The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-18
Likely Soon to be Called
Into Service.
SELECTING THE OFFICERS
To Command the Troops hen Orgas
nixed-Reiief for the Porto Ricans.
Hobson's Report a. To Progress In
Repairing Three Vessels Captured
From the >pani.h NJ naniIa-Omcial
Report GA Damage BY the Texas
Floods

Flood.
Washington. August l4~-Although tt
has not been definitely decided 10 call
out more volunteers. there ia every in
dication that such a course Is likely.
The war department is preparing lists
OF officers for the regular army. who
have been successful field officers. with
a view. IL Is supposed, OF having ma
terial for new regiments should 1t be
decided to raise them. Also, General
Otis and the governors II the several
states have been asked TO recommend
officers who would be available for a
reserve list.
RELIEF FOR PORTO RICANS.
General Weston, chief OF commissary,
is establishing supply stations at Sa-
vannah, Atlanta, New York and Chi
cago 10 receive Porto Rican relief
stores. All relief supplies for Porto
Rico will be admitted free OF duty by
special order Of the president.
! The steamer Evelyn. OF the New York
and Porto Rico Steamship Company.
sailing from New York on Friday, Au-
gust 18th. for Ponce direct, will axe all
relief supplies the company has room
for, free Of charge. The steamer Mae.
sailing August Slst. viii do the same.
These vessels will take from 1000 to
1000 tons of supplies and the shipments
for them should be marked Relief
Supplies" and should be properly pack
ed and delivered at the pier OF the
steamship company referred to. Empire
Stores, Brooklyn, y. Y, on or before
noon Of Wednesday. August 10th.
Secretary Root today received a dis
patch from ex-Secretary Alger, saying
the latter had forwarded his check Cor
SlO0 for Porto Rican storm sufferers.
Secretary Root acknowledged the do
nation with thanks. The committee or
ganized here TO forward relief To the
people of Texas has decided TO give en-
tirely TO Porto Ricans and will solicit
no more aid for Texas. Commissioner
Wight, OF the District Of Columbia, will
call a meeting tomorrow to organize a
Porto Rican relief commission.
The navy department. has been great
~ relieved by a dispatch from Captain
Longnecker, commanding the New Or
leans, now at a Domingo City. He
says all is well with both the New Or
leans and the MachiaG He also states
that quiet prevails in San Domingo.
HOBSON'S REPORT ON VESSELS
CAPTURED AT MANILA. .
Naval Constructor Richmond Pear
son Hobson was heard from by the ma
Wy department today for the first time
at any length since he was assigned To
duty in charge of he Spanish ships
raised from Manila harbor and now
undergoing repairs at Hong Kong.
His report is unusually interesting,
dealing in general questions, such as
the need Of a large dockyard in the
Orient, the increasing shipping at Ma
Mia and the prospec that Manila will
succeed Hong Kong as sthe emporium
or the east, the value OF Chinese labor
in all branches Of industry, etc. He
also says the three Spanish ships which
are completed will be worth to the gov
eminent about $6l0, 900, and he con-
templates trying TO raise three more
Spanish vessels now at the bottom OF
Manila bay. The letter is addressed to
Rear Admiral Hichborn, chief of the
bureau Of construction, and is dated at
Hong Kong, July 18th. He says in part:
The three vessels under construction.
The lSla de Cuba, the Isla de LuZon and
the Don Juan de Austrias, are in about
equal stages of completion, which | es-
innate to be about so per cent, COM
pared with the vessels fitted out ready
Tor sea. 1 estimate that the time Of
completion Will be about six weeks af-
ter the arrival Of armament and cleo
trio plant. l estimate the value of these
vessels when completed, exclusive OF
armament, to be about as follows: Isla
de Cuba $215, 00o, Isla de Luzon S2l5, 900,
Don Juan de Austrias $3.50, 600"
He then shows that the raising and
renting has cost about 1904, 900, maxi
ing a net gain TO the government on the
three vessels of $306, 900. He gives the
credit for this result TO Naval Con-
structor Caps, who made the contracts.
DAMAGE BY THE TEXAS FLOOD.
Mr.. f. s. Holmes, an expert of the
statistical bureau Of the department OF
agriculture has just completed a report
to Chief Statistician Hyde, OF that de-
partment, embodying the result of a
tour Of the flooded region Of Texas. and
making an estimate Of the damage
done. The number Of farms submerged
l. estimated at 500, with a total area
o. about 1885, 900 acres. OF this area,
at the time OF the flood, there were
about 5O3, 900 acres under cultivation,
$4,000 acres being in cotton, 124, 600 acres
in corn, lO,S00 acres in sugar cane and
1900 acres in other crops, with 4 to-
tai production in sight equivalent "a
about $1,000 900, which is about s7f pei
l capital Of tina nomination