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B SEMI-WEEKL^?^ ^ ^ ^ h. m. grist & sons, Publishers, j % ^anulj gleirspaper: 4or ti,c. {promotion of the political, ?oeiat, Agricultural and (Eommeiicia! Interests of the ?outh. { ter,'^-(Se coV^.^ve cknis"06' established 1855. YORKVILLE, S. O., SATURDAY, MAY 38, 1898. NUMBER 43. ' * # I"- - 3 T ' 1 U? ;n ^ I ^Aotilfi aViina Tho firof. t hi nor oanVi LESSONS OF THE WAR, Importance of a Stronger Nary and Nomerons Coaling Stations. THE POWER OF ESG LAND AND AMERICA. I * What Statesmen Are Thinking of In Washington?Several Indications Which Will Soon Be Realized as Facts, or Which Will at Least Become National Issues. Washington Cor. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Already the war with Spain has brought forth problems which are absorbing the attention of American statesmen. There are some who are predicting that the present struggle will have far-reaching results ; that it will change the map of the world in a number of particulars. There are a few who believe that before the conflict between the United States and Spain is ended other nations will be drawn into the fight, and that the war will be a more terrible one than the world has ever known. There are some who believe that the time is now ripe for an alliance betweeu the two great English-speaking nations of the earth for the purpose of bringing about the supremacy of the English-speaking people in the Pacific and in Asiatic waters; there are others that claim the folly of the United States in interfering outside of its own territory has been demonstrated. The president is being advised strongly on the one side never to haul down the American flag in the Philippines, and on the other not to consider the holding of these islands as American territory after the conclusion of the war. But while opinions differ radically upon the subjects of territorial aggrandizement and the advisability of the English alliance, there are two things developed by the presi nt struggle upon which there is a practical unanimity of American sentiment. One is that the United States must have a much greater navy than it has; a navy, backed by the nation's other resources, will make the United States fully capable of holding its own with any other nation in the world ; and the other is a necessary concomitant of the first?more coaling stations. Captain Mahan, a member of the board of strategy and one of the most distinguished naval experts in the world, has said that a warship without coal is like a wingless bird. The full force of this analogy has been impressed upon the American people in the past six weeks as it never was before. When Admiral Dewey was forced to leave Hong Kong with his fleet, he was practically compelled to fight for his life. That be succeeded so brilliantly does not in the least affect the fact that when war was declared the declaration left him in most desperate straits, as he was over 8,000 miles from home and having no port in which he could enter for refuge or to recoal. The difficulties Spain has had to eucounter to get her fleet across the Atlantic are too fresh in the public mind to need repetition. NEED OF COALING STATIONS. "Coaling stations," said a naval expert today, "are the great necessity of a maritime power. It would be better for a warship to be without guns than to be without coal; for if she should have coal and be without guns she would at least have a chauce of getting away, but left without coal she is at the mercy of the enemy. Whether the United States government shall decide to give up the Philippines or not when peace has been restored, it may be taken for granted, I think, that this government will at least retaiu one coaling station iu the Philippines, which will be strongly fortified, so that iu the future, in case of war betweeu this couutry and auy other power, our Asiatic fleet will have some harbor of refuge. Our lack of coaling stations and the advantage of possessing them in such a situation as the country finds itself at present is the reason for the strong revival of interest in the Hawaiian annexation proposition. If it had not been for the war with Spain, Hawaiian annexation would almost certainly have been beaten, but now it looks as if there was a spleudid chance of its success. Naval and military strategists have long contended that the United States needed those islands as a base for operations in the Pacific, and now the public is coming around to that view. Modern ships of war aud commerce need facilities for frequent coaling and for frequent docking for repairs. "A neutral port can not be used as a base of supplies in time of war. This was emphasized during the Franco-Tonquin war, when England refused to allow French ships to coal Sincanore. and France was forced to send coal transports from Marseilles through the Suez Canal to Saigon. Spain likewise will be obliged to send transports through the Suez canal in case she intends any attempt to recapture the Philippines. Hawaii not having declared neutrality, our ships which will go to the relief of Amiral Dewey will be enabled to recoal at that port. If Hawaii was in the possession of a hostile or even neutral power it would be impossible for this to be done, and the matter of sending relief to Dewey would be one of very much greater difficulty than it is under present circumstances. With Hawaii in our possession and Pearl Harbor fortified and stored with coal, we need fear no attack from across the Pacific. We should require fewer warships in the Pacific and fewer fortifications on western and Alaskau coasts than would be required if Hawaii should remain in its present condition or pass into the possession of a foreign power. EXAMPLE OF ENGLAND. "Few persons not conversant with marine