The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-14

Washington. May 13-Considerab.e
speculation has been INDUCED in toby
at the navy department as to the pros
poets. of a sea ieht between Admit a
SIMPSONS squadron and the Spanish
Cape Verde fleet 1t is believed that h
will be able to intercept them, should
they make dash for Cuba, but if they
| should get past his vessels they would
make it warm for our ships on block
ade duty off Cienfuegos, On the south
coast. They could not stand for a
moment against the big Spanish
armored cruisers, and yet are not fleet
enough to escape if they are sighted.
Should Sampson sight the Spanish
fleet, it is not certain that he coul1
engage them, provided the Spanish al
miral found it TO his interest to de-
cline the engagement. The Span SD
ships are faster than anything in the
American squadron, with the possible
exception of the New York. If Samo-
son should fall in with them. however,
and find the Spaniards in a fighting
humor, ne would nave the best of it as
far as chances can be calculated from
a simple calculation of the respective
number of armored ships and guns.
The big battleships Indiana and Iowa
though p per cent slower than the
ViZcaya class, far over-match them in
offe nSiVe and defensive power. Their
armor belts and turrets could not be
pierced at a. fighting range of 2.0J0
yards by the biggest gun mounted by
the Spaniards, while the Pinch and 10
inch guns of our battleships could
perfOrate the Spanish armor belts. The
New York. however is inferior in both
offensive power and arnior TO the Span
ish vessels, though she might held her
own by superior management and
gunnery.
# Sampson has taken his whole fleet
the monitors Amphitrite and Terror
would make up more than a balance
of power against the Spaniards, allow
ing the cruisers Montgomery, Detroit
and Marblehead as a force sufficient L
take care OF the Spanish torpedo boat
destroyers. The latter, however, are
almost untried elements in actual war
fare ard some naval officers fear that
they are much more dangerous foes
than the ordinary strategists allow in
their calculation
The statement given ont at the navy
department that the Spanish squad
ron is now null down to the westward
of Martinique" could not be supple
mertcd by additional information as to
the time the dispatch was sent, bat Il ]
is supposed that the squadron was seen
yesterday.
DISPATCHES DELAYED.
Sampson already knows Of its move
ments, for the United States scout
Harvard. which put into Martinique
yesterday, is said to have fond there
one of The torpedo GestrOyers ccmpos-
ing the Spanish. fleet anG certainty
would report the fact to Sampson wa
st. Thomas If possible to do so.
There is g. suspicion, however, that
the United States has not been treated
with perfect fairness in the matter OF
the use of the cable from Martinique
and that messages of the utmost i'm
pOrtance, such, fer instance as those
reporting the movements Of The Spanish
ships have been delayed an unreason-
able length of time. 10 the great en-
barrassment of our forces. The subject
is one that will be investigated in the
future, as well IS other facts connected
with the treatment of the G-s1fca
ships in West Indian ports which are
nominally operating strictly undar the
neutrality laws.
1t is said that the Spanish squadron
has been lying in wait for the OREGON.
which, with the Marietta Ead Niethe-
roy, sailed or the 18th from Bahia to
join Sampson, and the reported activity
OF the Spanish torpedo beat destroyers
in running in and out of Martinique
seems to show that they are 6eing used
as scouts 10 give the rest of the squad
ron notice of the approach OF the Amer
lean battieships- If so the mission will
be fruitiess, for. having discovered the
Whereabouts of the Spanish force, Ad-
mi.al Sampson viii carry out his orders
to destroy their ships if he can reach /
them.
The fact that the spaniards were
headed yesterday towards the west
ward on the surface would indicate /
that they were bound for the south /
coast of Cuba, but warships in these /
try to mislead observers /
ashore.
Martinique is a French island lying /
about 500 miles southeast OF Porto Rico I
and 7G0 miles from the eastern coast /
Of Cuba. II is one of the cutposts of 1
the West Indies and is the neutral I
point at which the Spanish feat coming I
from Cape Verde would lirst make i
landing. 1t must now pass the French (
island OF Guadaloupe to the northwest. /
and Danish Island OF st. Thomas, lit (
tie farther on its course 10 Porto Rico, /
unless SIMPSONS f:set engages thenl
before that move is made. As they .
stand now the two fleets are abous 500 I
miles apart, which. by fast sailing. both I
fleets would cover in one day. The sail
ing of one feet would hriEg them to-
sether in two days, il the other re-