The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-05-26

XIX navy A6h@A ALAGAH W KS gblADAAaEA IA
the one short bulletin posted at the
close Of the dag stating that the de-
partment had information, believed to
be authentic, that Admiral Ceryera
with his Spanish flying squadron was
at Santiago de Cnoa. This went %
confirm the newspaper reports and
also the Madrid cablegrams published
yesterday morning, the latter a rather
unusual circumstances, for the Span
ash bulletins have been notably deeep-
tive eyer since the flying squadron left
CadiL
Accepting this statement as correct,
it indicates that there is little proba-
biHty Of a hostile meeting between
Sampson or SchIey and Ceryera imme-
diately. Looking over the charts Of
Santiago harbor, the experts soon dis
covered that the place would be 3 YER
liable rat-trap for the Spaniards, with
it's narrow entrance, in which a single
American monitor could bottle up the
whole Spanish fleet.
The naval strategy board, reehris-
tened Of Lutte the war board, is to lose
one of it's most active and valuable
members in the person ofCapt. Barker.
He leaves Washington to-day for
Hampton roads to take command Of
the fine protected cruiser Newark,
which has just been extensively re-
paired at the Norfolk navy yard.
1t is expected that the Newark will
# iDiW# Eu IN aESF3Fg gFV-4F1~I4 Al, Ft14 Mast
indies as soon as she can get there.
Another loss to the department viii
occur to-day, when Lieut.. Gibbon
leaves to serve as one Of Capt. Bar
ker's officers on the Newark. This
young officer has displayed the great
sst energy in securing for the service
1f the navy the various naval militia
organizations OF the states, and
Is an incident to that work
he was obliged to put forth
mis- best efforts to secure the
formation Of new organizations where
none existed and additional b~attalions
in the states that already possessed q
naval militia. The great value Of the
work is shown BY the fact that many
vessels of the auxiliary navy and most
Of the old monitors that have been
commissioned for coast defense nur-
poses are manned almost altovether by
the naval militiamen.
Preparations 60 on steadily for the
Philippines military expedition. Gen.
Merritt who will command. stopped
in WASHINGTON Yesterday morning on
ms wav westward from New York and
spent most of the dav in consultation
with the of8cjalsof the department ar
ranging the details Of the expedition.
Another transport was secured YES
terdnv and the department is showing
a disnositiou TO treat Cen Merritt with
tbe utmost lfberalitv in the eauipment
Of His force II IL expected tbat the
advance Guard If one vessel undgr the
command If Cen Otis win soil ont of
fbe Golden Gate TODAY ts,und for the
phiIinpines
nonnt,irts oftbe sboaioss ar,orr
~ -yol,ntaars i,s+ hro,rht ;rtc thea
srny ,gilI soon IL siIancaJ as M ygnr
de-nsrtmant AL h,sL nlarna o,gdars for
2nl ooo pairs az sGlaiars shoes
a beginning was mace Yesterday go-
"ar4s the organization q 1he ihue
pehueh1 volunteer IoFceS' uuueF au-
bhofltV CONFERRED upon Lne PFeStuehE
oy special fesoiuGloh' me haUlohaA
guafu VIII nave ho P@rS 10 llese OF
~santza1loAs, when VIM y lhaug up y
tnest ul np aII 800,
Pm
ny Idp.ul5 Y w senetIi o'uets U
''to oall5 Oy NJ oepartnenv us ~
p~oih1luoues pe,ns lnaoe seueiallS ~
yue Ie4'es1 y w aJoi.se ny w
gehei"is ysU " Oe pio'iusU
IN tlis Lha1sSI'
Inc state apartment Yesterday aH-