The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-12
Wisconsin and Cincinnati VIII
 Proceed at Once
SITUATION GROWS WORSE
Sudden Turn of Events Come as Big Surprise to State and Navy De- partments and Necessitate
 Quick Action.

Washington, September 11.-Secretary Moody today telegraphed the commander of the battleship Wisconsin, now at Bre- merton, and the cruiser Cincinnati, at Cape Haytien, to proceed ae soon as pos sible to the isthmus of Panama. The Wisconsin, which will arrive at Panama In about twenty days, will reinforce the Ranger. and the Cincinnati. which will go to Colon. should reach there at the beginning of next week.
 The gunboat Montgomery will replace the Cincinnati at Port-au-Prince prob ably by next Thursday and will protect American interests in Haytien waters.
 The commanders of the Cincinnati and Wisconsin will be instructed to enforce our treaty stipulations with Colombia strictly by preventing any interference with traffic across sthe isthmus and also to prevent a bombardment of Pan anna from the sea on the ground that this Tn itself would constitute a menace to traffic.
 Neither the Wisconsin nor the Cincin- natl carries very large marine contin- gents, but any lack in this respect, it is Stluy CdIl Dt IldIt up Dy tqulppAAlS pdCh- les for shore duty should 1t become necessary to land a force On Colombian soil to enforce the guarantee of the treaty or to protect American interests. The sudden turn of events near Panama came as a surprise to officials of the state and navy departments. Affairs In that quarter had quieted to such a de- gree that only the little gunboat Ranger kept watch The Marietta was keeping close eye on the trend of affairs in Venezuela and the Cincinnati was per forming similar duty in Hayti. The emergency rose so suddenly, therefore. that Hayti must be left unwatched by an American war vessel during the in- terval between the departure of the Gin cinnati for Colon and tne arrival of the Montgomery In Haytian waters.
 Small Marine Contingent.
 It is thought that the center of trouble is likely to be at or near Panama City, and 1t is for that reason and because of the small size and complement of the Ranger that the big Wisconsin has been dispat ched to the scene. Later in the day the officials of the navy department de- cided to take no chance of an insufficient landing force in case of an emergency on the isthmus, and orders were sent for ward to the United States steamship Pan- ther, which is now en route to League Island, to take aboard a battalion of ma rines upon her arrival and proceed to Colon. Orders were issued for the organ ization of the marines, who will number 3SO men, and will be commanded by Lieut.-Col E. R. Russell, with Major Barnett as second in command. Captains Porter. Butler and Mark will command three of the four companies, and Cap tain Lemly will act as quartermaster. 1t will be the duty of the marines to keep transit across the isthmus clear.
 Trouble at Panama City.
 Asheville. N C., September 11.-Con- sul Gudger United States consul at Pan- anna, tonight received a cablegram from his son, who is vice consul to Panama, which stated that the revolutionists are advancing on the city of Panama. Ths message says the outlook appears grave, as only about 5000 government troops, are in Panama. while the insurgents have twice that number.