The herald., 1898-03-18
THE SQUADRON
To Be Stationed Off Hamp-
ton Roads
A STRATEGETIC MOVE
INTENDED FOR THE PURPOSE OF
DEFENSE
A PLAIN STATEMENT is MADE
That Spain Will Indignantly Repei
Any Demand for Indemnity for
the Maine Disaster
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE event OF
| the day in official circles was the issuing OF
an order for the formation Of a new squad
ron Of naval vessels to be stationed at
Hampton Roads The squadron in the be-
ginning will consist of five ships, all the
| best Of their types. Two of them, the bat.
tleships Massachusetts and Texas, are
Withdrawn from the present North Allan.
tic fleet at Key West and Tortugas In or.
dering this movement the navy department
is not animated by any purpose of yielding
| to representations or intimations that NAV
have come from the Spanish minister. On
the contrary, the new squadron was
brought about by purely strategic consld.
erations, although 1t appears from the ma.
ture of the force SO far under orders to
rendezvous at Hampton Roads that this
| strategy is of the defensive nature The
| new squadron cannot be called flying
| squadron" because the association of
| heavy batteships with fleet cruisers like
the Brooklyn, Columbia and Minneapolis
reduces the available speed Of the whole to
the speed of the slowest vessel, and the
squadron would not do much flying in
l
are that when REINFORCED by some smaller
cruisers the squadron will constitute an
ideal naval defense.
For the past two months influences have
been at work in the navy department about
this change, and as policy board headed
by Capt. Crowninshleld has been in free
quent session Of late at the department. II
Is believed that 1t has endorsed the plan at
last. Although the other ships to be add.
ed to the squadron have not yet been def
initely selected, 1t is surmised that they will
include some of the other battleships at
Key West and the armored cruiser New
York, In which case Admiral Sicard, It is
believed, will command the new force, In
place of the cruiser New York the people
of Key West will look upon the grim ont.
lines of the big monitor Puritan, supposed.
ly the most powerful ship in smooth water
in the world. She will have to assist her
on guard the double turreted monitor Mi
antonomah and the monitor Amphitrite.
The Puritan is now at Norfolk almost
ready for sea, the Miantonomah is at
League island quite ready and so is ths
Amphitrite at Port Royal, s. c.; so the
order in the end will result in the gather
ing OF the pick of the North Atlantic SQUAD
ron at Hampton Roads.
"A STRATEGIC POINT
The point Is said to be the best strateeie
point on the Atlantic coast. It ia almost
centrally located and the ships from that
point can reach any portion of the coast in
good order. Besides, the second best navy
yard IN the country is there to fall back
upon for repairs to the ships. There IA
plenty OF the best coal at Newport News,
there is easy water to navigate, and, final.
I1xy fbn ofI
as base Of operations in case of need for
protection. These are the considerations
which animated the navy department in
making this new order. 1t is announced
that the commander of the new SQUADRON
has not yet been selected and pending that
selection or the arrival in port of Admiral
Sicard, 1t is expected that Capt. Higgin.
son, the commander of the battleship Mas.
sachusetts and the senior officer, will hold
the command of the new squadron.
THE KEY WEST FLEET .t
Remaining at Key West after the de-.
parture of the Massachusetts and the Tex.
as. Admiral Sicard will still have fleet OF
his own in numbers, when the spectacle
will be presented of fleet and a squadron
on one station, something not seen sinca
the civil war.
The monitors which 1t Is designed to send
to Key West are said to be we'll fitted for
the service. Owing to their light draueht
OF from fifteen to sixteen feet they will be-
able to navigate safely the shallow waters
of the Florida coast and will not be Obliged
like the Iowa to lie six miles out at sea
from Key West to secure enough water
under keel.
The gunboat Helena reported to the de-.
partment that she had sailed today from
Funchal, Maderia for Key West to toin
the squadron. 1t Is now said that It has
been definitely determined to bring the bat
tleship Oregon around South America "a
Key West. The navy department has is.
sued orders that such trial as may be made
of the new torpedo boat Rodgers shall take
place while the boat is under way Satur-
day next from Baltimore to Norfolk. She
will also go southwark to join the fiotilla
at Key West.
The Columbia and Minneapolis are stilI
each 26O men short of their full quota, but
it is expected that enough men will be Sc.
cured in the course of a few days to enable
the ships to be sent to Hampton Roads to
execute the orders issued today
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCES
The Spanish minister called at the state
department at o'clock and remained with
Judge Day something over an hour. Both
parties to the conference were extremely
reserved at its conclusion. It Is under.
stood, however, that it developed no new
phases, but was a general talk in which
pacific assurances were exchanged and I
hopeful view Of the situation expressed. AZ
that time the naval orders taking the bait
tleships Texas and Massachusetts from
Key West and assigning them to the fIeet
at Hampton Roads was not known at the
state department. SO the minister was NOT
officially informed of the fact He heard
1t later and was naturally much gratifie6.
as the gradual strengthening OF the dest g
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