Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-28

Washington, June 27.-The Navy
department at II: % o'clock posted
the following bulletin:
Commodore Watson sails to-day
in the Newark TO join Sampson,
when he will take under his COM
mand an armored squadron with
cruisers and proceed at once off the
Spanish coast
The Department later posted a
bulletin showing Commodore Wat
sons squadron 1t is designated
the Eastern squadron, and is as fol-
lows:
Flagship Newark, battleships To-
wa and Oregon, cruisers Yosemite,
Yankee and Dixie and the golfers
Scendia. Abarenda and Alexander
The start will be made at once from
off Santiago. The bulletins also
showed the following changes in
designation of the division of our
war vessels:
North Atlantic feet-Rear Ad-
miral Sampson commanding.
First squadrcn-Commodore ]. A.
Howell commanding.
w
S. Schley commanding.
Naval base-Key West. Fla,
Commodore Remey commanding.
The decision of the administra-
ton to send a squadron Of warshlps
to Spain was not made hastily. For
he past six weeks the matter has
been under consideration. and
strong clement we'll acquainted
with the practice of the Spanish
government of keeping the great
Tass of the public ignorant IF the
actual condition of affairs has con-
tended that the only method of
bringing the war home to the peo-
nle of Spain would be to send an
American squadron there to harry
the coast cut off shipping and bonn
bard fortified towns.
The purpose was to bring the
Spanish people to a realizing sense
Of the hopelessness of continuing
the present struggle Since the de-
parture 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 hold stroke and then to
take up the work of harrassing the
Spanish at home. providing that
blow does not suffice to bring about
peace.
The United States consul at Port
Said has reported to the State De-
partment that in obedience to its
injunction he had lodged a protest
against the supply of coal there for
the Spanish squadron. 1t is true
the failure to obtain coal at Port
Said would not in itself prevent
the Spanish vessels from passing
through the canal and continuing
on their way to the Philippines,
for they have with them one or
more golfers. But the coal carried
by these colliers would be absolute
ly essential to the vessels of the
squadron long before they had
crossed the Arabian sea.
Under the British neutrality
laws the ships could take coal only
once al a British port under any
circumstances and all of the coaling
stations after passing the SueZ canal
being British possessions, the Span
ish supply would be exhausted
long before the end of the voyage
was reached. But there is also
question as to whether Camara's
squadron could take coal even in
italy at any British port until
they had crossed the half way line
between Spain and the Philippines,
as the British law declares they
could only take coal enough to car
ry them to the nearest home port,
and the Philippines would not be
such a port until the half way line
is crossed.
To add to tie embarrassment of
Camara there is good reason to be-
lieve that the canal management
will obstruct his passage on the
ground of interference with naviga-
ton. This there is every prospect
that from one or another OF these
reasons the Cadiz fleet will be de-
tanned indefinitely in the Mediter-
ranean sea, which is greatly desired
by our navy department. BY the use
Of some speedy vessels as advance
guards it may be possible for Com
modCre Watson to reach the Straits
Of Gibraltar some time before Cam
ara's slow-moving fleet could get
there returning from Port Said.
reinforced by ironclads Watson
would have the Spanish squadron