The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-05-20
THE SPANISH FLEET.
The Enemy's Squadron Said to Be
Off Martinique, West Indies.
SPECULATIONS As TO A FIGHT.
IL IL Believed That Adm. sampson Can
whip the spaniards Alone and with
Commodore schIey's Aid He Would
Have Them at His Mercy.

WAsHINGroN, May ID. "A complete
change has taken place Ia the often
sive plans of the United States gov
ernment The receipt of the news
from Adm. Sampson Oh his attack on
the forts at San Juan, and the news of
the actual presence of the Spanish fly
ing squadron off Martinique, only 800
miles away from Sampson aud less
than 1000 miles from Havana,
caused the dispatch OF the flying
squadron under Commodore Schley
aud the delay of the army of
invasion of Cuba. 1t is to the navy |
that the government again looks for
a battle that may end the conflict.
The news of the Spanish feet revealed |
1T once the possibility of a quick move |
on the part of the Spanish fleet that
would cut the line of communication |
by water between Gu ba and hey West, !
exposing to great peril any Ameri- |
can landing force that might be
caught between a superior Spanish
army in Cuba, and the sea patrolled by
Spanish cruisers. 1t became neces-
sary, therefore, to defer the departure
of the military expedition from
Florida until the Spanish fleet is met
and crushed or driven from West
Indian waters.
Orders flew quick and fast from both
the war and navy departments. The
first checked the movement on Florida,
setting in from all parts of the coun-
try and diverted the troops toward the
concentration camp at Chickamauga.
The navy department wired Adm.
Sampson information of the approach
of the Spanish feet aud directions
what to do and another order flashed
to Schley. who has been eating out his
heart at Hampton roads in his eager
ness to get into the fray, to start wi tn
his vessels at the earliest possible mo-
ment. The commodore took no chance
of a cancellation of these highly de-
sirable orders, but at 3:45 o'clock had
put himself beyond the reach of any
telegraphic recall. What is expected
of him cannot be disclosed at the navy
department and, naturally, is purely
matter of con ecture. Adm. SIMPSONS
feet is strong enough, unaided, to over
come the Spanish squadron ii he can
ever catch it out of the reach of fort-
fcations. His fleet, however, is lack
ing in speed as compared to the Span
| ish vessels and cooperation of the fly
ing squadron would add very much to
the chance of cornering the Spaniards
and forcing the fighting which is be-
lieved to be necessary to the success of
the Cuban campaign as now planned.
II was stated positively at the
close of Office hours yesterday that no
word had come during the day from
Adm. Sampson, save the one tele-
gram sent out in the morning regard
ing the attack on the forts at San
Jan. 1t can be stated that there Is
good ground for the belief that the
admiral has achieved all that was ex-
pected of him or that was necessary to
carry out the plans of the strategy
board. The purpose was to destroy
San Juan as fortified base that
might form refuge for the Spanish
feet, and, according to the admiral's
report, this has been practically ac-
complished. 1t was neither necessary
nor material that San Juan itself be
occupied, all that was essential being
that the Spanish fleet should find no
more protection there than it would
in any harbor without su bstantial de-
lenses, and if the flying squadron
should have the temerity now to enter
san Juan harbor they will fall easy
victims to SIMPSONS battleships and
monitors.
sPECULATtoNs AS TO A FIGHT
WASHINGTON, May l4-Considerable
speculation was INDUCED in yesterday
at the navy department as to the pros.
poets of sea fight between Adm
SIMPSONS squadron and the Spanish
Cape Verde fleet II is believed that
ne will be able to intercept then
should they make a dash for Cuba. but
if they should get past his vessels they
would make it warm for our ships on
blockade duty off Cienfuegos on the
south coast. They could not stand fol
moment against the big Spanish ar
mored cruisers and yet are not flee'
enough to escape if they are sighted
Should Sampson sight the Spanish
fleet, it is not certain that he could en-
gage them, provided the Spanish adj
miral found it to his interest to declin,
the engagement. The Spanish Ship
are faster than anything il
the American squadron, with tn,
possible exception OF the nagShlp New
York. If Sampson should fall in will
them however, and find the Spaniard
in fighting humor, he would hav,
the best of IL, so far as chances can b,
calculated from a simple calculation
of the respective number of armore,
ships and guns. With his feet aug
mented by the flying squadron, Adm
Sampson will have the Spaniards a
his mercy. If they will stand an,
fight he can whip them with his bat
t!eships. If they seek to avoid an en-
gagement he can harass them so seri
ously with his swift cruisers that the
will have to return to Spain immedi
ately to avoid destruction
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Rodgers to Succeed Merritt
NuW XORI Mou (;