The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-29

tentlon OF the cabinet throughout lts
extended sessions Of the, morning
and afternoon. All other and lesse,
subjects gave way to this foremost
question. There was no change IN
the plan Of making tho report public
and submitting it to Congress early
next week, accompanied by brief
message from tho President.
RUSHING WAR PREPARATIONS.
While interest was thus centred at
the White House the Navy and War
Departments wore hurrying forward
their work of preparat o ls. The ad-
vance of tho, Spanish fotilla con-
tinued to receive the closest atten-
ton of naval officials, and while so
far as could be ascertained, no def
inite line of action was determined
upon, the need of intercepting this
heot was urged by the highest naval
authorities. From the standpoint of
the Spanish government, this move
mont was not O menace, having
been decided upon many weeks ago.
On tho contrary, the Spanish gov
.ernment holds that tho extensive ar
manent of the Dry Tortugas is
moro direct hostile act against
Spain than any movement of the
hotiila. Instead of stopping the
flotilla, the present attitude of Spain
tends toward re enforcing it with
other Spanish war vessels, not rs
monaco, but, from what the Spanish
government feel, is requirement
called for by the existing condition
Of affairs.
Hardly less suggestive than the
approach Of the torpedo fotilla was
the information received today by
the highest military authorities that
the Spanish government had hurried
to completion extensive Notifications
Oh the island of Porto Rico, lying
just off Cuba, and the only Spanish
possession in this hemisphere other
than Cuba. Tho exact character Of
those new dcfcnses has been made
known here, and they are being
given weight with the military au-
thorities rs showing tho disposition
of Spain.
OUR FLEETS AND SQUADRONs.
The orders issued by the Navy De-
partment during the day covered
evely branch ofnuval armament. The
"hying squadron" was definitely es,
tablished, with Commodore w. S.
Schley in command. He will hoist
his commodoro's flag on the flagship
Brooklyn next Monday. The squad
ron is to consist of exactly five ships.
Those Of the squadron will be the
crack armored cruiser Brooklyn, the
battleships Massachusetts and Texas
and the cruisers Columbia and Min
neapolis. Other ships which are,
now or hereafter, at Hampton Roads
will not belong to the North Atlantic
station, under Captain Sampson. The
flying squadron is to DO small, COM
pact fleet of the best ships in tho
navy, for quick service at any point
along the Atlantic.
At the same time, tho North At.
lantic station, under Captain Samp.
son, is to be further augmented. The
cruiser Cincinnati, which left Port
Antonio three days ago under sealed
orders, is to report at Key West and
become part of Captain SIMPSONS
fleet. The gunboat Wilmington, also
on route from Port Antonio, will
likewise report to Captain Sampson
at Key West, as wilt the gunboat
Vicksburg, now at Hampton Roads.
Late today tho Navy Department
gave out the following list Of vessels,
as showing tho exact character of
each fleet:
"The following vessels compose
tho North Atlantic squadron: New
York, Iowa, Indiana, Mlnntonomoh,
Fern, Puritan, Terror, Marblehead,
Montgomery, Castine, Nashville, Hell
ena, Wilmington, Vesuvius; torpedo
boats Foote, Dupont, Ericsson, Cush-
ing, Porter, Winslow; tugs Leyden
and Samoset.
"The following vessels compose
the Flying Squadron:
"Ihn Rrop11Iun