The Springfield herald., 1899-01-13
TAKES WAKE ISLAND.
TITS NEEDED FOR CABLE STA
TON.
General Gss Told to Capture Iiolio in
Order R-seue the B<ie.Euered Span
tarda

Washington. Dec. 2i--The govern
ment has determined TO hoist the dag
over an island far out in the PACING
ocean and orders Were sent out late
this afternoon 10 she commander OF
the Bennington. Captain Taussis. TO
proceed at once TO take possession in
the name of the United States govern
ment OF Wake island. lying in lau-
rude 10 north. longitude 100 east
Ii is distant about Zoo miles from
Nihau the westernmost of the Hawaii
an islands. and 1900 miles east from
Guam 1t is almost in a direct line
between these possessions OF the
United States and Is admirably adapt
ed for Use as station for a PACING
ca BILE 10 connect rhe Philippines with
Hawaii and the United States II Is
about three miles in length and incloses
a lagoon of salt water. The average
height of the island Is eight feet above
high tide. II is scarcely capable in
itself of sustaining life. but it Is eN-
pecred that cable station can be
maintained without difficulty by the
erection OF condenser 10 supply fresh
water.
Some station in this locality is
deemed to be absolutely necessary TO
the maintenance of n cable and for
that reason the American Peace com
missioners at Paris endeayored to Sc
cure one of the Caroline Islands but
without success. Wake island is said
Ia be already American territory. for
in 1851 Admiral Wilkes surveyed the
place and asserted title. 1t Is not IN
habited so far as known nj the present
time. though in the past some suano
ratherer> have temporarily lived on
the island.
The Bennington is now ut Honolulu.
and the orders TO her will 90 out by
steamer. After hoistinc the nag on
Wake island she Will proceed 10 Guam
and make the survey of the island.
which was ordered some time ago. She
has already completed a survey of
Pearl harbor. seven miles from Homo
lulu. which will form the foundation
Of the government plans for the en-
lar.ement of the harbor there and the
Strengthening of the channel connect
ing the inner harbor with the ocean.
The auxiliary cruiser Yosemite will
be dispatched about January lst from
Norfolk To the Lndrone Islands. via
Suez canal Commander George L.
Ide of the Yosemite will sail under or
ders 10 hold his vessel az Guam as sta
tlon ship. and while there to he con
stantly prepared 10 protect the island
Of Guam against any unfriendly incur
sion.
The stragctic value OF the Yosemite's
station at Guam is manifest. and is cal
culated to prevent any change of SOW
ereignty over the Caroline Islands
without The cordial consent of the
United States. especially rs Dewey :
squadron at Manila will be rather aug
mented than reduced i'll strength in the
course of a few weeks.
Another important order which has
been issued provided for loading the
collier AbaTendI at Norfolk with the
best quality of Poclhontas coal and
for the departure of that vessel about
January is; for Samoa. via Straits of
Magellan, n voyage of over 1G.oOO
nautical miles The Abarenda will lie
in the harbor of Pago-Pago. which is
owned by the United States, doing
duty as n station ship until the az
rival there next spring of the contrac-
tors and material for the coaling estab-
lishmcnt to be erected by this govern
ment at a cost of 100000
The Abarcnda will be armed and full
| ly able to give Il good account of her.
self if the serenity of the Samoan
group is TOO severely strained by Ger
man Interference. She will be only .
600 miles from Honolulu, where the
Oregon and the Iowa are to rendez-
vous and those battleships can join her
at any time with the certainty of Sc
curing coal for Il return voyage from
| her bunkers. The lack of coal ut Sa-
moa has hitherto been the chief objec-
ton to sending hiGh-powered war yes
sells there TO protect American inter
cstS.