The herald., 1898-03-24
OFFICIAL CONFERENCES
PROMISE TO PRODUCE EARLY
RESULTS
A MESSAGE EXPECTED MONDAY
Contrary to Expectations the Matter
First Dealt With Will Be the
Maine Disaster
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, March 2s.-The feeling
was universal throughout official circles
today that the elimination 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
of long and earnest conferences between
the president and the party leaders Of con-
gress. and with exceptional activity TO-
ward emergency preparations In the war
and navy departments, there was abund-
ance Of evidence that definite results re.
garding the Maine disaster and the Cuban
question in general were about to be
reached. Among the presidents callers
were Senators Cockrell, Turpis and For.
aker; General Daniel Siclkles, former min
lister to Madrid. and Representatives Will
liam Alden Smith Of Michigan. who has
recently returned from . trip to Cuba. The
call Of Messrs. Cockreu and Turpie was
regarded as particularly significant. as
they are representative Democrats in the
senate, and, their visit followed that Of SEN
ator German yesterday. It was generally
understood that in the present emergency
the president desires patriotic unity, with
out reference to party. Secretary Long
later said that the Maine report probably
would reach Washington tomorrow night.
If, however, 1t did not come before
o'clock Thursday evening Mr.. Long said
he probably would not receive It until Fri
day morning, when 1t would be laid before
the president. The secretary did not think
the president would give the document any
consideration at a late hour. It was prob
able he though, II Lieutenant Mark ar
rived at late hour that he would take
the report to a hotel for the night.
MKINLEY'S MESSAGE
There has been no change in the plan Of
sending the report to congress early next
week, probably Monday. accompanied by .
message from the president. 1t Is def
nitely settled, however, that the message
and the papers accompanying II will ro-
late exclusively to the Maine disaster. It
will not take up the fearful condition Of
affairs In Cuba as shown by the reports
of United States consuls, these being re-
served for future action and later message
to congress.
WARSHIPS' MOVEMENTS
Secretary Long determined today to or
der the double-t turreted monitors Puritan
and Terror to Key West, where they will
re-enforce the squadron in those waters.
He also determined to bring into service
the eight single-tArreted monitors at tho
League Island navy yard, Philadelphia,
two Of which will be sent to Boston. two to
New York, and four held in reserve at
Philadelphia. The Puritan and Terror
take the place of the battleship Massachu-
sets and Texas. recently withdrawn from
the squadron at Key West.
It was stated at the navy department
that this move was in accordance with
program previously agreed upon, al
though this program has not been an
nounced heretofore. The Puritan by
many experts, Is regarded as the most for
midable fighting machine in the navy.
In addition to other preparations for pos
sible trouble, the navy department today
took steps toward utilizing ten of the sea-
going revenue cutters for use along the
Atlantic coast. Captain Shoemaker, chief
of the revenue cutter service, conferred
with Assistant Secretary Roosevelt during
the day on the plans for turning over these
cutters to the navy. They will be first
sent to Norfolk, where additional guns
will be mounted, and then will proceed TO
Key West and become part Of the squad
ron there. Their main service will be as
naval pickets, fleet of these cutters being
maintained outside the cruisers and bai-
tleships. The revenue cutter service now
has ready for instant and active service
1A line officers, "a engineers, 800 enlisted
men and 10 vessels of which IA are on the
Atlantic coast. Two others are in course
of construction, and with rush orders can
be ready for service within three or four
weeks, The Manning, the Gresham, the
| Aluuoin, the Onondaga and the Window
| are all new, fast and eficient vessels, and
can 20 anywhere and perform any service
| that any vessel Of their class can perform.
The Manning is considered an 1S-knot boat.
| All of them, 1t is said, could be quickly con-
yerted into torpedo boats or dynamite
! cruisers. Whether this last move will be
made is not yet definitely decided Sec
retary Long said today that 1t had become
evident that torpedo boats could not be
bought abroad, and could not be built soon
enough in this country so that we might
have to equip other craft with torpedoes.
A COALING STATION
| The navy departments opened bids to-
day for extensive Improvements at Dry
Tortguas and Key West, formal transfer
having been effected as regards Tortugas.
which passes from the treasury to the war
department These consist Of two solid
steel piers to be constructed at Dry Tor
tugas with two extensive coal sheds and
an elaborate mechanical equipment for
loading naval vessels with COAL At Key
West the improvements consist Of q steel
pier and two coal sheds, with similar ma
chinery for loading warships with coal.
The bids ranged from $1.15l.O00 for the en-
tire work down to about $4,000. The
j awards will be made within a day or two.
THE SECOND MESSAGE
! The prevailing impression among the
Republican leaders of the house u that
the president will intervene on Cuba on
humane grounds, but it is positively stated
by one Of them, who is close to the prsei-
ldent. that The intervention viii Vet sauae