The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-05-26
SLIPPED AWAY.
Adm. Cervera's Fleet Thought to Have
Left santiago De Cuba Destina-
tion Not Known.

most thrilling sea chase of modern
times The United States will dis
patch its transports for the relief of
Dewey from San Francisco across the
placid Pacific. 1850 miles. Spain will
send it's fleet, which has for its object
the reconquering of the islands, from
Barcelona, through the Mediterranean,
the Isthmus of Suez and the Red sea,
across tn. Arabian sea, along the
southern extremity of the Bay of Ben
gal, arou ID the Malayan peninsula and
up the China sea to Manila, total dis
tance of 5000 miles
The difference in distance the rival
fleets have to 60 is but three or four
days by sea travel. And again the ad-
ministra,ion realizes how unfortunate
that the relief to Dewey was not sent
two weeks ago.
The City of Peking and the City of
sydney were ordered by the navy de-
artment and the war department to
crowd on all steam and make the best
possible time in reaching their desti-
nation. The United States has the
advantage. Transports taking troops
to Dewey will maintain greater rate
of speed than the war vessels Spain is
sending from Barcelona. The conse-
quences of an accident. however, en-
| route might be of the most serious
ch 4racter.
WASHINGTON May 21.-The Spanish
nitely and officially located at Santiago
D. Cuba. Rr. Adm. Sampson, with
a powerful fighting squadron will
soon close in on the enemy on the
nth, coming from Key West by way
of the Windward Passage east of Gu ba.
Commodore Schley. with the flying
squadron. is sailing around the island
of Cuba, hemming them in on the west.
Thus located. and being surrounded
| by two powerlu American fleets. there
F., now seems no possible hep for the
| Spanish vessels.
Secretary Long received cablegram
from Rr. Adm. Sampson announcing
| that his scouts had located the Cape
| Verde fleet at Santiago de Cuba. The
message ives sent from cabl. station
in the West Indies, and indicated that
the American commander was close on
! the heels of the Spaniards.
Secretary Long Immediately sum-
| moned the memb bers of the strategic
board, and a long and important meet
ing was held. Believing it to be cer-
| tain that Adm. Cervera would make a
| desperate effort to slip into Havana on
| the west. it took but few nome nts
for the board to decide on plan.
Knowing Rr. Adm. Sampson could be
depended upon to prevent Adm. Ger
vera from sailing north, orders were
quickly dispatched to Commodore
Schley. at Key West, to put to sea.
The instructions TO the commander of
| the flying squadron were to sail around
Cuba to the west and to find Cervera's
fleet and capture or destroy it.
Commodore Schley was instructed to
use his utmost endeavors to prevent
the Spanish feet from entering the
harbor of Cienfuegos or Havana. Rr.
Adm. Sampson and Commodore Schley
were informed as to each others move
ments. 1t is expected that Adm. Samp-
son will come up with Adm. Cervera
first. He, it is calculated will appear
off Santiago Sunday evening. If the
Spanish fleet is still in the hardor
Adm. Sampson will blockade the port
and commence lombard ment in order
to bring out the fleet If the fleet has
left the harbor it will, it is thought,
proceed west for Cienfuegos. Commo-
dore Schley should reach there in time
to intercept it.
Rr. Adm. Sampson has scouts out
watching for the fleet, and if it leaves
the harbor of Santiago before he ar
rives they will be able to inform the
admiral the direction it is heading.
Should it sail west Adm. Sampson
will follow in it's wake. 1t is impos.
sible with accuracy to state what
ships Rr Adm. Sampson and Commo-
dore Schley have in their respective
squadrons. The battle ship Oregon
and the gunboat Marietta are now
with Rr. Adm. SIMPSONS feet. The
cruiser Buffalo is thought to have ar
rived at Key West for repairs.
ST. PIERRE, Martinique. May 28.-
Notice that the Cape Verde feet, COM
manded by Adm Cervera. would re-
main here for coal was received Sum
day by the Spanish consul This re-
port, coupled with the statement that
Spanish transports laden with coal are
on their way to Fort de France, occa-
stoned much excitement. 1t is now
believed that Cervera's warships may
appear in these waters at any hour Al
though it is believed in many quarters
that the feet under Adm. Cervera will
return to these waters, they will not
be allowed to coal inside the harbor.
CADIz, May eat is stated here
very positively that the Pelayo, Carlos
", three of the transatlantic steamers
and two torpedo boats are about to
sail for the Philippines
The Pelayo is well armed, armored
and manned. The Carlos v. is well
armored and manned, and has good
guns, but her heavy ones farward will
not swing owing to defects in the
machinery, and can only be fred di.
rectly ahead.
Fatally Injured BY Lightuiug.