The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-15
A SPOOK FLEET.
Q. S. War Office Decides That
1t Delayed Shafter at Tampa.

Washington, Oct. 15-The truth about
the incident which officials of the army
administration have dubbed the spook
fleet affair."" and which the war depart
nent contends caused Skaters depart
ure from Tampa for Santiago to be de-
layed for a week, came out today
through the mention in a newspaper
that Lieut.. w. H. H. Switzerland of
the gunbOat Eagle made the report
which caused so much concern to the
government, right at a time when every
effort was being made to get the Span
tiagO expedition started. 1t has been
an open secret in naval circles that
Lieut.. Switzerland was the officer who
reported that he had seen four suspic-
ious Warships, presumably Spanish,
cruising off the north coast of Cuba in
the track to be followed by the trans
ports. For the reason that the profess
siOnal reputation of a worthy and eff
cient officer might be injured by too
much publicity on the subject, the part
played by Lieut.. Switzerland in the
matter has been kept secret, and the
whole truth of the affair would not now
be told were it not for the attempt that
will be made to prove to the war de-
partment commission of inquiry that
Shafter would have started from Tam
pa for Santiago at least week sooner
than he did if Lieut. Switzerland had
not fancied he saw the so-called "spoOk
fleet of the enemy. Aside from the
merits of the contention that Shafter
was delayed by Lieut.. Southerland's re-
port, which naval officers deny, holding
that Shafter was not even ready when
the report was ascertained to be erro-
neOuS. or, at least, not to apply to
Spanish war ships, it is con-
tended by those who are familiar with
the facts in the case that Lieut.. South
erland did exactly right in reporting
that he had seen a squadron of war
ships which for various reasons he be-
neved were Spanish.
From a report just submitted to the
navy Department by Lieut. Souther-
land and from other information
it appears that the Eagles com
mander was JUSTIFIED in making the re-
port he did. hermOre 1t was learned
that another officer, older and more ex-
perienced than Lieut.. Switzerland, re-
ported having seen the same squadron.
The officer is Commander J. G.. Eaton
OF the auxiliary cruiser ResOlute, and
the Information he furnished to COmmO-
dore Watson, commanding the north
ern blOckading squadron, tailed exact
~ with that given by Lieut.. Souther-
land Commander Eaton went even
further than the Eag'e commander
IN reporting that he had been chased
py the four mysterious vessels.
The reasons that Lieut.. Switzerland
had for believing that he had sighted a
Spanish squadron are given in his re-
port lie says that at p. M, June z
a white light was seen bearing N N w
The Eagle headed for it, but at the same
time the light disappeared After run
nlng some time without seeing ANYTHING
the chase was abandonez At a bout
9:45 a light was seen bearing north by
east, half east. Again the Eagle start
ed in chase and made the private night
signal, displaying it for two min
uteS, during which time the light dis
appeared and the vessels hull could he
made out. No answer was made to
this signal. Five or ten minutes later
the Eagle repeated the night signal ana
received no reply. Finally the chase
displayed a white light and was i'm