Mesa free press., 1898-04-22
WASHINGTON NOTES.

4
Capt. Sigsbee has been granted per-
mission to keep the Maine flag.
Secretary Bliss states that there are
1896 people drawing pensions from
the United States.
Ifhe war department has in prepara-
ton publication giving information
conc erning the militia of the different
states.
The government has arranged to es-
tablish telegraph communication with
south Atlantic coast points. Savannah
will be headquarters.
| The board on auxiliary cruisers has
| selected ten steamers for naval pur-
poses. The cruisers will be sent to the
navy yards and armed.
The naval department has ordered
that all possible haste be made on the
torpedo boat Mckenzie 1t is believed
she can be made ready in about a
month.
Thirty-four million dollars of the de-
/
department has spent $2O,OOO,00O, and
the balance has been expended by the
War Department.
An unusual number of cranks visit
the White House since the war scare.
An old woman called few days ago
to protest against the White House
being painted black.
/ A dispatch from Rome says that the
Italian government has sold three first
class torpedo boats to the United
States and denies that Spain has been
able to obtain the Italian warship Gar
ibaldi
1t is estimated that government
orders for canned meats will amount to
10000 pounds. All railroads are now
giving preference in right of way and
time for government supplies over all
other traffic except mail.
The question of the exact functions
of the militia in time of war is now
lagitating the governors of good
many States. The Constitution gives
Congress the right to use the militia
ito execute the laws and repel invas-
ions" and says nothing about using
them in foreign war except for the last
named purpose.
Lieutenant Commander Colwell the
United States naval attache at London,
purchased from the Thames iron works
for this government cruiser of 1900
tons displacement and capable of a
speed of Is knots. The vessel carries
six 4.7-inch guns and ten smaller ones.
She is fitted with twin screws and has
a protected deck
A dispatch to Washington from
Christiana, Norway, reports that the
steam whaler Fridjthof has been se-
cured for the Wellman polar expedition
to Franz Josef Land. instead of the
Laura, previously engaged. The Frid-
jthof is said by the Norwegian ice
steamer in Norwegian waters. She is
now being outftted, and will be ready
to sail from Tromsoe for the Artic,
June, next.
The practical completion of flying
squadron of the American navy by the
assignment of Commodore w. S. Schley
to take charge, and his acceptance, as
marked by his active operation Mon
day last, is an epoch-making event in
the history of the present difficulty. No
other action of this government since
the Maine disaster so actively de-
termines the fact that actual warfare
has been expected
Details have been obtained by the
Associated Press of the manufacture of
submarine mines in London for Spain,
which was brought to the attention of
the United States embassy and cabled
to the Associated Press, March 4th. A
man whose cards described him as
being an electrical engineer and whose
name was forwarded at the time to
Washington, then said he had sold to
Spanish officers in London, several
years ago, large number of mines,
eight or ten of which were placed in
Havana harbor. He said they were
made in special way and had spec
tally constructed cable, which he could
identify if the smallest piece was pro-
duced, and he added that some of the
mines were fixed so that they could be
fired from fort, while two of them
had bulbs so arranged that they would
explode upon vessel coming in con-
tact with them. The man added, how
ever, that he did not believe the bulbs
would be used in water as shallow as
that in Havana harbor. Finally, the
man exhibited the plan of the mine
which he said was most likely to pro-
duce the effect described as causing the
wreck of the Maine. 1t was numbered
2 and was constructed to contain 500
pounds of gun cotton.
A Riverside man who has been out
on the desert visiting the mining camps
at Pinon, Corn Springs, as well as
others of the leading districts, states
that he never in the several years he
has seen visiting and prospecting seen
as much life among the mines as at the
present time. Men, he says, are COM
ing into all the camps every day and