The age-herald., 1898-05-12
CHARLESTON WILL
 G0 ID DEWEY Will Not Wait for the Transports
 With Troops. THEY WILL BE SENT LATER Will Not Wait to Convey the City Of
 Pekin With Supplies. APPREHENSION OF THE INSURGENTS Department Officials Afraid They VIII Re. sort to Massacre of spaniards-This Is Said to Have Fastened the De-
 parture of the Charleston.
APPREHENSION OF THE INSURGENTS

Washington, May 1.-The navy depart, ment has decided to have the cruiser Charl; ston start at once on its relief mission to Admiral Dewey's fleet at Manila. The or- ders issued anticipate the departure of the Charleston from San Francisco today if it is possible to get the ammunition and stores aboard, and she will leave without waiting to convey the City of Pekln and the other ships loaded with supplies.
 The orders to the commandant of tho navy yard at Mare Island are to put on board the Charleston all the ammunition she will carry as long as her steaming ca- pacity Is not retarded It is the under standing here that at least fifteen tons of ammunition can be put on board.
 By the extraordinary efforts on the part of the authorities here, all the powder. shot and shell requisite for this relief ex- petition have ben assembled at San Fran cisco, though it was thought it would take until the 18th to draw these supplies from various other points. The ammunition in- cludes 800 rounds of big projecties for the eight-inch guns of the Olympia, about 2,o0O six-inch shells and 10000 ive-inch shells, as all of the cruisers of Admiral Deweys fleet mount five-inch and six-inch guns. There is also an ample supply for the smaller sizes of shot and shell for the machine and rapid-fre guns.
 The stock of powder will be in three lots, aggregating over 170,OO0 pounds.
 Will Not Wait for Iroaps
 Owing to the hurried departure of the Charleston 1t is not expected that she will wait for any considerable number of troops as these will follow later on the other relief ships.
 She has a crew of about 300 men, and this probably will be augmented by marine guard of 500 men. The Charleston Is pro- tected cruiser of 3,730 tons displacement, built of steel and mounts eight guns in her main battery. She has twin screws and an indicated horsepower of 6,666. The au- thorities here hardly expect her to make more than thirteen knots with her heavy stock of coal, ammunition and supplies. Her coal bunkers are rather limited, so that she will probably have to stop at Honolulu to recoal.
 Her trip to Manila will take about two weeks. The City of Pekin, which will fol- low her, is very fleet merchant vessel capable of being pushed eighteen knots or more, so that with even the handicap she has of starting several days after the Charleston there is a prospect that she may overhaul her in the race across the Pacific and reach Manila first This will depend, however, on how soon the City of Pekin can be made ready for start Sat-S urday is the earliest date mentioned.
 By Captain Glass
 The Charleston is commanded by Cap- tain Henry Glass. Aside from carrying ammunition and supplies to Admiral Dew ey, the Charleston will prove valuable adjunct to his squadron. She will come next to the Olympia and Baltimore fin point of size and effectiveness.
 In determining upon this speedy depart- ure of the Charleston the authorities here
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