The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-01
or MiantOnOmah.

Washington, June 27.-The admins
tration today finally came to a decis-
ion to send an American squadron to
the Spanish coast and into the Medi-
terranean. Several times since the war
broke out rumors to this effect have
circulated, but the project had not ma
tured. 1t required the Spanish move
ment toward the Philippines by Ca
mara's squadron to decide the navy
department to adopt this bold stroke.
The first announcement today through
a bulletin posted at the navy depart
ment Of the governments intention
was received with incredulity. There
was a suspicion that the story was be-
ing fioated to deceive the Spanish gov
eminent.
However, when later in the day the
detail of the vessels selected to consti-
tute Commodore Watson's eastern
squadron, was announced and official
orders were given to provision the fleet
for four months, it became apparent to
the last doubter thai the government
was in earnest IN this purpose to dis
pdJCH Tic meet u EuIOpt.
The three vessels selected as golfers
have started already on their way to
Newport News to take on a large sup
ply of o 1t will require about a
week to get this down to Simpsons
fleet, so if the start is to be made from
that point it will be impossible for
Commodore Watson to get away be-
fore the 4th of July. This wOu seem
to be an suspicious date for the be-
ginning of an expedition that will, for
the first time in the worlds history,
start from the New World to attack
continental Europe. Nc attempt is
made to deny that the government is
Influenced in ordering this movement
by a desire to check the progress east
ward of the CadiZ fleet. 1t was not
believed hat the Spanish admiral
could be guilty of the folly of uncover
ing his home ports in this fashion, but
inaSmuch as he seems determined to
do Sc the naval s~trategists could not
do less han take advantage of the
magnificent opportunity thus afforded
to strike q crushing blow at Spain and
thereby perhaps save much time and
loss of life and money in the conduct
of the tedious mapaign in Cuba
THE CADIZ FLEET AT PORT SAID.
The determination to send this squad
ron against Spain vas the outcome Of
direct official adVices reaching the
state and navy departments as to the
progress of Admiral Camara's squad
ron. These advices give a list Of the
Spanish ships now nearing the Suez
canal, which differs somewhat from
the list given in the press dispatches
and by Lloyds. The official list is as
follows: PelayO, Carlos V, Audauz.
Osada, Prosperina, Patricia, Rapido,
Buenos Ayres, Isia de Fancy, Colon,
C~ovandonga and San Francisco.
The additional information comes
from official sources that this squadron
is at Port Said and expects to take on
board. &c, 900 tons of Goa before enter
ing the Suez canal. Such d heavy
cOaling will take some time. It dis
closes also that the admiral expects to
make q long sail, and is doubtless
headed for the Philippines, a point
which the officials here doubted at
first.
This squadron is The most formidable
Spain has aioat, in total tonnage
strength of individual ships, armor and
guns. 1t is apparent that the main re-
lance of Camara's fleet is on the bat
tleship Pelayo, the armOred cruiser
Carlos v, and the two new torpedo de-
stroyers, Audauz and Osada. The 9TH
ers are auxiliaries n golfers. AS
there are only two armored ships in
the lot, Admiral Dewey's fleet of pro-
tected, but unarmored ships. will prob
badly take care of this Spanish squad
ron. With the Monterey added he
could certainly do so.
h eastern squadron, which the
United States will now send against
Spain, far outranks this Spanish
squadron. the Iowa and Oregon ex-
ceeding the Pelayo n Carlos V at
every point, while the other United
States vessels are far superior, ship
for ship, to those of the Spanish squad
ron, with the single exception of the
two Spanish torpedo boat d~estroyers.
THE FLEET TO ATTACK SPAIN.
The officers of the eastern squadron
are as follows: Commander-in-chief
Commodore j. c. Watson; battleship
Iowa, Captain r. d. Evans; battleship
Oregon, Captain Charles E. Clark;
flagship Newark. Captain Albert S,
w. H. Emory; cruiser Yankee, Com
mander w. H. Brownson; cruiser Dix
lie, Commander c.. III. Davis; golfers
Scendia, Commander E. W. Watson;
collier Alexander. Commander w. E.
Burwell, collier Alarenda, Lieutenant
Commander w. H. Buford.
THE SPANISH COAST.
When the American fleet sails for
Spain it will take with it complete
information as to the entire stretch of
Spanish coast, with detail maps of ev-
cry harbor and it's Qualifications. The
war board has a mass of this informa-
ton before it today and spent a good
part of the day studying Spanish
charts and Notifications, with a view
to outlining the series of blows which
are to be delivered at Spain at home.
THE Spanish coast line is 2,122 kilo-
metres long, of which 769 kilometres
are on the north coast, while 1858 kilo-
metres is along the Mediterranean and
h Atlantic on the south coast. The
coast is described by naval s%trategists
as abrupt and mountainous, with sinu-
Gus inlets and CULTS, resembling the
fiOrds of Scandinavia. In general the
Notifications of the coast are relics of
h medieval greatness of Spain and
many of these old defences are tumb-
ling ruins.
The Spanish coast is divided into
three captain generalcies: Namely,
Ferrol on the north, Cadiz on the south
md Hn 49, ~~ IN