The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-05-11
RETREAT OF SPANISH FLEET
Now Believed That the End of the
War is Near at Hand.

NEW YORK. May IA special to
the Tribune" from Washington says:
The naval war board is convinced that
the Spanish armored flying squadron,
popularity known as the Cape Verde
fleet, has returned to Cadiz, and that
Spain has abandoned all hope of ef-
fectiVe resistance to the loss of her
American colonies The war in Ameri-
can waters at least has therefore been
reduced to a simple matter. and it's
duration is expected to be exceedingly
limited. Arrangements have been
promptly made to bring back Admiral
Simpsons fleet to Key West, to unite
it with the army in quickly terminating
Spanish rule in Cuba.
1t is positively announced that San
Juan de Porto Rico will not be bonn
barded, and that the island Will be let
severely alone. for the present at least,
or until Cuba is freed and American
military Government firmly established
there. 1t is believed that this will be A
matter Of not more than two weeks.
and then the heaviest ships will be
relieved for duty against Porto Rico or
for dry docking on the Atlantic Coast
preparatory for a cruise in force, aug
mented by the armOred ships in Com
modore Schley's squadron against Cadiz
itself unless Spain in the meantime
sues for peace.
The idea that the Spanish vessels
would run home instead of confronting
certain defeat near Porto Rico has
been held by the vast majority of ma
val officers since the first Spanish
squadron composed largely of torpedo
boat destroyers, returned to ST Vim
cent after several weeks at sea shortly
before war was declared. On that oc-
casion grave concern was manifested
in Washington for some time, and it
was with decided relief that the news
was received of their turning home
ward.
For the last week the best experts
in Washington have agreed that the
Spanish ships. if on any offensive mis-
sion, had the battleship Oregon as their
objective, and when after ten days they
failed to report at Pernambuco for coal
the War Board reluctantly decided that
they might be attempting to enter the
Caribbean by the Barbados passage
to come upon Porto Rico or Cuba from
the south. 1t was considered the bet
ter part OF VdIOf TO Senu sam pSOH east
ward where he could more readily Sc
cure an engagement, at any rate before
Cuba could be reached, trusting that
definite information would be secured
the moment the Spaniards approached
Barbados or ST. Thomas.
This precautionary cruise of Samp-
son, while probably disappointing in
the extreme to all the officers with him,
it is believed to have been not without
advantage, as it permitted the reten-
ton of Commodore Schley's ships at
Hampton Roads, and thereby secured
the Atlantic seaboard against alarm
for the safety of the chief coast cities
and navy yards.
The return of the Spaniards to Cadiz
is gratifying in the highest degree to
the President and his advisors, who
desire to achieve a speedy termination
of the war. as much for curtailing the
enormous expense it involves, as to re-
lieve the decentralization of business
throughout the country which would
be inseparable from long continuance
of the conditions of last month.
NEW YORK. May 1O.-Walter Well
man to-day embarked on his search for
the North Pole and Andree. He sailed
on the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse for
TrOmSOe Norway.