The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-14
THE NEW MAINE.
She WIN Be the Peer Of ANY Warship
Ever Built.

Washington, March 12.-The navy COM
mittea OF the House did not report any
conclusion today relative to the number
and location of the dry docks to be au-
thorized in the naval appropriation bill
and this is the main question left open.
The general opinion in the committee
seems to favor three or four new docks
The Bunce board recommend new docks
at Portsmouth, N. H., Boston, Algiers,
La. and Mare Island, Cali, and an en-
largement of the dock at League ISLAM,
Pa, so that it will accommodate the
largest battieships. The Pennsylvania
delegation is straining every nerve to Sc
cure an entirely new dock at League
Island. Docks capable of accommodate
ing battleships would have to haveis a
depth of channel leading to them of 80
feet and Commodore Matthews of the
bureau of yards and docks, who was sum-
nioned before the committee today, rather
startled the committee by his statements
as to the depth of the channel to at least
one of the proposed docks, that at
Mare Island, Cali. He said the channel
was not over 20 feet for two miles and
that it would require 5000, 600 to dredge
it to the required depth of 80 feet. The
channel at Boston is only 81 feet and
the channel at League Island is about the
same depth. This complexities matters
considerably and when the committee ad-
journed today little. progress toward q
conclusion had been made. az
The committee has decided that one OF
the three battleships it decided to autho-
rfze yesterday should be built on the
Pacific coast These great war vessels,
which are to be the peers of any af1oat,
are to cost $4,000, 600 instead of s., 600, 900
as reported yesterday. Chief Engineer
Melville appeared before the committee
today and urgently recommended an
increase of . 100 in the engineer officers
Of the navy. He said such an increase
was imperatiyely necessary in view OF
the number of ships about to go into
commission. These additional engineers,
IL authorized, would have to be appointed
from civil life.
Representative Russell, Hill and
Sperry of Connecticut. were before the
committee to oppose the recommendation
of the ordnance bureau for the establish
nent of government cartridge factory.
The bureau recommended an appropri-
alton of $50, 900 for this purpose. The
business of making cartridges is large
industry in Connecticut and Rhode ISL
and, and the representatives of those
states opposed the proposition for gov
eminent cartridge factory as menance
to their industry.
TROOPS AT SANDY HOOK.
New York, March 12.-Fort Hancock at
Sandy Hook presents more war-like ap-
pearance today than ever before. The two
batteries of seventy five men each from
Fort Slocum, Dav,ds Island, and two
battalionssfrom Fort Wadsworth, Staten
Island, arrived there today, infaccordance
with orders issued by Major General Wes-
ley Merritt, commander of the Depart
ment of the East. With the 300 men who
arrived this morning, there are now more
men at the fort than since the civil war.
AS there were no accommodations for the
new corners the men Immediately began
to erect tents in which to live. The lat
est arrivals are all trained men and ex-
pert gunners. There are now about 450
extra men at Fort Hancock.
AT BROOKLYN NAVY YARD
New York, 'MarchY1 The enlistment
of skilled mechanics, maohinists, sea.
men and iron workers was continued to-
day at the Brooklyn navy yard, but all
applications from apprentices, landsmen
and coal passers were refused, as there
is already q full complement of these
classes. The torpedo 4boatI Stiletto has
been put in condition for sea.
LIVELY AT VALLEJO.
Vallejo, Cali, March Everything
is astir.iat the navy yards. Hundreds OF
workmen are being added to the usual
force to rush the work of preparing the
Charleston. Philadelphia, Hartford,
Pensacola and Adams for service. The
Charleston and Philadelphia IRE ordered
to be completed at once.
OOhOO1 GniE0 WILL DE- Z bL0ENI L.
New York, March 12.-The Mail and
Express prints the following from its staff
correspondent in London:
~ The acute crisis between the United
States and Spain is the upper most topic
everywhere in London. No one seems
seriously to believe that war can be
a7erted. The great newspapers are MAX
ing elaborate preparations for war CORE
sponde1its I am told by an admiralty
official that two or three British war
vessels, with complete schools of naval
officers on board will be detailed to
cruise in the vicinity of the Spanish
and American fleets. The war between
japan and China was a revelation of the
extraordinary powers of modern marines
warfare, and 1t is firmly believed in Lon4
don that the American authorities possess
some wonderful new discoveries in the
way of new engines Of destruction. The
leading newspapers on the continent are,
in the main, sympathetic with the Ameri.
cans"
EXPLOSIVES BY THE TON. I
Valparaiso, Ind, March 12.-The Etna
pawdar coropapv AFT Miller station have