retary Alger in regard to the Notifications
of Long Island sound. Plans had been
made for the defense of Gull Island. at the
eastern entrance to the sound, and it is
now proposed to greatly elaborate these
pls ms SO as to give Long Island sound a
first-class defense. thus protecting New
York.
1t was decided to assemble all the old
and other forts in Connecticut and mount
them at the harbors of Bridgeport and
New Haven. In each of these cities are
large factories for the manufacture of arms
and ammunition, and Major Leach made
this a special point why ~the sound and
these harbors should be better protected.
May Command the New Orleans.
1t is understood that Commander w. NJ.
Folger has been selected to command the
new cruiser New Orleans. Commander
Folger is son of ex-secretary Folger of
the treasury. He is now in charge of the
New York light house district.
A Deficiency Appropriation.
Secretary Long has sent a communication
to Congress asking for deficiency appro-
priation of 5000 for steam machinery In
the Navy Department.
Proposed Use of the Tenders.
The naval authorities are considering a
plan for the use IN the naval service Of
the light house tenders. now under the
control Of the Treasury Department. There
are thirty-nine of these vessels, varying in
tonnage from % to LOSE tons, and about
ore-half of them are now in waters which
rertder them Immediately available for
service on the Atlantic coast. 1t is be-
ieved that they can be used with ad-
vantage as scouts, pickets or videttes and
similar purposes. In case they are brought
into requisition they will be provided with
suitable batteries of rapid-fire guns.
rendered to the Government.
Bisbee and Foster. owners Of the famous
flibustering tug Dauntless, have rendered
that vessel to the government for use as
a gunboat in case of war with Spain, but
no action has yet been taken by the au-
thorities.