Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-03
WARSHIPS FOR CUBA.
THEY ARE GOING, HOWEVER, ON
MOST PEACEFUL OF MISSIONS.
The MONTGOMERY and NASHVILLE.
They Are fo Carry Supplies for Re-
lief of Recopcentradoes-N war
Preparations at Washington
Charges Against the DauntIess.

ships to Cuba with supplies for the suf-
fering reconcentradoes caused some COM
motion In official circles to day. until the
real purport of the visit of the ships
| came out
The cruiser Montgomery and the gun
boat Nashville were selected for the pur-
pose. and orders were sent to Admiral
Sicard to put them in shape for the re-
quired service
1t is explained at the Navy Department
that this acticn was taken at the in
stance of the Cuban Relief Association,
organized through the efforts of the State
| Department for the relief of the destitute
non-combatants in Cuba. 1t was report
ed to the department that great distress
prevails among the people in the vicinity
of Sagua La Grande and MatanZas, on
the northern coast OF the island, and
that considerable difficulty is experienced
in sending supplies there because of the
| infrequent visits of merchant ships. On
| this account, and because of the imme-
date demand for supplies at the points
| indicated officers of the association re-
! quested the Secretary of the Navy TO use
one or more of the warships for the
! transportation of food supplies contri-
buted by the charitable people of the
| United States in response to the appeals
| Of President Mckinley and Secretary
| Sherman Secretary Long conferred with
| the President on the snbject. ana III was
| decided to comply with the request. The
Montgomery and Nashville were selected
as most suitable for the service, and the
! miral Sicard.
The Montgomery will go to Matanzas
and the Nashville to Sagua La Grande,
with the understanding that they Will re-
main in those ports only long enough 10
deliver the supplies TO the agents OF the
association. for distribution where they
will do the most good.
Although the mission assigned TO tne
warships will take them both wllnln
short distance of Habana, estlfnd,eo d.
from two 10 four hours. it is stated that
neither vessel will visit the CUBAN capi-
tai
IN BOUTELLE'S BEHALF.
TO remove the impression that had got
fen abroad to the effect that the relations
between the Navy Department ana the
House Naval Committee were not mar
monious. Secretary Long this afternoon
gave out a short statement on the SUD
ject. He said
"Coneressman Boutelle has been misun-
derstood. The Congressman, VINO Is one
of the most patriotic men in the world
is always ready TO do everything that
can be done for the navy. In his anhuai
report the Secretary recommended that
1 500 men be added TO the enlisted force,
on account of the increase In the numper
Of ships. The Naval Committee. OF which
Mr.. Boutelle is chairman, has already
decided to grant this increase in the
regular naval appropriation bill. Mean
time. if there be any immediate necessity
for more men, the same committee, ana
Mr.. Boatelle as its chairman, are ready
to make provision to that effect at once"
TOBACCO FROM CUBA.
A cablegram came from General Lee
during the day to the State Department,
but il made no reference 10 the Maine
affair being devoted to the periodical
statement of the tobacco exports from
Cuba TO the United States ports The
telegram was as follows:
"Filler tobacco, February 26th-72 bales
Tampa. % Key West. 5S4 Chicago, 10 Mill
waukee 2S4 New York"
A commander for the monitor Mianto-
nomoh, which was ordered into commls-
sion yesterday, was to-day selected IN
the person of Captain Mortimer John-
son. who is at present on waiting orders
Secretary Long says that the Miantono-
moh. with the ram Katahdin, will remain
I'm the Delaware, for the present, at least.
With the commissioning of these two
vessels there remain only the cruisers
Columbia and Minneapolis, on the At |
lantic coast, available for immediate ser
vice i'm case the department should de- |
eide to commission more ships. The At |
lanta. at New York could be made ready |
in the course of three or four months,
and the Chicago in six months, in case |
emergency orde,s for their repair were
issued. There are number OF good |
ships on the Pacific coast, however, |
whose repair is under way such as the |
Charleston, the Philadelphia, the York |
town and others. and the payroll of |
the construction bureau at the Mare Is |
land navy-yard has now amounted TO |
the large total of 10000 per month for |
wages alone.
The Navigation Bureau is still busy |
with the preparation of death certificates |
for the families of the victims of the |
Maine disaster Captain Hawley, who |
has the matter Immediately in charge |
says that, owing to the necessary for
malities these certificates cannot be |
issued before March 18th. and this an
received at the department.
NEED FOR MACHINISTS.
1t is said in the Navigation Bureau,
that there is a pressing need OF able
machinists for the navy, caused by the |
heretofore unnoted fact that every |
one of the machinists on the Maine lost |
his life in the explosion. Moreover, all /
the fremen but one was killed.
The bureau has invited enlistments
from men who have had naval service
before in the engine-rooms, and it is said
that a number of these men are now en-
loving the three-months' period Of time
between enlistments, during which they
may come again into naval service with
ont loss of service record. 1t is hoped
that some of them will come forward to
fiji the places made vacant by the Maine
disaster
sir Julian Pauncefote came to the
State Department to-day. bearing one OF
the formal expressions of deep coincidence
and sympathy with the government over
the loss of the Maine that have come now
from every one of the British Colonies.
This latest message was as follows:
washington. 18th February. Sir,-At
the request OF Sir Alfred Maloney' Gov
ernor of the Windward Islands, have the
honor TO convey the heartfelt sympathy
of that Colony with the government and
people Of the United States In the loss
sustained through the explosion on boa d
the Maine
II have the honor, etc,
(Signed) JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE."
NO WAR PREPARATIONS.
There Is no unusual stir of activity
about the bureaus of the quartermaster-
-, -, tba oouypfcs "a rv- oaparol NJ tho |