The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-28
. EASTERN SQUADRON



sense OF the Hopele.,neas OF, Her Cause.
Commodore Watson has Orders to Pro.
coed at Once or the Spanish Const.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 27,-The
navy department has posted the. follow
Ing bulletin showing Commodore Wat
sons squadron. 1t Is designated the
Eastern squadron, and is as follows:
Flagship Newark; battleships Iowa
and Oregon; cruisers Yosemite, Yankee
and Dixie, and the Golfers Scendia,
Abarenda and Alexander. The start
Will be made at once from of Santiago.
The bulletin also showed the following
changes in designation OF the division
OF our war vessels:
North Atlantic fleet-Rear Admiral
Sampson commanding.
First squadTon-Co Commodore J. A.
Howell commanding. :
Second squadron-Co Commodore W. S,
Schley commanding.
Naval base, Key West, Fla--Commo-
dore Remey commanding.
Commodore Wutson sails co-dny in
he,Newark to Join Sampson, when he
will take under his command an armor-
ed squadron with cruisers and proceed
at once off the Spanish coast.
The decision OF the administration to
send Il squadron OF warshtps to Spain
was not made hastily. Tor the past
six weeks It has been under consldern-
ton, and n strong element well ac-
quainted with the practice OF the Span
!sh government OF keeping the great
mass Of the public ignorant OF the ac-
tual condition OF affairs has contendcd
thMt the only method ofhbrinSing the
war! home to the people OF Spain would
be to send an Americans squadron there
to harry the coast, cut off shipping rl
lombard the fortified towns.
The purpose was to bring the Span
ish people to a realizing sense of the
hopelessress OF continuing the present
struggle. Since the departure OF the
Cadiz fleet for the Philippines there Is
another object In view IN addition to
the first. This Is to destroy or capture
this Cadiz fleet by n bold stroke, and
then take up the work OF harassing the
Spanish at home. providing the blow
does not suffice to bring about peace.
IA The Unlted States consul at Port Said
has reported to the state department
that In obedience to its injunction he
had lodged protest against the supply
OF coal there for the Spanish squadron
It Is true the failure to obtain coal at
Port said would not In Itself prevent
the Spanish vessels from passing
through tho canal and copanuing oh
their way to tho Philippines, for they
have with them one or more colliers.
But the coal carried by these GOLFERS
would be absolutely essentinl to the
vessels Of the squadron. long before they
had crossed me arabian sea. 50
Under the British neutrality law the
ships: could take coal on1y once at q
British port under any circumstances,
and all OF the conllng stations after
PASSING the Suez canal being British
possessions, the Spanish supply would
be exhausted long before the; end Of the
voyage was reached. Butstherc5 Isl also.
q question ms TO whether Camarn's
squadron couid take coal even Init tialiy
Mt any. British port until they. had cross
ed the linlf way line between Spain and
the Philippines as the British law de-
cllreS they could only take coal enough
to carry them to the neareg4hometp port.
anf tho philippines would not be such
a port until the half way line Is crossed.
10 add TO the ciembnrTnssmentEof OF Cnna-
rn,S there 10. good reason to bcliere hat
the canal management WIN obstrucC his
passage on the grounI OF Interference