Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-04-24
CRUISERS D !; | |! !. PUT |. TO SEA
Columbia and Minneapolis
Leave Old Point.
SHIPS DEPART IN A HURRY
Their Sudden Sailing Orders Cause Excite.
mene and Sets Conflicting Rumor.
Afloat. May Convoy the Pane
tina 60 Key West.

>~.~OSos
tina 60 Key West.
An Associated Press dispatch from
Fort Monroe last night says:
THE convoy Pantha, With 500 ma
rines aboard bound for Key West, ar
rived here tonight at I. o'clock. At
o'clock Commodore Schley, of the
flying squadron, received o cipher di-
recting him to provide q guard for
the convoy The Minneapolis and
Columbia were Immediately detailed
and at $40 the Minneapolis fired a
gun for all to go aboard.
The gun from the Minneapolis was
the signal for great excitement. both
on shore and on board the ships. Off
GERS with side arms notified those
ashore to hurry aboard and there We're
good-byes said in hurried way
while officers on both boats professed
ignorance of orders SO fnr as destina-
ton is concerned.
Commodore Schley said to the As
ISOLATED Press representative: L can
not divulge the destination of the de-
tached vessels. They are going to
sea-
"Rumor said that the vessels might
have different destination after pass
ing the Capes. at the entrance to this
harbor. than merely conveying the
transport with troops. 1t was posi-
Bile that the two fast ships might go
o4I dAu meet ZIG IdElS, NOW Ell route
to New York city. The transport with
the marines on board might stay close
enough to the coast to run in shore If
an enemy was seen and the Paris was
too valuable ship to lose. On the
other hand, it is fairly certain that
the two fast cruisers will simply be
convoy for the troops transport
The Columbia and Minneapolis
are the fastest ships in The navy and
can make an average of Il knots per
hour.
THE last rumor vas to the effect
that the MINNEAPOLIS was to run after
the Paris and tie Columbia to guard
the transport to l>cy West, but the
improbability Of This lies in the fact
that the Paris could be III New York
harbor under forced steam before the
Minneapolis could find her.
1T ia .hifhly probable that goth
cruisers will be IN * y West in Il day
of two with the troops transport. Both
cruisers are heavily armored and will
give hot fight TO any enemy known
to be on this coast. There is one
thing that lends color to the theory
that one ship Is after the Paris and
one to be convoy. and that is that
a there is no Spanish ship near this coast
III Of the big cruisers.
The converted revenue cutter
Hamilton passed the flagship Brook
lyn on her way out this afternoon and
4. asked permission TO proceed.
She did not give her destination.
THE Hudson and Merrill both con-
verified revenue cutters, also went out
today. Their destination is Key
West.
The departure OF the Minneapolis
and Columbia at 1O:45 O'clock last
night for an unknown destination was
an event Of no little interest and was
witnessed by large number of people
from the piers and the breakwater.
Intense excitement prevailed every
where
The probability of the ships putting
to sea for the purpose of meeting the
Paris or re-capturing her in the event
she is under the Spanish flag. fired the
hopes OF the officers and they hurried
at the sound of the gun.
At 10:45 the flagship Brooklyn asked
by signal II all was ready on both
ships to proceed. and the answer came
back in the affirmative. Commodore
Schley then gave his permission to sail
by means Of the vari-colored lights at
the forepeak of the Brooklyn.
The Minneapolis was the first to
weigh anchor and the Columbia fol-
lowed shortly after.
The flagship and the departing cruis-
ers carried on q silent conversation
by illumination from mastheads and
the latter were soon lost, to sight in the
darkness.
In the event the Minneapolis and Co
luIIlDld are conveying the fdHlla 10
+ Key West, it is not unlikely that the
Brooklyn may be sent out to meet the
Paris.
DRILL AT THE CASINO.
The Huntington Rifles. Captain P.
Thornton Marye. drilled for some time
# on The Casino grounds yesterday af-
ternoon. There We're about forty men
in ranks and they were taken through
ahe field evolutions. 1t rs understood
the efforts to increase the muster roll
No Thu
recruits are very enthusiastic and
spend considerable time at the armory
in perfecting themselves in the manual
OF arms . The company expects TO be
g called out AT. any time.
AT THE SHIPYARD.
The rush at the ,shipyard continues.
= There will be no cessation Of work on
the auxiliary cruisers today, although
4 it is the Sabbath, as these ships must
be ready for service as soon as posi-
- AS was stated yesterday, the hospital
s ship Solace will leave for Norfolk navy
yard tomorrow, where she will take on
supplies before sailing for Key West.
The work of putting the cruisers Yose-
mite and Dixie in condition is being
rushed and the ships are expected to
be ready to leave the yard next Satur-
day. A dispatch received from Balti-
more last night stated that the steamer
Howard sailed from that city yester-
day, having on board $50 naval re-
serves. The Howard Will land the
seamen at Norfolk today. where they
will be put through q course or train
ing before they are transferred to the
Dixie. q
In order that the men may be fully
prepared, each member of the detail
has been furnished with the following
equipment: One hammock, one mat
tress. enc pair Of blankets. one sailors
bag, two suits Of underclothing, mess
gear, consisting Of an agateware plate
cup. one spoon. knife and a fork.
one suit Of cilskin clothes, two suits of
white duck, one suit or blue cloth, two
hats. one, toothbrush, two pairs Of
socks and a pipe.
WILLOUGHBY SPIT FORT.
A board Of naval officers have made
an inspection Of the government
grounds at Wii!oughby Spit with a
View of constructing a fort at the
point to cooperate with Fortress Mon.