Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-24
SITUATION At SUNRISE.
STILL HUNTING FOR THE spANlARos.



dispatch to the Times says: News from
Admiral Sampson and Commodore
Schley is looked for ut the navy de-
partment every hour, but no one at the
navy department appears to be willing
or able to say just where the news Is
to come from. All that can be positive
ly ascertained there is that the United
States fleets are somewhere out of Key
West looking for Admiral Cervera. and
hoping to come up with and fight him.
Whether 1t will be at Santiago, Glen
fuegos. or somewhere between those
points or at san Juan de Puerto Rico,
not the most speculative expert will
venture to say.
Meantime there is some discussion
among naval officers about the actions
of the fleet OF Admiral Sampson that
suggests a spirit of criticism. Naval
officers who have the highest respect for
the men who are supposed to have de-
signed the plan of campaign of the
United States fleet are openly express
ing wonder that Admiral Sampson was
permitted to travel all the way from
san Juan to Key West, to consume n
great deal Of coal, and then to coal
again merely to sail back over the
course he has just traversed. His per-
sonal inclination, 1t is believed, would
have led him to remain at the Wind
ward passase. holding position of
great strategic advantage until his
scouts brought him news of the presence
of the enemy, and many officers be
lieved him to be there after he had left
for Key West.
To the suggestion made TO these Off
GERS that the Washington authorities
u L. h. o., 4, f,t
Martinique till sampson was fairly OH
his return trip, the unofficial strategist
answers that the navy department
knew week ago that Cervera was at
Curacao; that 1t had at its command
two or three swift vessels that could
have stopped Sampson before he had
come half way on his return, and that
Golfers could be provided to take coal
to him and that he might thus have
been able to intercept the Spanish fleet
on its way to Santiago harbor.
As II was, Admiral Sampson left Key
West the day the news was received
there from Washington that Cervera
had arrived. II the news of SIMPSONS
departure worked Its way to Blanco, he
probably sent 1t by wire to Santiago
next day and Admiral Cervera was Of
fered chance to move out and renew
his explorations of the Caribbean sea.
But the navy department will forget
the waste of time by Admiral Sampson
If it learns tomorrow or next day that
he has arrived at Santiago and found
Admiral Cervera still there. When he
started from Key West last Thursday
he had to steam 200 miles to reach
Santiago. At ten knot pace he
should have made the distance in three
days.
The almost unanimous opinion of
naval officers Is that whether Cerveras
has decided to stand and fight or run
and walt n little while before giving
battle, he cannot long postpone a meet
ing with Admiral Sampson and perhaps
with Commodore schley at the same
time.
The policy of silence concerning
naval movements has been very strict
" observed now for a couple of weeks,
but not so strictly that 1t did not be-
come known here that Commodore
Schlcy got away from Key West n
little sooner than Admiral Sampson II
1t was but a half day sooner, he ought
to have been able, with his swiftest
ships, to reach Santiago de Cuba on
Saturday. 1t is assumed that he did
so by those who conclude that the de-
portment sent him to look for the
| Spanish fleet whore it was last heard
of. 1t is believed Schley went to the
south of Cuba by the Yucatan passage.
Naval officers assume that everybody
| Santiago hnrbor and the disadvantage
| IN which "a fleet would he placed tina
| retired into 1t to await the coming
| of am opponent. Few of them he
| lieye that Cervera has attempted this
| course. They incline to the opinion that
| he went toward Martinique to meet
! golfers sent over to provide him with
| the fuel he must now need, and per,
| haps be Joined by some of the vessels
| often reported at Cadz or some other
| Spanish port, but which some con.
| sentative naval officers are firmly
| convinced may have been on their wa,
across the Atlantic to reinforce him.
| This last possibility will not spoil the
chance. now seemingly good Of an ear.
ly fight. Very prominent naval ofn.
! GERS who today talked with members OF
| the administration expressed very de.
cidedly the view that Admiral Cerverf
had neither sufficient skill nor coal t,
escape the conflict which Sampson ant
| Schey are seeking.
gentleman who Is not connected
| with the navy. hut who Is very much
interested in seeing It do Its work well
says that 1t is n mistake to suppos,
that the naval strategic board ha!
trammeled Sampson or Schey. or both
| with conflicting or embarrassing or
ders. Practically" said this gentle
man, Admiral Sampson has had hi
| own way in all that he has done.
he returned to Key West when Ger
vera was at Curacao, knowing that h
must return to find him, he did so 70
reason that seemed imperative t.
| him"