Arizona republican., 1898-07-04
THE EASTERN SQUADRON.
Purpose In View. and the Material
 for Carrying If Out.

JOT NdTfYHU u JUL.
 Washington, July 5.-Of the whole
 eastern squadron the best all-around
 ship is undoubtedly the battleship
 Iowa. She is of 11,296 tons, with a
 speed of 161a knots. Her battery is made up of forty-six guns altogether so that she is floating fortress in herself. Four of these guns are 12- inch calber mounted-in turrets, and there are eight 8-inch guns in turrets, six finch quick-frers, twenty 6-pound- CTS, six 1-pounders and four gatlings. The Iowa has splendid armor protec- tion with belt of 14-inch steel, seven feet six inches broad around her vitals, with cellulose backing and coal pro- lection.
 The Oregon is sister ship to the h. diana and has just earned a worlds record as cruising battleship. by making the long run from San Fran cisco to Key West. Her battery is heavier than the Iowa's in that her four big turret guns are 13-inch cali Der, but the Oregon is believed to be inferior in the matter of armor dis tribution. The battery is in other re- spects similar to the Iowa. Like the latter she is fitted with torpedo tubes complete. The coal capacity of the Oregon is set down at $50 tons, as against 1,780 tons for the Iowa, and her radius of action at ten knots is placed at 8,59O miles as against 7,4O0 miles to the Iowa. This anomaly is explained by the fact that the Iowa is 1000 tons larger than the Oregon
 ha Hoo in orIy fc {c known as a protected cruiser, her only protection in the matter of armor be- ing a protected deck of arched steel covering the engines and boilers. She was built in 1890, and so is not fully up to date, but the recent extensive repairs made at Norfolk have made her splendid cruiser, with a spee.1 of about nineteen and one-quarter
 Knots. Her steaming radius is 10.7O0 miles on $50 tons of coal at ten knots. Her displacement is 10,082 Ions
 The cruisers Yosemite, Yankee and Dixie were recently three Morgan Line steamers plying between New York and South American ports. They are all new, fast, stanch steel vessels, of 7,500 tons each, which have been transformed into excellent cruisers, first by the addition of good batteries of ten 5-inch rapfd-f1re guns, and, sec ond, by the addition of belts of lami- mated armor over the vitals of tha ship. The colliers are nothing more than merchant steamers fitted up for coal carrying, and without armor, but carrying two guns each. The Scandia is of 5,294 tons, the Avarenda 6,7O0 and the Alexander 7,400.
 The commanding officers of the east ern squadron are as follows: Com mander-in-chief of squadron, Commo- dore J. c. Watson; battleship Iowa, Captain R. D. Evans; batt1esGnip Ore gon, Captain Charles E. Clark; flag ship Newark, Captain Albert $. Bar ker; cruiser Yosemite, Commander W. H. Emory; cruiser Yankee, Comman- der W. H. Brownson; cruiser Dixie, Commander c. H. Davis; collier Scan dia, Commander E. W. Watson: col Her Avarenda, Lieutenant Commander W. H. Buford.
 The plan for an attack on .Ila coast of Spain is the beginning of the move ment which will probably end the war. The time has arrived when this move ment may be undertaken, and the pur- pose is to lose no time in bringing the war home to Spain in way that will make the Spanish people realize the absolute futility of prolonged resist ance to the inevitable. s The formation of the squadron for an attack on the Spanish coast is part of the general plan for the prosecu- tion of the war, decided on some time ago. The movement was held in wait ing only for the landing of troops at Santiago and the development of the situation in Cuba which would admit of vessels being spared to join the squadron.
 When the announcement was made of the sailing of the Spanish fleet from Cadiz toward the Suez canal the opin- ion was held here by some that the real object of the Spanish admiral was to remove his fleet to a position of greater safety than they occupied at Cadiz, being informed of the purpos of this government to attack the Span ish coast The movement of the Span ish fleet was regarded rather as re- treat than an aggressive movement to- ward the Philippines. Whether this theory was correct or not will be shown by the course of Admiral Ca mara on learning that our squadron is abut to sail. If the movement of his 1 fleet is not in the nature of retreat he will return to defend the Spanish coast and meet our squadron. At all events, the movement against the
 Spanish coast is regarded as blow
 which Spain cannot withstand.
 The squadron under Commodore Watson will be powerful enough to
 meet and destroy Admiral Camara's
 fleet if it turns back, or to inflict se- were damage upon the Spanish ports 1 This movement means that the war is 1 to be pressed with all possible vigor and terminated as quickly as possible i by blow delivered upon blow. Move
 ments of the utmest importance, az 1 gressive and strong, are to be made al
 once by both army and navy. There
 will be an extensive movement oi troops to reinforce the army of General
 Shafter at Santiago and to form bass of operations there against Porto Rico A large additional army will be trans | rln Tod 4n mi hot