The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-24
THE ELIMINATION lSNEAR.
Opinion 10 Washington that Crisis
Is Approaching.
W Is Expected This Evening ana
VIII mt once he Laid Before
the President.

Washington h,arch 2s.--The feeling was
| universal throughout official circles today
that the ciilfifnatiou OF the Spanish crisis
was near at hand. With the report OF the
Maine court OF inquiry only little while
off; with The White House the center oil
long and eanest conferences between the
| president AMI tic parry leaders OF congress
and with activity toward emergency prep
arAtions In the war aul navy departments
there WIS abundance OF evidence that def
mite action regarding the Maine disaster
! aid the Cuban question iii general was
about to be reached. The presidents call
| efs were Senators Cockroli. Turpie and
| Foraker, General Dan Sirkles. former
United States minister to Madrid, and
| Representative Ald>a Smith OF Michigan,
| who has reSehtly returned from trip TO
| Cuba. The call OF Atessis Cockrel ana
| Tulpie was regarded rs particularly sig
| nilcant, as they are representative demo
| Uiats in the senate, and their visit fol-
lowed that of Senator German Yesterday
| IL was generally understood that in the
present emergency the president desires
uatrioic unity Without reference TO party.
Secretaries Long and Alger also conferred
| with the pteeident today
Secretary Long said that the Maine re-
port probably would reach Washington To-
ipprrow night IT, hcwever 1t did not
| come before s o'clock Thursday evening,
Mir. Long said he probably would NOT re
eeiye it Until Friday morning, when it
| would be laid before the president mmc
| diately. The secretary would not give the
document any consideration at a late hour.
1t is probable he thought, if Lieutenant
Mark arrived at late hour he would
| take the report TO hotel for the night.
I There has been no change in the plans of
sending the report 10 congress early next
| week, probably Monday, accompanied ny
message from the preside mt 1t is defi-
nitely settled. however. that the message
and the papers accompanying ii viii relate
exclusively 10 the Maine disaster. Il will
| not take up the fearful condition in CuDa
as shown from The reports from the United
States consuls
Secretary Long determined today to or
der the double urreted monitor puritan
and the Terror to Key west, where they
will reinforce the squadron in those
| waters. lie also determined to bring into
service the eight single turreted monitors
at League Island navy yard. Two of which
will be sent 10 Boston two to rev NoIk
and four held Ia reserve at Philadelphia,
The Puritan ard tho Terror take the place
ui the tattleehips Massachusetts and Texas,
recently withdrawn from the squadron IT
| Key West. 1t was stated at the navy de-
ance With q programme previously agreed
| upon, although this programme has not
been announced before. The Puritan by
many experts is regarded as the most for
midable fighting machine in The navy.
The ordnance bureau have little to do on
tile m0i1tNts, owing To the good condition
vi their guns, armament, etc.
| The quota OF powder for their l5-inch
guns Is already sacked and can he put
aboard In few hours
In addition to Its other preparations the
navy today took steps toward utilizing
some of the sea- going revenue enters for
use along the Atlantic coast. Captain
/ Shocker of the roy ehue cutter service con-
forred with Assistant Secretary Roosevelt
during the day on the plans of turning
over these cutters to the navy. They will
be first sent 70 Norfolk where additional
coed TO Key West aud become part OF the
squadron there Their main service how
ever, will be as naval plckets. a chain of
these fleet cutters being maintained out
side of tho CRUISERS and battleships. The
| revenue cutter service now held for instant
and active service comprises l2i line Off
Gers, IA engineers. 800 enlisted mon aud
nineteen vessels. of which fourteen are on
the Atlantic coast. The others are in
course of construction at Cleveland, and
with rush work can be completed and ready
for sea in thirty TO fortsffv days. The
| Manning, Gresham, A,onquin, OnonGaga
and Window are all new. fast and efficient
vessels and could so anywhere and perfect
any service that any vessel OF their class
can perfect. The Mannng Is considered
an eighteen-knot hont. All of them. it Is
said, could be quickly converted into tor
pedo boats or dynamite cruisers Whether
this last move will be inade Is not vet
| definitely decided Secretary Long said
today Tint II had become evident that tor
pcdo boats could not be bought abroad aud
could not he built soon enough In this
country, so that we might have to equip
other craft with torpedoes.
The navy department onened bids today
for extensive improvements at Dry Tor
tugns and Key West. y formal transfer hav-
ing becn effected As regards Tortugas,
which passes from the treasury 10 the war
department These consist OF two solid
steel piers. 10 be constructed at Dry Tor
tugas with extensive coal sheds and an
elaborate mechanical equipment for tho
eoaling Of naval vessels At Key West
the improvements consist Of steel rier
and tow coal sheds With similar machinery
for loading warshlIIs with coal. The bids
ranged from $7l50o for the entire work
4 down 10 about Si0n 600
The award Will be made within the next
day or two.
MEASURES OF REIIEE