Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1898 — FROM THE FRONT. [ARTICLE]

FROM THE FRONT.

The battleship Oregon is the first warship that ever rounded Cape Horn. The Queen Regent of Spain has asked the Pope to bless the Spanish arms. The harbor of San Francisco has been thoroughly mined during the past few weeks. The railroad men in California have started a fund to build a battleship for the Government. A heavy rainfall at Key West has filled the cisterns and averted a water famine among the troops. In Havana meat is $2 a pound and coffee 25c a cup. First-class restaurants are guarded by troops. Food is getting scarcer every day in Havana and the insurgents threaten to cut off the water supply. Weyler and the Carlists and Republican leaders are deliberately planning to bring on a revolt in Spain. The Spanish defenses at Caimanera, Cuba, consist of an ironclad wooden shanty and an ancient cannon. The recruits for Secretary Roosevelt’s rough riders include football players, steeplechasers, clubmen and policemen. Great Britain has as many war vessels in Asiatic waters as France, Russia and Germany combined, and they are far more modern and powerful. Miss Christine Bradley, daughter of the Governor of Kentucky, asktxl to be allowed to accompany the first Kentucky volunteer regiment as a nurse. The Minneapolis lodge of a Jewish order, in memory of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, has offered a bounty of

$25 and remission of lodge dues to all members who enlist for war against Spain. The Secretary of the Navy receiver! a despatch from Admiral Dewey expressing the belief that Manila could not hold out long against his attack. Many wealthy Philippine families are going back to the islands from Hong Kong and, are taking the oath of allegiance to the United States. Several decided improvements have been added to the plans of four new monitors for our navy which will render them practicably indestructible except by torpedoes. One of the United States officers sent to open communication with the Cuban insurgents is said to have planted the American and Cuban colors side by side on Cuban soil.

SILENCED MORRO. Scout St. Louis and the Wampatuck Engage Forte of Santiago. The Santiago bombardment which occurred Wednesday, May 18, is explained as follows: The St. Louis, acting under orders, proceeded to cut the cable at Santiago and Guantanamo. The Santiago engagement was lively. The Wampatuck accompanied the St. Louis and the cable was picked up within range of the Spanish guns on Morro, which opened fire, followed by two sand batteries and one gjortar battery. The men coolly handled the cable on the forecastle of the St. Louis during the entire engagement. The St. Louis replied With her total armament of four G-pounders and with the Wampa. tuck’s one 3-pounder finally silenced al! but two or three guns. Neither American boat was damaged seriously. The St. Louis’ topmast backstay was shot away and the Wampatuck’s pilot house was slightly splintered. One man on the St. Louis had a finger broken by the flying fragments of a shell while handling the cable. When work on the cable had been properly finished the boats proceeded twenty miles eastward to Guantanamo, where the cable was again picked up and cut. The batteries there opened fire, but being small and poorly handled, were ineffective. Two well placed shots from the St. Loais secured comparative quiet and the cutting of the cable was then peacefully finished. The officers and men were jubilant.

EXPENSES OF THE ARMY. Alger’s Supplemental Estimates for » Its Support the First Six Months. Secretary Alger has made supplemental estimates for the support of the armies for the first six months of tiie coming fiscal year. They are as follows: Expenses of the comanding gen eral’a office SI,OOO Contingent expenses of inspector general’s department 1,000 Signal service of the array 114.000 Pay, etc., of the array. 4,017,804 Pay of volunteers 25.020,266 Subsistence of the army 10,219,635 Regular supplies of quartermaster’s departmeast ’ 6,000,000 Incidental expenses of quartermaster's department 2,500,000 Horses for-cavalry and artillery.. 2,000,000 Barracks and quarters 750,000 Army transportation 20,000,000 Clothing and camp and garrison equipage 13,000,000 Contingencies of the array 50.000 Medical and hospital department. 354,000 Ordnance service 325,000 Ordnance, ordnance stores and supplies ....................... 3,394,000 Armament of fortifications ...... 130,510 Manufacture of arms 640,000 Equipment of engineer troops. ... 75,000 Civilian assistants to engineer officers 40,000 Total $88,638,840 Up to this time the estimates ami appropriations already made on account of the war aggregate $295,210,840.

RAN THE SPANISH GANTLET. Uncle Sam. Will Make Gunpowder from Captain Fulcher’s Sulphur. The British steamship City of Truro, Captain Fulcher, which sailed from Licata, Sicily, the day war was declared by Spain, with a cargo of 2,000 tons of sulphur for the United States, has arrived safely in port at New York. Sulphur, because of its use in the manufacture of explosives, is one of the articles declared by Spain to be contraband of war, and the Truro’s cargo was liable to seizure by any Spanish cruiser or privateer hovering about Gibraltar. Captain Fulcher was warned to keep a weatber'f'yeout for suspicious-looking craft and get out of the Mediterranean as quickly as he coulcd. The only armed vessel he sighted was an American cruiser playing a searchlight off Shinuecock, Long Island. Fine Body of Men. A correspondent writes from'Tampa: "The American soldier of to-day is incomparably better than his predecessor. Conditions of enlistment are more severe. He is more generously treated. His rations are improved hud he has facilities and privileges formerly unknown. He is offered incentives to manliness and seifrespect. How far these have been successful is indicated by the statement that among all the troops in this place I have not observed a single case of drunkenness or disorder of any description.” Keeps Money at Home. By the way of compensation for the money which the pursuit of Spanish warships is costing this country there is being kept in the country by the war many millions of dollars. In ordinary years this pwney goes to Europe and purchaws old silver, china, paintings, sculpture, specimens of the nobility and other luxuries This year it stays at home in America ana is either expended or invested here because Its owners do not feel inclined to leave the country while the present difficulty is unsettled. Ab a Base cf Supplies. Hawaii will not declare neutrality, President Dole considering such a course as a breach of good faith. He is confldcntly expecting the United .States to raise its flag above the islands and use them as a base of supplies. Hawaiian senators indorse President Dole's stand, and the.measure only needs ratification by President McKinley.