Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-03-21
SPAIN KICKS MILDLY
AGAINST ASSEMBLAGE
OF WARSHIPS AT KEY WEST.
Mar OEPA2A=N T BUSY

More Battleships and Cruisers Ordered
to Key West-Object of Purchase of
the Mayflower-Alger Makes Two
Large acquisitions on the War
Fund-Latest War News.
Washington, March 1.-THE main
development IN the Spanish situation
yesto1 day was in connection with the
definite representa- lions submitted by
the Spanish COVER M mt to the state
department concerning the assembling
of the large fleet of American Warships
at Key West and war preparations, and
the influence these might have on the
approaching elections in Cuba. These
representations were exactly in line
With the semi-official utterances al
ready given and credited to high
official conVersant with the views Of the
Spanish cabinet. While these repre-
sensations cannot properly be regard
ed as a protest against the attitude and
acts of the United States, they may I'M
questionably be set down as a remOn-
STRANGE calculated to have an effect in
European court circles. The state
ment has not called forth any official
rejoinder on the part of the state de-
pertinent, for it is la king in tangible
accusations.
The Fern sailed for Havana from
Key West yesterday afternoon. She
goes to relieve the Montgomery. 1t
is stated unequivocally that the Mont
gomery was not Withdrawn owing to
any suggestion from Spanish forces
here that her presence was not desired.
It was the announced intention of Sec
rotary Long when the cruiser was sent
to Havana to keep her there only so
long as the Fern might be engaged in
the work of distributing relief among
the sufferers in eastern Cuba.
Up to the close of Office hours the
navy had not been informed as to the
findings or the plans of the court of
inquiry. The object of the navy in
purchasing such craft as Ogden Goe-
let's Mayfower is to provide as quickly
as possible a number of picket boats
of good speed and sea-going ability to
act as scouts and aid the iron-clads and
more expensive vessels in operations
against torpedo boats Other &C
QUESTIONS of the same type as the May
flower may be expected.
The fleet at Key West will be aug
mened within the next day or two by
the arrival of the gunboat Annapolis,
the torpedo boat Foote, the naval tugs
Leyden and Samose and the gunboat
Helena now on her way from the Eu-
ropean station. These and other YES
sells previously ordered to the point
constitute the largest assemblage of
war vessels made since the war. The
fleet now at Key West and Tortugas is
as follows: The cruiser New York, the
battleships Massachusetts,, Indiana,
Iowa and Texas; the cruiser Detroit;
the gunboat Nashville; the cruiser
Marblehead; the dispatch boat Fern;
the torpedo boats Dupont, Cushing,
P rter, WinsloWand, and Ericsson; the
Montgomery at Havana, which is prac-
tically part of the fleet; the gunboats
Wilmington and Gastine; the cruiser
c nc matt at Barbados; Newport at
Colon; with the Puritan, Newark,
Amr hitrite and other ships of the
north Atlantic squadron at points along
the coast further nortbward
Secretary Alger has made requisi-
tons en- the president for two large al
lCtn ents of the 100000 war fund.
O-ls cf SIS 100000 is for the use of the
e gin:er department. of the army in
completion Of certain fertilization
" -~l-s along the Atlantic and gulf
coast now in progress, and the other
of $2,250,000 is for use of the ord
nance department of the army in the
requirement OF arms and ammunition.
Pretty much all of this money is needed
to cover contracts already made.
Surgeon General Van Reypen of the
navy returned yesterday from Newport
News where he went to examine into
the practicability of converting the
plant line steamer Grand Duchess into
an ambulance Or hospital ship for the
use of the navy in the event of hostil-
tiles. So far ais accommodations are
concerned the vessel, after some nee
essary work, will make an admirable
ambulance ship, but the lack of boilers,
which it would take several months to
replace, limits her adaptabiIity for use
at the present time
General Greedy, chief of the signal
office of the army, has gone to New
York, and while there he will PROB
ably make arrangements for the work
of connecting by means of telegraph
and telephone lines the various for1ifi-
cations in the harbor of New York. A
similar condition of affairs exists at
other fortified points along the Allan
tic and Pacific, but arrangements are
under way to remedy the state of
affairs.
The equipment bureau of the navy
has prepared itself for the equipment
on very short notice of any vessels of
the auxiliary navy that NAV he ac-