The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-03-03
ANOTHER GERMAN CRUISER.
The Kaiserin Augusta Reaches Ma
Mia From Hong Kong.
WHY THE OREGON is WANTED,
Emperor Villa ln's Naval Reinforce
nients The Probable Canse Of Dewey's
Request-The Department Talks OF
"Impressing the Filipinos."

MANILA, Feb %, 2:35 p. m.-The
German first class cruiser Kaiserin Au-
gusta. has arrived here.
WAsIlNGTON, Feb. y. - Secretary
Long sal" at - o'clock to-day that the
only dispatch he had received from
Manila was a brief announcement from
Admiral Dewey hat the Petrol had
sailed for Cebu.
The dispatch from Dewey, speaking
OF political reasons for sending the Or
cgon to Manila at once, is still the
subject Of general discussion here. 1t
vas stated positively at the navy de-
partment that 10 inquiry had been
addressed to the admiral on the SUBJ
iect and that he would not be called
upon for Il further explanation.
This is held to mean that the big ship
is regarded as necessary to impress
the Filipinos, not only on Luzon but
those on other islands Of the group,
with the overwhelming power Of the
United States navy, for, it is said at
the department., in the dense ignorance
in which these people live they car be
impressed only by personal observa-
ton. Nothing, however. is said to
show that the navy department knows
that the Germans are increasing their
dect at Manila.
notwithstanding the pacific state
ment issuing from the department.,
there is an underlying apprehension
Of international trouble, and it is ex-
pected that Rear Admiral Dewey Will
soon %acquaint Secretary Long with
the nature of the ''po!itical reasons
which eau ,ed him to request that he
be reinforced by the Oregon.
So far as known here the only Ger
man men-of-war in the p ippines up
to a few days ago was the Irene, which
is at Manila. To-dly's press dispatches
announce the arrival of the cruiser
Kaiserin Augusta. Other German YES
sells are at Hong Kong. or may now be
On their way to Manila. 1t is stated
that Rear Admiral Dewey might want
| the Oregon because he had learned that
the Germans proposed to reinforce
the Irene, AMI that he desires to
have available a squadron which will
over-awe the German admiral and pre-
vent him from resuming the high
handed tactics which he pursued last
summer. 1t is admitted in admins
~tra,ion circles that the moral effect of
the presence of the Oregon upon the
representatives of foreign govern
ments in the Philippines will be ex-
c~ellent, and it may be that Rear Ad-
miral Dewey had this in view when he
sent his dispatch about the Oregon.
Though it is stated at the navy de-
partment hat no instructions had
been sent to the Oregon to expedite
her departure from Honolulu for Ma
uila, it is expected that the vessel will
be communicated with bv the army
steamer leaving San Francisco Sun
lay. 1t may be deemed the part Of
caution to send Instructions by that
vessel, Though upon her arrival it is
believed the Oregon will have left.
Dewey has two arlnored ships with
him now, the monitors Mana mock and
Monterey. Tae battlesaip Iowa, which
accompanied the Oregon from New
! York to Callao, is at San Francisco,
undergoing repairs. She may be sent
to Manila
Besides the Oregon there are now at
Manila, or on the way there, twenty
three wa vessels, and most Of them
small gunbo its. The heaviest ships
in Dewey's fleet are the Olympia, Bal
timore, Charleston, Boston and Buff
falo and the monitors Monterey and
, M%onadnock.
The smaller vessels on the Asiatic
station are the Yorktown, the Helena,
eight guns; P trel, four guns; Concord,
six gnns; Castine, on the way, eight
guns; Princeton, on the way, six guns;
Monocacy. six guns; Brutus, Culfao,
Callao. Iris, Manila, Nonshan, Scan
dia and ZafrO,