The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-17
WATsON'S SQUADRON.
1t May BE Raiding the Coast of Spain
EarIY Next Month.

early Next month";
NEW YORK. July 16.--A special to the
Tribune from Washington says: THE raid
ing squadron is expected to start for the
coast. of Spain Saturday. The Navy De-
partment understands that Commodore
Watson has his ships coaled to the limit
of their bunker capacity and nothing should
keep him another day at Guantanamo He
ought to pass the Mole ST. Nicholas on
Sunday and, according to schedule, a dis
patch should be sent him through dis
patch boat off st. Thomas next Wednesday,
announcing his actual departure from that
vicinity upon the $500 mile straightaway
course for the Canaries. where his formida-
BILE force should appear about Aug l or a
few days later, depending on the state of
weather encountered in mid-Atlar1tic and the
maximum speed of his colliers, which must
fix his ratio of progress.
after two days spent under the lee of
one of the unfortified Canary islands, re-
plenishing the bunkers of his fighting ships
with fuel the final assault on Spain, scarce
ly two days distant, will be promptly
made, and if the last Spanish naval re-
sources, represented by Camara's fleet, can
not be enticed from Carthagena to protect
Cadiz, the American battle flag will be
quickly displayed in the Mediterranean.
'The fleet, as at present constituted, in
cludes two of the best battle ships in the
navy, the Oregon and the Massachusetts,
the protected cruiser Newark, the auxiliar-
les Yankee Dixie and Yosemite, with six
colliers and supply ship. The Oregon has
become the flagship and the Yankee is now
at Hampton Roads prepared to start with
final orders on Sunday TO meet the rest of
the squadron July 20, off St. Thomas. The
colliers carry 25, 600 tons of the best coal,
sufficient quantity to steam the fleet all the
way to the Philippines and half way back,
and the refrigerator ship Glacier has fresh
food to last two months.
while the Newark is capable of a nine
teen-knot speed for short distances and the
Massachusetts and the Oregon each have
records above sixteen knots, it is unlikely
that the squadron will keep up an average
of more than ten knots an hour across the
ocean, although, unhampered by their col
liers after leaving the Canaries, a speed
exceeding twelve knots will be constantly
maintained. 1t would be the duty of the
three auxiliaries to afford protection to the
Golfers and to the supply ships at all times,
leaving the two battle ships and the New
ark TO undertake offensive operations
''The departure of Commodore Watsons
force will leave the Iowa, the Indiana, the
Brooklyn, the New York, the Texas and the
Puritan as the armored vessels under Ad-
miral Simpsons direct command to batter
down the fortifications at Porto Rico, and
the cruisers Columbia, Minneapolis. San
Francisco. New Orleans, Detroit, Montgom-
cry and Marblehead to shell landing place
for the Decentralization of the army of occu-
patton under General Miles. A large num-
Der of gunboats and other auxiliary vessels
will be available to convoy the transports
of the Porto Rican expedition without i'm
pairing the efficiency of the Cuban blockade
by Withdrawing any Of the various vessels
now on that duty. The authorities at Wash
ington are confident that an entire army
corps will be landed In Porto Rico before
the raiding squadron reaches the Canaries,
and that the acquisition of the island will
be completed almost simultaneously with
Commodore Watson's menace to the Span
ish peninsula. That these two terrible
blows. following quickly upon the SUR
render Of Santiago this week, and the occu-
patton Of Manila, which Will probably occur
next week, will compel Spain to sue for