The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-08

L1OnB "hslc inc SouT rs
ders From washington-The Ole Moni-
tors to Be Tested-Little Work Done on
the wreck-vioIen Denuuciatfen Of Our
Governme It by Madrid Press-Signif-
can't mark of an American Naval Officer
Washington, March 3.-Secreatry
Tong said today at the close of his day
at the navy department that no word
had been received from the court of
Enquiry and that no orders had been
or would be given as to the movements
Of the cour from Key West, a. the
court is fully authorized to shape its
own movements. The original orders
to the court were issued by Admirai
Sicard as commander OF the fleet to
which the Maine belonged and it has
the technical status OF an admiral's
court, reporting directly TO him, both as
to it's movements and as to it's final
report on the cause of the disaster. The
understanding here is that the court
has not concluded it's work, but will
return to Havana to take testimony
which has been delayed by the difficult
ties in the way of the divers.
AdiiI4" gu pio0IA thpCCbCH lIho NV
back to Havana was shown by a dis
patch from him a few days ago, sug-
costing that arrangements be made for
a vessel to take the court back. AS the
lighthouse tender Mangrove had been
doing his service, the treasury de-
partment was asked to assign the
MangrOVe for the return Of the court
TO Key West and this was done. With
4I1- a--a 4. onDnlxallI -
said at the navy department that the
court will proceed without consulting
officials here.
SUPPLIES FOR STARVING Gu
BANS.
Arrangements are being made for
the trip OF the cruiser Montgomery n
gunbOat Nashville to Cuban ports with
relief supplies. The navy department
was advised today that the Mallory
Line steamer leaving New York next
Saturday would carry, free of charge,
SeVenty-five tOas of supplies, to- be
transferred to the Montgomery and
Nashville at Key West. The Mallory
steamer is expected to take abOu four
days in the run down the coast, so
that the transfer to the WarShipS and
their start to Cuba cannot be made
before next Thursday. The two war
ships are poorly adapted for carrying
supplies, having scant quarters for
their own supplies of cordage, pro-
visions, canvas and ships equipment.
1t is only because they can make the
run in daylight that any attempt is
made to carry the seVenty-frve tons OF
supplies. These will be stored on the
spar deck ana with good weather the
daylight run viii not subject them to
damage. The relief measures are
proving unexpectedly successful, the
E1Innljpc ruInninr into thp Ga T1n96S and
hundreds of tons The state Depart
ment has had notice from the Cuban
relief committee at New York that
there were shipped ON March LIST from
New York to Santiago 100, 900 pounds
of relief supplies; on the End, to Ha-
wanna $4,000 pounds; today to Matanzas
100, 900 pounds and to Sagua La
Grande 100, 900 pounds. In these ship
ments are 800. 900 grains of quinine
consigned to each of the ports except
van
The Maine relief fund. under Mr..
Longs management, today reached a
total of $3,113.
The only telegram relating to the
Maine disaster hat came to the navy
department during the day was the
following from Commander Forsyth at
Key West:
THE Bache has arrived. She drought
one body, unidentified, and Paul Loef-
JUS, C pIlNdLc lIldlI liz, GlILIdl1 boIltd,
cOal-passer; John Heffner, ordinary
seaman; Thomas J. Waters, ordinary
seaman from the TOrtugas. The
wounded will be sent to the army nos
pital. The funeral of the body has
started for the cemetery"
TO TEST THE OLD MONITORS.
IN the course of the inquiry into the
ava resources OF the United States,
an order has been issued to make a
test of the machinery of the old war
monitors at the League Island navy
yard. These are single turreted craft
that are armed with big srrooth-bore
guns in turretS that could likely be
pierced by the modern high powered
rifles ON the battleships, but they would
still be of service in an
There are eight of these monitors at
League Island and the government
owns several others that are now loan
ed to the naval militia organizations
of some of the states. Those at League
Island are the fOlowing: CanOnicus,
Mahopac, Manhattan, Catskill, Jason,
Lehigh, Montauk and Nahant. They
are all between 1900 and 200 tons
displacement and draw very little wa
ter, so that they can take up advan-
tageOuS positions on shoals
ing channel approaches. The inten-
tion is to turn over the old engines and
work the machinery that is made to
turn the ~turrets, if it can be made to
work at all.
During the course Of the day similar
INQUIRIES to that made by the jap
nese legation, as to the number of her
subjects aboard the Maine, came to
the navy department from the German
and the Swedish legations, and it is
expected that others will follow. Near
Nv every nationality was represented
in the Names big crew.
NO REPORT FROM THE COURT.
Secretary Long today authorized an
absolute and positive denial of a report
asserting that a partial o preliminary
report had been received by the gov
IN from the Maine inquiry board
indicating or declaring that the loss of
the Maine was due to an external ex-
ploSion. He said that no repor of any
Kind had lhAAan ranai ypd and that the