matters have had any appreciation of the necessity of these coaling stations to the United States until the present war forced the matter upon their attention in a striking manner. A cruiser or a battle-ship with a coal capacity necessary to carry her 5,000 miles, steaming at a speed of 10 knots an hour, will exhaust her coal iu less than 1,000 miles by doubling her speed. One of the greatest arguments in favor of our possession of the Hawiian islands is that with a supply ~c in Poonl T-Tqrhnr UI UUil I 1YCII ^uai Yltu |U ? VUII fMOl AN4 our warships and merchantmen will be'enabled to cross the Pacific at a maximum speed. Recent events have made so clear what an advantage this would be to us that it is unnecessarp to dwell upon it. "England has thoroughly realized fh<> imnortance of such harbors of refuge as bases of supply. She has established fortified coaling stations all around the world in the pathways of commerce. No matter what power of the world should engage her in war, she would not he handicapped in her operations by want of coal. A list of England's coaling fortified stations will, I am sure, amaze those who have never given any consideration to the strength of nations in this partic ular. It has been well said that the Mediterranean is nothing more than an English .lake. Her fortified coaling stations at Gibraltar, Malta and Cyprus are what make it that in reality. No nation of Europe could hope to compete with England in the Mediterra uean. England commands the en i trance to the Suez canal and her coaling stations at the entranue to the Red sea and at Sokrata island, at the mouth of that sea, make her also the mistress of those waters. The public will recall the great ostentation with which the German fleet under Prince Henry left for Asiatic waters several months ago. That fleet was obliged to coal at English coaling stations three times on its way to its destination, and if England were to refuse to furnish Germany with coal tomorrow Prince Henry's fleet would never be able to get back. England has a number of coaling statious off the east coast of Africa, and in the Arabian sea. They are the islands of Mauritius of! Madagascar, Cape Colony, Beluchistan, Bombay, Columbia, Ceylon and Calcutta. In the China sea England has a well fortified coaling station at Singapore. She has also recently acquired a coaling station in Chinese territory, opposite the island I of Formosa. She has an excellent I coaling station on the south side of < the island of Guinea, and five in Au- 1 stralia, with one also on the island of I Tasmania. In New Zealand she has I two coaling stations. She also coin- i mauds the Fiji islands. 1 ARGUMENT FOR ALLIANCE. 1 Coming over to the west coust of America, we find her strongly fortified and well supplied with coal at Vancouver. Her possessions of the Falk- i land islands, where she has strong fortifications and plenty of coal, give her practically the command of the Straits | of Magellan. St. Helena and Ascen- i sion island, midway between the coast ] of Brazil and the coast of Africa, are ( hers, and they are also fortified and coaled. On the west coast of Africa 1 she has Bathurst, Senegambia and ' Monrovia. In the Caribean sea weh /WkSSAfMOSI [ OUT HU find her in possession of fortified coal- 1 ing stations at Trinidad, Barhadoes, f Jamaica and Belixel, off the coast of Panama. Off the Atlantic coast, about opposite the city of Charleston, * she has the Island of Bermuda, which ' has been recently very strongly forti- ( fied, and where she has enough coal to 1 supply one of her largest fleets for a \ considerable time. To the north of us f she has coaling stations and forts at . Halifax and Quebec. The extent and the strength of her possessions are 1 very wonderful when you come to ' study them. \ "It is a fact not'generally known f that England and the United States , possess nearly 90 per cent, of the coal of the world. The only other great coal fields outside of these countries ' are those in China. If England and s the United States were to reach an c understanding, therefore, that when ? either one or the other was seriously } threatened coal would he made con- , trahand of war, they would have no need to be iu lear of any great danger 1 t ( "" } from any one, or from all, of the re- 1 maining greut powers of the earth < combined. It looks very much as if < the present war between the United I States and Spain would result in some ? such understanding even tf there is no actual alliance/' 1 < Fear In Battle.?"When you hear | a soldier say that he would as soon fight as eat, or that he can go into battle without feeling the least bit afraid, just present him my compliments and tell him for me that he is either a fool or a liar," said General Sheridan after listening to an officer boasting about his coolness and bravery. "I have been in as many battles as any of them, perhaps, aud I am not ashamed to say that I was scared every time, and sometimes my knees almost knocked together. The truly brave man is more or less airain in the presence of danger, I wouldn't want to command a body of men who bad no fear, because they would be forever running into danger. Give me the man who is afraid, but has the nerver to control his fear. He will do lis duty well, and do it without exposing himself unnecessarily." ? ? AROUND THE WORLD. T Tl.n* ISTavaw rumo an?l AnnMtor That Did. Although stirring events have taken place since that time, many of our eaders, no doubt, remember T, Allen McQuary, the young man who came hrough this section last December "epreseuting that he was engaged in naking a trip around the world for an irkansaw girl. His story was unique, ST>. yoelj? ^ I NTING. ie was a plausible young fellow, and ie received considerable attention. It will be remembered