The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-05-27
.SPA|NS FLEET IN TRAP.
Admiral Cervera Enters the Bay AZ
Santiago de Cuba with
His Squadron.
The PLACE A vERlTADlE RAT TRAP.
Latest Intelligence Obtainable from RelI.
able Sources of the Progress of Prepar-
ations and undue of the War Randi
ly Getting Ready for the Philippines
Expedition.

WASHINGTON, May 2l.-All OF The
news that was given out yesterday al
the navy department was comprised III
the one short bulletin posted at the
close of the day stating that the De.
partment had information, believed 10
be authentic, that Admiral Cervera
with his Spanish flying squadron was
ut Santiago de Cuba. This went 10
confirm the newspaper reports and
also the Madrid cablegrams published
yesterday morning, the latter a rather
unusual circumstances, for the Span.
ish bulletins have been notably decep.
tive ever since the flying squadron left
Cadiz.
Accepting this statement as correct,
il indicates that there is little prOha.
bility of "a hostile meeting between
Sampson or schley and Cervera immg.
diately. Looking over the charts oi
Santiago harbor, the experts soon as.
covered that the place would be a ver-
liable rat-trap for the Spaniards, with
its narrow entrance, in which a Single
American monitor could bottle up tho
whole Spanish fleet.
The naval strategy board, rechris-
tened of late the war board. is to lose
one of its most active and valuable
members in the person ofCapt. Barker
lie leaves Washington to-day for
Hampton roads to take command ot
the fine protected cruiser Newark.
which has just been extensively re.
paired at the Norfolk navy yard.
Ii is expected that the Newark will
join SIMPSONS squadron IN the West
Indies as soon as she can get there.
Another loss to the department win
occur to-day. when Lieut.. Gibbon
leaves to serve as one of Capt. Bar.
ker's officers on the Newark. Ihi.
young officer has displayed the great
est energy in securing for the service
of the navy the various naval militia
organizations Of the states. and
AS an incident to that work
he was Obliged To put forth
his best efforts to secure the
formation of new organizations where
none existed and additional battali0ns
in the states that already possessed a
naval militia. The great value of the
work is shown by the act that many
vessels of the auxiliary navy and most
of the old monitors that have been
commissioned for coast defense pur'
poses are manned almost altogether by
the naval militiamen.
Preparations go on steadily for the
PHILIPPINES military expedition. Gcn.
| Merritt, who will command, stopped
in Washington yesterday morning on
his way westward from New York and
spent most of the day in consultation
with the ofiicialso OF the department ar
ranging the details of the expedition.
Another transport was secured yes
terday and the department is showing
a disposition TO treat Gen. Merritt with
the utmost liberality in the equipment
advance guard of one vessel under the
command of Gen. Otis will sail out OF
the Golden Gate to-day bound for the
Philippines.
The complaints Of the shoeless among
the volunteers just brought INFO the
army will soon be silenced. as the war
department has just placed orders for
200, 900 pairs of soldiers shoes.
A beginning was made yesterday to-
wards the organization of the lnde'
pendent volunteer forces. under au'
thoritv conferred upon the president
by special resolution. The national
guard will have no part in these or
PLANTATIONS. which will be made up OF
engineers. imnunes and electricians
FTI.. .t.4 aA,,inf taanfG arr tDlnINu
out rapidly in the general orders is-
sued daily by the department, p APP
pointments being made generally 90
the request Of the major-gcncrais, ing
brigadicr-gcnerals yet To be provided
in this matter.
The state department yesterday an
nounced that the Polaria. the ham
burg-American line steamer at hty
West. which was authorized To iahu
certain passengers in Havana. had "e'
clincd to avail itself of the privilege
SO the department is relieved OF wua'
promised to be an embarrassing lnci
dent, and of the necessity OF establish
ing what might prove to be a danger
Gus precedent.
Officials here dismiss as pure inven'
ton the story coming from Montfea
that former Minister Polo has sue
ceeded in securing for Spain a coalnE
station on one of the French islands y
st. Pierre and Miquelon, off the Ne"
foundland coast. At the French en-
bassy the report is treated with ~
dignant contempt, as the fren0'
decree of neutrality is blnu'hi
on the French governor Q
these islands and ~cffectually pre-
vents the granting of suci
exceptional privileges as coaling s'a
tions. 1t is not generally known Una
France possesses these small ISLANDS =
the north Atlantic.
The navy department is about !,
call for bids for q steel floating docs
capable OF floating o ship OF l''oo
tons, to cost $500, 900, and to be locate
, ut New Orleans. This dock when con
pleted will be one Of the finest strus
! lures in the country. Provision lor
was made in the naval approprla'o
bill as a result Of recommendation Z
{ the naval board. headed by Adnnlr'
. Buncc. Although located at New Y
- - al. ,.,,ll ~. NJ that iDdiN