The news & observer., 1898-05-09
sAMpsoN's FLEET.
The Ships Move for u Destination I'm
known to Outsiders.

known to Outsiders.
d & snaw' ESa
Washington. ID. g., May S-tSpeclalJ
The news of the opportunity that came
| TO Dewey and of the brilliant fashion
| in which he seized it has aggravated the
| impatience under which are chatting the
officers and men on board our ships at
| home. Developments during the last
| few days. however. indicate that Samp-
son and Schley will soon have their
chance too. Information has reached the
government from various sources when
makes it very probable that the most
powerful portion of the Spanish fleet
which left Cape Verde Islands on April
Doth. has at last found its way INTO
West Indian waters Four Spanish
cruisers. which may well be the Nizcaya,
| the OquendO, the Christobal Colon, ana
| the Maria Teresa, are reported to nave
been seen off Barbadoes ON Wednesday,
Il and coincidently some of the STRONGEST
vessels Of Simpsons fleet. including his
| fiagship, the New York, the battleships
| Indiana and Iowa, the cruisers Cincin~
natl. Detroit, and Marhlehead, the tor
nedo gunboat Mayhower, and, it is be
lieyed. the monitors Terror. Puritan and
/ Amphritrite have hurriedly taken sup
plies of coal at Key West and put ont t.
sea for destination unknown. The
4 department refuses absolutely to say
what the duty is, which has been en-
i trusted to Sampson But each man can,
see for himself from the information in
everybody's possession that the work to
| be done is of serious nature. There
/ are only three possible objects which
| the Navy Department could have III
| view One is to seize Porto Rico An
| other is to seek those mysterious ships
seen in the neighborhood of Barbados,
j that point in the ocean at which juno
/ tion can he effected with the battleship
| Oregon. the little gunboat Marietta, and
/ the dynamite cruiser Buffalo lately
known to the Brazilian navy as the Me
theroy. each one Of these expeditions
holds out the promise of sea fight
| worthy TO take its place on the long and
brilliant list of American victories at sea,
and the belief therefore exists in all cir
cIes that the Sunday following that of
the battle of Manila will record another
triumph for the American arms. In any
4 event we shall probably not have to
wait so long for official news, since there
Iare many ports among the islands of the
lCaribbean Sea where Admiral Sampson
could find facilities for communicating
direct with Washington.
Since the first great battle of the war
has been fought. new signs that we are
mt war have made their appearance in
Washington. Ever since Congress made
IFS official declaration, the display of
flags has made the city brilliant But
: whom tbe news of Dewey's victory came,
) the Navy Department took official cogni-
zance of it by hosting above its building
t one of the largest flags yet displayed,
while the manager of hotel in a neigh
boring square conceived the idea OF
training n brilliant search light at night
/, lupon the staff from which the star span
gled banner floats proudly through the
hours of the night as well as during the
RI day. Still another touch of martial glo-
: Try is given by the army uniforms at the
II War Department now worn by all Off
GERS on duty there.
Il The army has been temporarily de-
!. prived of its opportunity for action by
the still existing uncertainty as to wheth-
! er the vessels reported off BOrbadoes are
: part of the Spanish fleet which left Cape
Verde on Friday of last week. Plans fol
the dispatch Of the preliminary military
exDeditiOn to Cuba had been practically
completed. and everything was in readi
moss for the departure Of the invading
tOfGp
{ Tampa on May 4th. when the admin
;. istration decided that it would be best
I TO wait until il became certain that Ad
/ miral Simpsons fleet would not be need
: cd to dispute the entrance into Cubar
: or Porto Rican waters of the Spaniards
: That uncertainty still exists, and ON
y troops are therefore waiting on Their
It arms until the sea in that neighborho0t
a has been effectualy swept Of any ships
, of Spain.
is One effect OF Commodore Dcwey's vic
Q tory has been to increase military activi
is ty on the other side of the continent
y on the Pacific coast The Philippine,
1t being ours, it is necessary TO occup,
Q them with an army, and to do that W,
n must send troops across the Pacific from
/ San Francisco. Preparations for tina
is purpose have been going on all week
Arrangements to concentrate ten thOus
Is and troops at San Francisco have beer
II. practically completed, and stores AM
rs supplies are now on their way thitheT
'hl not only from the arsenals in the imme