The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-01-12

lie Makes a r quest For More War
Ships AMI Supplies.
with His Present y~Ss.Is, the Captur.d
spanish ships and Those Under WAY,
Dewey Whl Have the Largest
Fleet In Time OF Peace.

WASHINGTON, Jan. o.-The navy de-
partment received 10; & cipher cable
dispatch from Adm. Dewey making
requisitions for ships and supplies
urgently needed on the Asiatic Sta
ton The admiral reiterated the re-
quest he has made several times in
the last few weeks. that additional
hight draught gupboat should be
sent to him. Notwithstanding the
fact that Secretary Long inform
ed him Friday that the Castine
was starting Immediately by way of
Suez. and other vessels would follow
when they could be spared. A reply
was sent TO the admiral Saturday that
the Bennington. now on her way from
Honolulu to make surveys at Guam.
would be ordered to Manila in the
course of few months, and the
Machias, now repairing at Portsmouth.
n. H.. would follow the Castine
through the Mediterranean in n few
weeks to join his fleet.
Secretary Long added a request to
Adm Dewey to designate specifically
any other gunboats he desired. in or
der that the department might CRAFTY
him, if possible. The authorities rec
ognize the advisability of sending all
the gunboats that can be spared to
the Asiatic station, on account of their
adaptability to service in the archipel.
ago, but in addition to the Concord and
retrel, which are now at Iloilo, the
Helena is at Port Said on her wav TO
Manila, and Adm. Dewey now has in
commission the Caliao, the Manila. the
Julgoa and the Barcclo, which he cap
ured from the Spaniards, and in
ew weeks the Isla de Luzon and the
sla de Cuba, which he raised and sent
o Hong Kong, will be manned by the
rews sent out on the Buffalo. ;
He also has the captured gunboats (
.eyte and Mindanao awaiting crews,
nd when the Machias, Castine and +,
join him he will have 30 Il
essels under his command. not count c
1g the Oregon and the Iris, which n
I'LL soon be at Honolulu. awaiting a
rders to go to his support. Such e
'rge fleet has never in times of peace d
cen under the command of n single lt
merican officer. but the department 81
ms such confidence in the admirars ei
ldgment that it will not hesitate to =,
nd him any further reinforcemcnts So
lat he demands. OF
In his dispatch Adm. Dewey calls c, e.
Il large quantities of plug tobacco, sr
ap and American food. 1t will be ~
memoered that soon after the de- ce
ruction of Montojos fleet the ad- on
iral cabled for 40, 600 bars of soap. pa
lding he could buy none in
static waters This supply has Sc sc,
her been exhausted or the tic
miral is determined to have WI
NAN'" pNPPlg Oi manu- DclOTt III uf
res out in order that there shall be to
uncleanliness in his fleet His de- ro' o
md for more plug tobacco is ex- tn,
lined in letters which have recently ehi
lched Washington from officers of law Law
: fleet, telling how tired the men are ad
Philippine cigars, and how they miss M me
cir sweetened navy plug and clay n.
,es IRE
70 carry these needed supplies the Me ss
part ment decided Saturday to fit up IRE
auxiliary cruiser Yankee or her
ter ship the Prairie, and load them A
of necessities, sending them to
Mia by way of the Suez canal. fu'
ese vessels are now at League
nd, but one Of them can be sent
und to New York and made ready '
tart in the next two weeks. wa
SNAPS AND ADVENTURES. De- Ins
TrFcked Crew subs ST as Best They Can wa