The evening times., 1898-05-10
still in Suspense,


According to conservative calcula-
Zion of his present rate of speed. Ad-
niral Sampson ought to reach San Ju-
an by tomorrow some time, if it is now
his intention to go there in the first in
. stance. 1t is possible, however. that,
instead of keeping on an easterly
course to San Juan, information might
reach him from his ocean scouts that
Villamil is down among the Windward
Islands. laying" for the Oregon. In
.,sueh a case, Sampson would be certain
TO leave Porto Rico to his left. for the
time being. and sail south through the
Mona Passage for Martinique, or some
- place around its neighborhood.
If Vilamil is at or near San Juan, he
will have to fight within forty eight
hours If he has gone toward Cape San
Rogue after the Oregon, long ocean
race may precede the ultimate battle.
There are still two extraordinary theo-
Ties with regard to the wherea bouts of
the Cape Verde squadron. One is that
it is still in the immediate neighbor-
hood of the Canary Islands. and wait
ing TO be Joined by the squadron now,
or lately, at Cadiz. fer combined. des-
perate play against the American
coast. The other is that Admiral Villa
mil has sneaked off north to attack
some poorly-defended place on our
shores. The first hypothesis is tenable;
the second is not so regarded.
1t does not appear that he has been
at San Juan, in which case his coal
bunkers must be empty, or nearly so,
and his vessels would be in no condi-
tisn- TO steam over a long course to a
North Atlantic port. There is bare
possibility that coal might have been
sent him to Martinique; owing to the
friendship of France for Spain. We
have noted the fact. elsewhere, that
there is something more than a bare
suspicion that the French liner La
Fayette supplied Blanco with ammuni-
ton of which he had been very short
and possibly with trained French gun
ners. when our courtesy to France al
lowed her to violate the blockade of
Havana. On the other hand, the
chances are that Villamil could barely
have reached Martinique by this time.
unless he has steamed at an improbable
rate of speed for a squadron which
doubtless includes at least one slow
vessel The authorities have generally
calculated that he could make the run
from Cape Verde to Porto Rico in nine
or ten days; but, recently. it took the
NiZcaya and the Almirante Oquendo
from April s to April %, or fourteen
days, to cover the same distance from
San Juan TO st. Vincent
1t Is possible, therefore, that Admiral
Sampson might not be able to come up
with the enemy before Friday or Sat
,irday. in case the latter has not made
any better time westward than two of
its best vessels did eastward.
The Navy Department is understood
to be satisfied, on the basis of reliable
information, that the Spanish Cape
Verde squadron is neither at that point
nor at the Canary Islands. The sum of
1t all is that there is mystery and sus-
pense. in connection with which con-
siderable anxiety is felt for the safety
of the Oregon, Marietta and Nictheroy.
But there is nothing for it but patience
A few days more and we shall know.
Then as likely as not, We shall be
wondering why we did not know the
truth all along. The implicit confidence
which the American people place in
their Navy renders the situation less
painful, but it will be great relief
when We can hear that the hostile force
has been definitely located, as it must
be shortly, if it is on this side of the
Atlantic.