Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-06-16
A NAVAL SPECTACLE.
The Great Fleet About to Sail from
Key West for Cuba.
ARE BOUND TO Be ON THE SAFE SIDE.

Fifty Steamships and Sixteen War shi
60 Compose the Great Fieet-Must
Secure Coaiing Station Between
Honolulu and Manila
WASHINGTON, June 1l.-From tn
mazeo of doubt and contradiction Us Il
the dispatch of the first army of inva
sion to Cuba one thing stands GU
clearly-namely: That thegovernment
feeling strong In its present position
and plan, is moving cautiously ant
with the elaboration which it be
lieves will secure success unattended
with disasters. With this main pur
pose In view, the army and navy ore
cooperating toward the dispatch ot
the troops, sone 25, in number, I'M
der escort of u strong feet Of naval
conveys, made up of 10 war ships,
headed by. the battleship Indiana
Unattended by this strong fleet. the
troops might have left last Friday,
when one strong naval convoy vas
ready for this service. Since then,
however, reports have come as to the
presence Of Spanish ships in the north
Atlantic. .
Realizing that nothing was to be
gained by haste, and that the war was
progressing steadily toward success, it
was determined not to take the one
small chance of having our troop tran
sports menaced by some scouting ship
OF the enemy.
As "a result h troop transports have
not proceeded to Cuba, either yester-
day or the day before. as has been re-
peatedly asserted They are In readi-
ness TO 60, but will not move until the
naval convoy Is ready to accompany
them, assuring safe conduct from Flor
Ida TO the point of destination.
Whether that will be to-day OF to-mor-
row the wal department declines posi-
lively to say, and there is authority for
III statement that any reports pur-
porting TO give the day or hour when
this formidable fotilla Of Invasion will
start is not only unwarranted, but
meets with the most vigorous official
condemnation.
The administration feels hat the
time has come when it is of the utmost
Importance that the precise move
ments of this invading fleet should not
be published in this country, and thus
heralded to the enemy.
The completeness with which the
transport of troops has been planned
Is shown in the official list of tran
sport vessels given out at the wa de-
partment yesterday. OF this list "a
large steamships, varying from 4,lO0
tons down to 600 tons, are ready to
carry u troops to the point of iuvs-
sion. There are some Is other craft,
including vessels suitable for convey
ing fresh water, stores, etc, and for
Tightening the troops and stores from
the ships to the beach when the de-
barkation begins
The entire transport feet of about
fifty steamships, augmented by the
fleet of naval conveys, 10 In number,
will make an imposing marine process
sion, exceeding In magnitude the not
spectacle of the naval review dur
ing the Worlds fair year.
The first official confirmation of the
engagement at Guantanamo last Tues
day came to the navy department yes
terday, and vas made the subject OF
a bulletin. The term in which AID.
miral Sampson described the affair
tended strongly to take away tfe large
that had been given it In
the unofficial dispatches. There was
a notable failure on the part of the
to mention anything like a
landing, although statement that the
now holds the lower bay,
by implication LAY carry with it the
idea that her marines are ashore.
Elderly naval officers who have been
in Guantanamo bay, describe it as ad-
mirably suited to the reception of
transports, with plenty of water for
the biggest of the transports and
enough for the smaller class of war
ships that might be used 70 convoy
them. The locality is one that wolld
make q good base of operations against
Santiago itself, should 1t be decided to
attack the latter town by troops from
the rear instead of by the war ships.
The statement coming from San
to the effect that the real OBJ
ject of the Charleston's voyage was the |
of the Spanish Ladrone islands
has small basis of truth in it. When
1t was decided to send the monitors |
Monterey and Monadnock clear across |
the Pacific from Mare Island to Manila, |
II vas we'll known that this could not |
be done without sending along col
liers, because of the insufficient coal
of the monitors. 1t was not |
deemed practicable to tow the big iron
clads the 1900 miles Of the voyage that
have to be traversed by them |
without coal, SO 1t became necessary to |
fnd places in the Pacific where they |
could replenish their bunkers. A study |
Of the charts showed that there were
several groups lying between Hawaii
andt the Philippines which might afford
harbor in which the golfers could
along side the monitors and fill up |
their coal bunkers. |
The officials do not deem il prudent |
10 name the particular islands chosen
Tor the purpose, but it Is obvious that
being barred by neutrality laws from
the possessions OF natural countries, |
the first of the navy depart
would be to some of the Spanish
such as the Ladrones or the
Carolines. Therefore, 1t is assumed
hat If the Charleston really goes to
,ne of the former islands, it will be
With the purpose of securing in ad-
vance a suitable harbor for the use of
he monitors. |
A very substantial evidence of self
,acrifce for the sake of their country
S afforded by the taking up of a mill