Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-05-26
DAY'SWILDRUMORS
Government officials Kept on the
Tiptos Of Expectation.
ALL KINDS OF REPORTS. RECEIVED.
The Universal Anticipation of a Great Ma
val Engagement Gave Rise to Numer-
Gus R9mors None OF Which
Found Ofacial Credence.

rush In the SensdtlOudl war Tuu1OrS la
Washington yesterday after a week of
comparative quietude. The rumors
ranged all che way from the capture
of the little Mangrove, with a crew OF
10 men, to the reported destruction OF
the entire Spanish fleet BY SIMPSONS
and Schley's combined forces. They
were circulated with persistency, not
w~ithstandiny their denial a soon as
they could be brought to the atten-
ton of anyone capable of passing
Judgment on their accuracy. As the
day rolled along the officials them
selves became apprehensive, sas was
shown by the frequency with which
they called for the latest newspaper
bulletins. at the close of the day,
however, it was again announced In
the most positive n that the
navy department had no information
to warrant the report of any sort OF
engagement In the Windward passage.
This did not specifically cover the
waters of the West Indies, but In view
of the fact that the department has al
most pledged itself to let the public
know of anything in the nature of a
general engagement, possibly the bull
letin announcement Is sufficient to
cover the case. -
When Secretary Long started for
home, after an exceptionally busy day,
he stated to q group of newspaper men
that the department had received no
information of Importance. In re-
Spouse to an inquiry as to where the
Spanish fleet vas located, Mr. Long
| replied hat his belief was that 1t was
still at Santiago de Cuba. Concerning
the reported, capture of the Mangrove
and the loss of other ships, the secre-
tary dismissed these stories as purely
~conjectural, and not supported by
| facts. Word had come from the COM
mander of the Mangrove since the
| time of the alleged capture, showing
that the ship could not have been in
the hands o.. the Spanish.
Mr.. Long paid a handsome tribute to
| the wal board, and stated that there
| was no purpose whatever of changing
the present system whereby this board
eo-operates with him in giving every
| possible assistance, and advice, mainly
in the way of information, to the adj
| mirals In command. The office of the
| war board. the secretary pointed out,
was not to fight battles; that was ex-
clusively the province of h squadron
commanders. The board acted merely
! in an advisory way, and at no time had
assumed executive functions.
The Spaniards appear to be making
| ready for something more than a de-
fensive campaign at home, or at least
| they are trying to create that impress
sion by other means than news bulle-
tins that issue almost daily from Mad
rid The navy department now has
through It's own reliable sources re-
ports of the greatest activity in the
| Spanish navy yards and of the prepare
ton for sea and for a long voyage of
two of the vorpedo-boat destroyers. 1t
is given III that they are to join Ger
vera Immediately when his squadron
enters Cadiz harbor. Possibly this
statement is made with a deliberate
purpose of misleading American sail
ors into the belief that Cergera has
taken his way homeward.
| Inquiries as to the whereabouts of
the Oregon brought q reply this after
noon to the effect that the battleship
was safe.
Nothing could be learned Of her loca-
tion. It is probable that the kilograms
said to have eInanted from the vessel
really were filed at Key West, but
were brought to that port on some dis
patch boat from the Oregon, which is
cooperating with our fleets.
The cutting of the cables ut Santiago
and San Juan de Porto Rico, as re-
ported yesterday, was a military move
i ~ %ha Grak nrCrfonpa p1orca hau rot
one link left of communication with
the outer world, but the Spanish COM
mander at San Juan now finds him
self totally In the dark as to condi-
tions In Spain or In Cuba, while
the value Of that port a. q place
of refuge for the Spanish flying squad
ron is materially diminished. It is
safe to say that the remaining cable to
Santiago will be cut soon, like the
others, SO that II Cervera is misguided
enough to have entered Santiago har-
Dor he will be completely out Of touch
with his home government on the one
hand, and equally unable to communi-
cate with Blanco at the other end Of
the island.
The Philippines expedition is now off
In dead earnest. The sending of these
ships will affect the Hawaiian question
vitality. Like the Charleston, the
transports must stop at Hawaii to re-
plenish their coal bunkers from the
great heaps of coal that Consdl-Gen-
eral Howels had been piling up for
months pnst. II the Hawaiians let US
take this coal without the pretext
that we are using it to make our
way to our nearest home port, as
Is required by international law in
such cases, they will stand convicted
of a gross breach of neutrality that in
the eyes of the law of nations allies
them with the United States in hostil-
ity to Spain. The taking of coal by
the American ships at Hawaii TO make
an extensive campaign against the
Spanish possessions, 1t Is believed here.
will result In compelling the United
states either to a p~rotectorate
over the islands or to annex them.
One Hundred and Twelve Thousand Men
Mustered In.
WASHINGTON, May sa-Reports to
Adjt. Gen. Corbins from the state camp
show that $4,000 men have been
mustered. into the volunteer army.
uR,.A~-~-