The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-13
PREPARATIONS FOR WAR
Continued from first page)

IT Is thought that they VIII likely be
sent to North and Hawkins Points.
Admiral Sicard's fleet is already in
| fighting shape, and the news from Key
West indicates that it would be ready
| to begin hOstilities on a moments no
tice. The magazines and coal bunkers
are full and the tars are in the pink Of
| condition.
Forty-five torpedOes reached Key
! W est yesterday on the Miami. Four of
! them are nearly four feet in diameter
| and of an inverted toadstool shape. The
! others are of the same shape, but are
! two and a half feet in diameter. With
| them, as necessary parts, We're sixty
six conical buoys, according to the
army men, but the excited Key West
| citizens say these, too, are separate
! tOrpedoes. The torpedo boat Dupont
went to the Dry Tortugas to replace
| the Porter stationed there.
Orders have been issued to command
ers of all the torpedo boats of the
! squadron to carry loaded torpedoes on
and after today. The ships have had
torpedoes loaded and in the tubes ready
/
Ammunition for Naval Reserve.
Eight thousand rounds of ammunition
! consigned to the Savannah naval re-
| serves will arrive in that city today or
! tomorrow. 1t is consigned to Lieut.. Cold
| ing of the Naval Reserves, and he has
| instructions from the War Department as
| to THAT to do with it. There are two
companies of naval reserves in Savannah,
| mn ia
! fort on TyDee Island win be in position
! soon to defend Savannah from invasion.
! A representative of the Government
was in Taunton, Mass, yesterday negO-
| tiating with the Staples Coal Company
for the purchase Of their fast steel tug
/ boats. the Winthrop and Poole, each 40
| feet long, 81 - feet beam, and capable IF
| making II knots an hour.
| The Government also wants the seven
teen seagoing barges of the company,
! and is likely to secure the whole outfit
| the first of next week. Fifty more ma
chnists will be al work in the Water
| town, Mass. arsenal tomorrow, and night
work will then be inaugurated.
The rumor that Hull is to be fortified
| Immediately seems to be well founded, 1t
! being the intention TO mount guns on
| Telegraph Hill next week and place a
| number of mo-tarS on PeddockS Island
| within the next ten days. 1t is said that
troops are to be placed at Long Island,
| Mass, and Fort Winthrop within the
| next week
The American Ordnance Company, of
| Massachusetts has closed a contract with
| the Government for sixty thousand shells
| for the new raDid-fring guns. and ex-
| poets soon to close a contract for some
| large shells. The works will run twenty
four hours day.
The torpedo chutes at Fort Warren and
! Lovelrs Island. Mass, are being put in
| condition for use as rapidly as possible
! by night and day gangs of workmen. and
another chute on Great Brewster Island,
! to control the approach to the harbor,
/ will soon be commenced.
/ Shipments of projectiles for the 10 and
/ Pinch guns at Fort Warren and Long
Island Head have landed within the past
two days and more are on the way. The
! powder is on the way to Boston from
! New York.
Bonuses To Be Given.
| Tomorrow the War Department will
! complete the details of one of the most
! important contracts since the late war.
| Secretary Alger will then award to sew
eral firms such portions of the ordnance
| needed for the Army as can be most
quickly completed.
Out of the $50, 600. 600 emergency appro-
! priation between two and three millions
will be devoted 10 this purpose Along the
! Atlantic coast there are now 139 guns
! mounted. The ammunition for the same
| is not sufficient to last through more
| than one well sustained attack. There
fore the new contract is to be given out.
! The principal portions of il will be let to
| the Carpenter Company, the American
| Ordnance Company, and the MidvaIe
| Steel Company.
A peculiar thing about these new con-
agTg- &c Sl-,
| of unusual significance. According to
| stipulations a big bonus Is to be paid
! for the completion and delivery of the
| ordnance at the designated points at the
earliest moment possible. This date is
| fixed more by reason of the conceived
| necessities of the government than by the
| ability of the companies to have the ma
| terial ready; but the bonus named is suf-
| fcient TO cause all the ingenuity and
| energy of the manufacturers to be cx-
| erted.
| a second bonus, much smaller is also
| offered for the compliance with the stipu-
| lation of the contracts at a later but
| very early date This bonus while small
err will be paid If the companies fail
10 come up TO the demands of the hour
| ahead of time, but at pediod well with
| in the safety limit. This is the most de-
| finite war indication known today at the
Capitol
Another feature learned is that all con-
| tracts made for coal since the emergency
! arose have contained this hurry clause
| offering two bonuses one bigger than the
other. In the coal contracts everything
| has been figured out. For instance the
| dates specified for delivery of the coal
| at Key West are later than for delivery
| al points on the middle Atlantic coast.
In the ordnance contract as much as
one million and half of dollars will be
| devoted to the manufacture of ten-inch
projectiles. portions of which are expect
| ed 10 be delivered as soon as completed
Another warlike preparation is that al
! the batteries have been ordered to at
| tach six horse teams instead of -four
horses TO each gun and caisson. In peace
| four horses can easily pull their loads
| but with caissons filed with proiectiles
and powder, and the rough work of com
| ing into position on the battlefield six
| horses are indespensably necessary. Dur.
| ing the past week the drivers in the ar
tillery have been constantly drilled with
six horses instead Of four. 1t may be said
| that the artillery arm of the service is
| now on a war footing. The assimilatine
| of the two new regiments is being rapidly
accomplished. with no apparent loss OF
| time or impairment OF the efficiency OF
| the service.
The authorities wisely proceeded upon
the plan that the five old regiments could
| more efficiently and hastily absorb the
two new ones by breaking up the old or
| ganization entirely. Therefore instead oil
| permitting two regiments of recruits. the
| reorganiZed artillery will be on a basis
Of five drilled and competent men to each
two newly enlisted. The men will be
ready sooner than will he the powder and
shot for their consumption.
Movements of Vessels