The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-10-05
RUSSIAN SHIP AT FRISCO
Auxiliary Cruiser Lena Drops An
Choir at Pacific Port.
Il Anxiety Fe1t by Merchants and
Japs-President Decides That the
Ship Must Dismantle.

--
Oyster Bay, n. Y. The Russian INK
fliary cruiser Lena, which put into San
Francisco some days ago. must leave
that port within a brief time prescrib.
ed by this Government to make neces-
sary repairs, or must be %dismantled.
This, in brief, it can be said on au-
thority. is the decision Of President
Roosevelt, to whom the question was
referred by the officials at Washington,
D. C..
The President spent most of a day
reading the reports from Washington
bearing on the case. The special wires
running into the executive offices were
kept warm with messages between the
department heads at the capital and
their chief at his home in this village.
The President, of course, would prefer
to adjust the affair so as to satisfy
both Of the b%elligerent powers, but he
will not under any circumstances
swerve from the letter Of his neutrality
proclamation issued at the beginning
of hostilities. If he is convinced that
the commander Of the Russian ship
merely wishes to make sufficient re-
pairs to enable him to take the vessel
to the nearest Russian port, he may do
so. IF, on the other hand, it appears
that the Russian officer entered the
Golden Gate with the intention of put
ting the Lena again in fighting trim. he
will be ordered to dismantle the ship
and must remain in the harbor until
the war ends. In other words, the har.
bors of the United States are not to be
used as navy yards by any foreign
power.
President Roosevelt has ordered the
Lena to be thoroughly inspected by
the chief engineer Of Admiral Good
rich's feet and the United States
steamboat inspectors at San Francisco.
Until their report is received no drastic
action will be taken. If the report
shows that the Lena's boilers and en-
gines can be repaired within a reason
able time, the Russian commander will
be told to 60 ahead and have the work
done. If the inspectors find that dry.
uOChlltB 10 hCSCoSoIJ odo lhC VIVIAN Va
repair will consume weeks or months,
the Lena must be dismantled and de-
tanned. Should the Russian comman-
der refuse to dismantle his ship on re-
ceiving orders to that effect, he will be
required to leave the harbor within the
customary time limit Of twenty-four
hours.
On the arrival of the Lena consider.
able anxiety was felt in San Fran
cisco by the merchant marine of that
port. as it was felt that the Russian
cruiser had come with the purpose of
waylaying any ship leaving port for
Japan.
The Russian commander Of the boat
desired time to make sufficient repairs
to his boilers, which were then inspect
ed and the above decision was made by
the President on receipt of the inspec-
ton report.
San Francisco, Cal.-It seems certain
from latest developments in the case
Of the Russian cruiser that the Lena
will have to be dismantled here. This
decision was reached by the experts
here after a careful examination OF the
Lena's boilers by Captain John *.
Bulger, United States inspector OF
bulls and boilers. Admiral Goodrich's
fleet engineer reported the day before
that six weeks would probably be am
pie time for putting the boilers in ser.
yiceable condition, but he did not make
the careful and detailed inspection
that Captain Bulger made. Although
Captain Bulger will not talk it is IN
derstood from an authoritative source
that he has reported that the boilers
are in such bad condition that it would
be folly to attempt to patch them up
in a few weeks. Either extensive re
pairs must be made, which would re-
uuire months. or new boilers must be
put in. In either case the work could
not be done under the neutrality laws,
for it would mean converting q dis
abled ship into an effective cruiser.
According to Captain Bulger's report
the cruiser would be taking great risks
in attempting to cross the Pacific at
this season with hastily patched up
boilers. 1t is understood that the Off
GERS and men Of the Lena will be glad
to have the vessel diSmantled, as they
know she could not hold her own
against even a small japanese ship.
Collector Stratton sent the inspectors
report to Washington with his official
approval.
1t is reported here that Consul-Gen-
eral Uyeno, of Japan, received a sharp
reprimand from the Japanese Minister
in Washington because of the dictator
ial tone in which he demanded the
right to inspect the Lena. Local jap
anese are still greatly excited over the
presence of the Lena. The editor or
the japanese paper waits in the early,
morning for the first editions Of the To-
cal newspapers, and then makes up
his journal from their news. In the
windows of Japanese shops bulletins
are posted giving in Japanese the
latest news of the Lena case. II Adj
miral Goodrich had not posted guards
over the cruiser, patriotic Japanese
would have blown the vessel out OF
the water. as they are greatly incensed
against her for trying to secure a ha-
ven in this harbor.