that young HcQuary promised to write a letter to The Enquirer on his return from }uba, and as a matter of interest, The Enquirer promised to print it, n connection with a cut of him made rom a photograph taken opposite the ianson Dry Goods store. The last hat was heard from McQuary, direct- , y, was about the middle of February, i vhen he took a steamer at Charleston or Jacksonville, Fla. The Cuban sitmtion began to grow more and more sritical about that time, and the young raveler appeared to be lost in the ihuffle. But whether of any interest >r not, The Enquirer had promised : i letter and the picture, and so some veejcs ago wrote to McQuary's friend, ix ^ /-.i? n^?,o Ar? vi. 3. vjx I vm ij j au .uuuiiiuin uiu<^, inking as to his whereabouts. The eply was uot received until last T ueslay. It reads as follows, and the McJuary cut will be fouud elsewhere in diis issue: Mountain Grove, Mo., May 22,1898. Editor Yorkvillc Enquirer: Nearly four weeks ago, I received a etter of inquiry from you in regard to Mr. T. Allen McQuary, and while I iui ashamed that it ha* never before ?een answered, I assure you the reason was because I kept thinking "the next lay" would undoubtedly bring tidings Voui the young man. But I have leard nothing from him since he was ust in the act of entering the Suez ;anal, at Port Said, Egypt. He succeeded admirably in fulfilling lis contract as to Cuba, and after reurniug to this country, he "stowed ivvay" at New Orleans on the steamer ' Tndrani," and was not heard of agaiu intil at Gibraltur, Spain, aud Port Said, Egypt. I should have heard from him by .his time from Yokohama, I supposed ; jut probably he has not had time ;nough to get me a letter from there, ilthough I am confident he has reached that point ere this. I will receive i telegram the moment he sets foot on fVmerican soil at San Francisco, and iviM immediately notify you afterwards. The reason he could not carry jut his contract with you folks, is jasily understood, when you consider die situation he is in in having to go is a "stowaway." Of course, in his letter to me from Egypt, he said he had already "crawl;d out," made the acquaintance of the captain (the crew knew he was on?in act, helped 111m 10 conceal his u uuh, ;tc., and hide himself until a thousaud niles or more from America), and that hey were now fast friends, etc. Said je had become considerably hardened o the life of a "salt," and was geting along very nicely, although the dimatic changes went somewhat severely with him for awhile. i I think, unle6s he got mixed up in he "fray" near Manila, that I shall icar of him being in this country by be 10th of next month, at the farth)St. I He has shown extraordinary grit, so rar, ana i ieei uuuiiucui> tuai uc is ^ving to make it in on time with flying colors. Would be pleased to receive a copy of your paper containing whatever this letter brings out in regard to the boy. Yours, etc., M. S. Glenn. nnioniv/i tuv rniCT uuaill/itlu i iiu vm/aiua* A Perfect SyMtem In Operation From Maine to Texas. After several weeks of work along the entire stretch of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, says a Washington dispatch, the navy department has completed the most comprehensive system for observing the approach of a hostile fleet that has ever been put in operation. A new bureau has been created for this purpose known as the coast signal service, in charge of Captain Bartlett, who attends to this as well as the work IOWa ' ' " * of the Daval board of information. The system has the services of 2,300 men stretched along the coast from Bar Harbor, Me., to Galveston, Texas. These are divided into 34 central stations about 60 to 100 miles apart along the coast. The stations are in turn connected directly by telegraph with the signal office of the navy department and operators are on duty night and flay keeping the navy department in constant telegraphic touch with the entire stretch of Atlantic and gulf coasts. Secretary Loug projected the system a month ago, and $75,000 was set aside to establish the points of observation along the coast. After selecting the 34 central poiuts from Maine to Texas, rush orders were given to build observation towers and towers for the observators. The naval militia was drawn on to make the different observation towers, and live militiamen, with the ruuk of uaval quartermaster, are now on duty at each of these stations. The towers are completed and also the small houses for their living purposes. There are 233 of these militiamen now in service. The next step was to have the lighthouse service made an adjunct to this coast observation. This was done through the cooperation of the treasury department, and the lighthouse force of 1,200 men scattered from Maine to Texas are assisting the work of observation. The life saving service was brought into similar co-operation, so that now 1,000 life-savers are added to the observation force. The 34 central stations, with the numerous lighthouses and life saving stations, make a complete chaiu of observation points, all connected by telegraph or telephone with one another and with the navy department. By arrangement with the telegraphic companies, the reports from these observers take precedence over the private telegruphic business, so that the navy department is able to get immediate notice of the approach of any hostile fleet or suspicious ship. The work of observation has been thoroughly systematized. Watches are kept on the towers throughout the day and night. The life-saving crews in particular are assigned to night duty, and they patrol the beach throughout the night on the lookout for approaching ships. All the central points and the observers have been supplied with telescopes and full appliances for marine observation. They