The evening times., 1898-05-17
ne SOlace.


Key West. Fla. May 17.-It looks like
| stern business when the Hospital Corps
is sent to the front. The first of those
who will attend the wounded on board shiI
| reached Key West on "Wednesday last on
the United States ambulance ship Solace
The Solace will cross the Florida Strait
and visit each of the warships of the
biockading fleet Among the blockaders
| who are i'll the delicacies provided by the
| Colonial Danes will be distributed or else
they VIII be stored on the various ships
for future use.
Her white sides and her Red Cross flag
will mark the Solace to friend and foe
She is stanch and fast, and 200 or more
| wounded sailors can be accommodated on
board this floating hospital While the
battle RACES the SOlace will occupy a po-
sition similar to that of the hospital tents
ashore, and after the battle her boats will
be sent to the ships and the wounded will
De removed. Then. so soon as possible
sne VIII carry her patients to the hos
pitals IN some port of safety.
NO one, known or unknown, need be
| buried at sea or In some desoiate corner
on the Cuban coast. Arrangements have
been made for the emhalming of bodies.
| after which they may be deposited in
| metal lined boxes, several of which are
stored away on the Solace
Inc hospital ship has a displacement of
$500 tons and an average speed of IA
knots. She is 80 feet over all and is a
snarp nosed boat of fine lines. dark
stripe runs around her white sides. and.
with the Red Cross flag fiyine. she will
be protected by the articles of the Geneva
convention.
A Desefter Punfabed
Decatur. ILL.,, May 17-William Brone,-
To- sailor. was arrested here yesterday
on suspicion of being a Spanish emissarx
he was tried for carrying concealed
weapons. convicted and sentenced to six
months in the coal mines. He told a story
OF having deserted his vessel at Shin ISL
and. because the vessel was bound TO,
Cuban waters, and he was afraid of be-
ing drawn into the war
Guarding New York.
New York. May 17.-Rear Admiral Err
ben's fleet of chartered tugs. manned by
Naval Reserves. which have been patrol
ling the entrances to this harbor, will go
out of commission today. and. in their
places, three converted yachts, mounting
o-pounder. 1-pounder and Maxim guns.
VIII guard the port. The eight tugs
which have been used were chartered by
the State at cost Of $500 a day. Their
charters expire today. 1t is expected that
the converted yachts Restless. Free Lance
and Eileen will go on duty TODAY. and
the Viking and Thespia will join the fleet
as soon as the work on them is comples-
ed at the Brooklyn navy yard.
These yachts will = manned by blue
jackets and marines. nd no nonsense
from steamship capital will be tolerated
In all probability, if the practice of scud-
ding across mine fields and through pro-
tected channels Is continued, some vessel
will come up to the city with hole in
her hull. II she doesn't go down
While the decreased number Of 1,atroI
boats may encourage reckless captains to
take chances the speed Of the yachts and
the armament they carry will make deal
ings with them somewhat different from
what they have had with the boats of
the Naval Reserve. 80.
With only three yachts on duty to-
night, two in the lower bay and one off
Willets Point. Rear Admiral Erben will
have the smallest fleet that has been on
guard any night since the mines have
been placed. As soon as possible his force
will be augmented by additional tugs and
converted yachts. which are to be pur-
chased under the 81. .OO0 900 appropriation
for that purpose.
For the purpose of purchasing such
boats as areoneeded for coast defense
and also to succeed the Naval Auxiliary
Board. new board was organized yes
terday. Its composition is as follows:
Rear Admiral Erben. president: Naval
constructor w. L. Mintoyne. Naval Con-
structor r. w. Steele, Naval Constr,,c.
tor Hoover. Lieut.. Commander J. d. J
Kelley. Chief Engineer Albert F. Dixon.
Chief Engineer E. D. Roby, Lieut.. Chris.
topher Burns. and Joseph Bartonl ,clerk
One Of the several mines recentIy set