The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-22
THE SPANISH FLEET.
Believed 1t Will Never Cross the
Atlantic.
EspEcrAM TO THE rnEss.l

gun, Congress has tran sacted it's business
with few spectators and little excite
ment Such war measures as are needed
are passed as rapidly as possible, both
parties assisting. There is much specu-
lation as to the plan of campaign, which
Is one of the jealousy guarded secrets
OF the war and navy departments.
News came to the navy department. to-
day that tended to confirm the newspaper
reports. that the formidable Spanish naval
forcs at st. Vincent, Cape De Verde ISL
and had sailed last night for an unknown
destination. Naval experts say that
leaving out of consideration the question
of relative strength of personnel, the
Spanish force is at least equal and prob
ably superior in some respects to Com
modore Schley's feet. While the latter
has one battleship, the remainder of his
force is made up of unarmored ships.
like the Columbia and Minneapolis or
only partially protected like the Brook
lyn.
AS against these the Spanish force has
four armored cruisers, the Oquendo,
Viscaya, Cristobal Colon and Infanta
Maria Teresa. almost equal in each case
to battle ships and all Of vastly superior
speed. Then there are the three torpedo
boat dest-oyers, Furor. Terror and Pluton,
2s and 80 knotters, and the small torpedo
boats, Ariete, Azos and Rayo.
1t is not believed by any of the naval
officers that this fleet will undertake to
CROSS the Atlantic and attack Commo-
dore Schley on his own base, but.it would
seem to be equally impracticable for the
commodore to take his flying squadron
across to attack the Spaniards unless he
is reinforced. The threat of Spanish news
papers to give us a surprise in the shape
of naval visitation. does not cause any
particular uneasiness at the navy depart
ment.
Although nothing positive is known
as to the destination of the Spanish
squadron it is surmised that it has start
ed on its return to Spain. 1900 miles dis
tant from Cape Verde, thus indicating
that the purpose is to await an engage
ment in their own waters. 1t is likely
that in this event the. first port will be the
Canary islands, distant about s25 miles
from St. Vincent, and Spanish posses
sion, partially fortified and fair base.
1t is not believed that the Spanish
naval commander would be foolish
enough to run the risk of taking his tor
pedo fotilla across the Atlantic in the at
| tempt to defendl either Porto Rico or Ha-
vana. 1t is about $500 miles from Cape
| Verde to Porto Rico and in the present
stormy season in the North Atlantic the
torpedo fotilla1 would have all it could
do to keep afloat and would be exposed to
destruction at the hands of smallest
swift cruiser sent to intercept it. But
after all nothing but uncertainty can
exist as to what will happen next.
Probably the next Important news will
come from Havana.
VESSELS AT clsNFUEGos.
| A Portland Schooner Among the Number
There.
Vineyard Haven, Mass, April 21.-
Schooner Monhegan of New York, Cap
tain Murphy. which vessel arrived here
yesterday after nineteen days passage
from Cienfuegos, Cuba, left several
American vessels at the port of Cienfuegos
chartered and ready for loading, but
most of them would probably be COM
PEELED to get away without procuring a
cargo. On the day the Monhegan sailed,
the Portland schooner Sarah and Ellen
york. was discharging coal and loading
sugar at the same time. She had about
two hundred tons of coal in her hold and
had taken on board nine hundred bags
of sugar.
| Schooner Jennie S. Butler had finished
loading for North of Hatteras and nearly
ready to sail,
| Schooners Charles L. Davenport,
Martha B. Thomas and Sarah ID. Fall
We're all awaiting cargoes, but would
| probably not succeed in loading before
war was declared. Captain Murphy
stated that there was great excitement
among Spaniards at Cienfuegos. AID il
was not safe for an American to walk the
streets alone.
AMMUNITION FOR FLEET.
Key West. Fla, April 2l.-The Mallory
line steamer Neuces, arrived here this
morning from New York with ammunit
ion and stores.
| The Mangove is to be made cable re-
pair boat, and is now being equipped fol-
that purpose.
MILITARY BILL.
Washington, April 81. -Representativ
Hull of Iowa, chairman of the House
committee on military affairs, reported
back to the House today the army organ
| iZatiOp bill with a. numhar of ~, a