are also supplied with torches, rockets and other paraphernalia for signaling. The results already secured have shown the efficiency of the plans adopted. Naval vessels passing along the coast are able to signal ciay or night by torches and otherwise with the naval observers along the beaches. The signals are immediately telegraphed to the navy department here. Thus the naval vessels can be kept in constant communication with the department without the necessity of coming into port. Captain Bartlett sleeps throughout the night alongside the telegraph instrument and ready to convey bis superiors woad of the approach of any morning reports are received from every point from Bar Harbor to Galveston, stating briefly that everything is quiet or otherwise, as the case may be. Thus far the day reports haye been uniformly assuring, but the night reports have been- at times alarming. The observers, being alert and new to their work, report every suspicious light seen off shore, and frequently attach serious significance to it. Since Captain Bartlett has answered some of ' the scare reports with the laconic message "Sea serpent," the observers have been more cautious, and the reports show evidences of careful observation. With the svstem in its present perfected condition, the navy department feels assured that it knows exactly the condition of affairs along the entire stretch of Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The system is simply a precautionary one, as the department has bad no reason to believe that Spanish ships were menacing points along the coast. WITH A 13-INCH GUN. How the Monster Is Served and Some Information Abont It. From Harper's Weekly. "I am told," said Captain Higginson of the battleship Massachusetts, now of the flying squadron, "that the Indiana put a shell from her 13-inch gun through a target at 2,000 yards, and then went through' the same hole with a second shell. Pretty good work for one of these fellows," and the muscular little captain stroked the muzzle of one of the four 13-inch guns that make up the main battery of the big ship of the line. Don't get out a tape measure or a foot rule and measure off 13 inches $nd wonder to what portion of the eun that refers, because it would avail you little, but rather listeD to the account of the stupendousness of this great engine of destruction of modern days. A 13-inch hreech-loading rifle, as the biggest gun used in the navy is technically described, is a piece of metal weighing 136,000 pounds, a few inches over 39 feet in length and with a powder space of 15.5 inches in diameter and 80.8 inches long. The only reference to 13 inches is in the diameter of the steel projectile fired. This monstrous gun throws a projectile that weighs 1,100 pounds, and the amount of powder consumed for each shot so fired is 520 pounds. The explosion of this powder sends this weight of 1,100 pounds of metal from the muzzle at the speed of 2,100 feet per second, and with an energy of 32,627 tons?enough to send it through 24 inches of steel at 1,000 yards, and 21 inches at a mile distant; and while the mechanism of this gun is complicated, and while every part after every shot must be cleaned, so complete is the discipline aboard that it may be fired once every three minutes. And there are four of these terrible engines. It is a bright, clear day, and the Massachusetts has sighted an enemy's warship. The preliminary work of clearing for action has been accomplished ; railings, ladders and boats are down and have been stowed away, and everything movable iu the big ship fastened. The glass port lights have been replaced with steel, the watertight compartments closed, the electric plant for lighting the ship, turning the turrets and working the ammunition lifts started ; the ammunition magazines opened, and, lastly, the sick bay prepared. In the forward turret with the great pair of 13 inch rifles stand a crew of twelve men, six to each gun. In tbe hood of the turret, just above the meu, sits a senior officer, and a junior officer. "Silence!" is the first comnrwl crvimlv ilia hnlf.nnkoit mpn mauuj uuu gnujij tuv umo uu.. of the gun crew stand behind the guns. ''Cast loose aud provide," sharply rings the order, and every man is instantly working. The gun captain and number two, three aud four, who are the practical gunners, unshackle the great monster from its peace fastenings; one sees that repair tools and cleaners are placed, gets wuter and hose ready; another opens the safety valves and exhaust pipes, starts the smoke fan and ships the sight; and another provides drinking water and does a dozen other things. But all is done within a space of four minutes, and again each man in his place stands like a statue of bronze. The ammunition has come up prepared with fuses, and then come the orders, in quick successsion, "Open breech, sponge, land shell." The great hydraulic rammer pushes in the big 1,100-pound steel projectile. "Load first cartridge," and'the brown powded, one-half that quantity necessary, goes in. "Load second cartridge," and in goes the second. "Down lift," and the ammunition carriage goes down for more. "Close breech," comes the order quickly, and followed in an instant by "prime," when the captain puts in the electric primer. Then the captain of the gun, seeing otroi-irhndv nlpnr shvs "readv." and vtv.juwMj J J - * r the officer in the hood above responds with "point." Slowly both turrets and gun are moved until the range finder indicates that the muzzle is pointing at the enemy. Then, quick as a flash, the officer in the turret hood closes the electric circuit aud the big projectile goes on its path of destruction. So every one of the 26 rifled guns begin to speak, and "Hell has indeed broken loose. California has women tramp.