The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-05-19
v1IAM1L,s FLEET.
It was Sighted In the Nsiehborhood Of
N1artintque-Capt. sampson Leaves San
Juan to Meet the Enemy.

Juan to Meet the Enemy.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE navy de-
partment was all excitement again
Friday morning upon the receipt Of
the news that Adm. Simpsons 5 squad.
ron had begun the bombardment Of
San Juan de Porto Rico, and fuel was
added to the flames when the news
came later that the Spanish Flying
squadron had been sighted off Martin
ique, giving promise Of heavy fighting
to come.
1t is surmised that Adm. SIMPSONS
object in making the attack on San
Juan, without q landing force of
troops in reserve to occupy the town
If it were captured, was to destroy the
Notifications and make the harbor use.
less to the Spanish flying squadron a.
q place of refuge. The reports so far
received show that he did not com.
plete that undertaking Thursday,
and the question now is whether
he will resume his work Friday,
or will be diverted from IL by the re.
port of the presence of the Spanish
flying squadron in the neighborhood of
Martinique. The report given out at
the navy department that "The Span.
ish squadron is now hull down to the
westward of Martinique" could not be
supplemented by additional informa.
tion as to the time the dispatch was
sent, but it is supposed the squadron
was seen Thursday.
Sampson already knows of its move
ments, for the Unitod States scout
Harvard, which put into Martinique
Thursday, is said to have found there
one OF the torpedo destroyers compos.
ing the Spanish fleet and would GER
tainly report the fact to Sampson via
ST. Thomas if possible to do SO.
1t is suggested the Spanish squadron
has been lying in wait for the Oregon,
which, with the Marietta and Nichthe-
roy sailed on the 11th from the Bahai
to join Sampson, and the reported ac.
tivity of the Spanish torpedo boat de-
stroyers in running in and out of Mar.
Unique seems to show that they are
being used as scouts to give the rest of
the squadron notice of the approach
of the American battle ship. Ii SO, the
mission will be fruitless, for having dis
covered the whereabouts of the Span
ish force, Adm. Sampson will carry
out his orders to destroy their ships if
, he can reach them. The fact that the
Spaniards were headed Thursday to-
wards the westward on the surface
would indicate that they were bound
for the south coast of Cuba, but war
ships in these circumstances try to
mislead observers ashore.
The Spanish squadron is made up Of
seven first-class ships, of which four
are armored cruisers and three destroy
ers. This is as near the exact strength
as can be stated for the reports from
Cape Verde and from Cadiz have caus.
ed much doubt as to the exact strength
of the Spanish squadron. But allow
ing for the torpedo boats and other
craft which returned to Cadiz, there is
little doubt that the Spanish squadron
of Martinique has at least seven war
ships of formidable dimensions. These
| are:
Armored cruiser Vizcaya, built of
steel, with double screws, two turrets,
two tunnels and two military masts
with tops; length, 1854 feet; displace.
ment, $500 tons; maximum speed, 20.2
kno is. She has an armor belt of steel
feet inches broad, 315 feet long and
10 or 10 inches thick. Her turrets
have 8 inch steel armor; coming
towers, 12 inch armor. Her pro-
tected deck is from two to
three inches of steel Her armament
is two 11-inch Hontoria guns, mounted
singly in turrets, one forward and one
aft, ten 5.5-inch guns, five on each
beam, the forward and aft ones being
sponsoned; eight 6-pounders ten l.
Founders, eight Nordenfelt machine
guns, two Maxim machine guns, six
torpedo tubes and two submerged tor.
pedo tubes. She carries 4s4 men.
Armored cruiser Almirante Oqucn.
do, built of steel, double screws, two
turrets, etc. Her tonnage, armor and
armament in every respect is similar
to that of the Vizcaya.
Armored cruiser Infanta Maria TIE.
resa, built of steel, 9. 500 tons displace.
ment. This cruiser is also identical to
the Vizcaya.
Armored cruiser Christobal Colon.
built of steel, twin screws, two GOV.
cred barbettes, fore and aft, two fun.
nels, one military mast. Length 32S
feet, displacement 9, $40 tons, speed 20
knots Her armor consists OF a com.
plete nickel steel belt feet inches
wide, 8 inches thick. The armor of
the barbettes is six inches thick. The
protected deck is from two to eight
inches thick; coming tower six inches.
All the guns have shields Her arma.
ment is two ten-inch guns, ten six.
inch guns, six 4.7-inch guns, ten six.
Founders, ten one-pounders, two
Maxim machine guns and four tor.
pedo tubes. She has complement Of
500 men.
The Terror and Furor are torpedo
boat destroyers lately added to the
Spanish navy, having been built Mt
Clydebank in 1895. They are of steel,
with three tunnels and one mast;
length s2o feet, displacement 800 tons,
speed 2s knots, armament two II