Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-13

iurNaru, Wnlcn put into martinique
yesterday, is said to have found there
one of the torpedo destroyers com
posing the Spanish fleet, and certainly
would report the fact to Sampson via
st. Thomas IL possible to do so.
WERE THE FRENCH UNFAIR?
There is "A suspicion. however, that
the United States has not been treated
with perfect fairness in the matter OF
, the use of cable from Martinique and
that messages of the utmost import
ance. such for instance, as those re.
porting the movements of the Spanish
SHIPS, have been delayed an unreason-
able length of time to the great embar-
rassment of our forces. The subject
Is one that will be Investigated In the
future, as well as other facts connect
I ed with the treatment of the Spanish
ships in West Indian ports which are
nominally operating strictly under the
neutrality laws 1t is said that the
Spanish squadron has been lying In
wait for the Oregon, which with the
! Marietta and Nictheroy, sailed on the
llth from Bahia to join Sampson, and
the reported activity of the Spanish
torpedo destroyers in running in and
out of Martinique seems to show that
they are being used as scouts to give
the rest of the squadron notice of the
! approach of the American battleships.
SIMPSONS ORDERS.
If SO the mission will be fruitiess for,
having discovered the whereabouts of
the Spanish force. Admiral Sampson
viii carry out his orders to destroy
their ships II he can reach them. The
fact that the Spaniards were headed
yesterday towards the westward on the
surface would Indicate that they were
bound for the south coast Of Cuba, but
warships in these circumstances try to
mislead observers ashore.
f.... -.
squadron has been sighted off Mar
Unique caused n decided sensation
throughout naval circles, as this brings
close to Admiral SIMPSONS squadron
the formidable collection of Spain's
strongest and most modern vessels. It
lying at CadIz.
Evidently the latter report was in
spired by Spanish strategy.
Martinique is French island lying
about 500 miles east of Porto Rico and
200 miles from the eastern coast of Gu
ba. 1t is one of the outposts OF the
West Indies and is the natural point
at which the Spanish fleet coming from
Cape Verde would first make land
ing,
1t must now pass the French Island
of Guadalupe to the west of the DAN
ish Island of st. Thomas. a little
farther west on its course to Porto
Rico unless SIMPSONS fleet engages
them before that move Is made. As
they stand now the two fleets are about
500 miles apart. which, by fast sailing
both fleets would cover In one day. The
sailing of one fleet would bring them
together in two days. II the other re-
mained stationary.
STRENGTH OF THE SPANISH
FEET
The Spanish squadron is made up of
seven first class ships, of which four
are armored cruisers and three des-
troyers. This is as near as the exact
strength as can be stated for the re-
ports from Cape Verde have caused
much doubt. The seven warships of
formidable dimensions are:
Armored cruisers Vizcaya, built with
double screws; two turrets, two tunnels
and two military masts with tops
length, 3Gi feet, displacement $500
tons; maximum speed, 20.2 knots She
has an armor belt OF steel five feet
six inches broad, 315 feet long and 10
or IL inches thick. Her turrets have
nine inch steel armor. coming towers
IL inch armor.
Her protected 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 SO inch guns. five on each side,
the forward and aft ones being ,spoi,-
sored; eight six Founders. eight Nor
ueDltV ilhcUlHe guns, TWO MAXIM ma
chine guns; six torpedo tubes and two
submerged torpedo tubes. She carries
4Si men.
Armored cruiser AlmIrante Oquendo,
built of steel double screw. two turrets,
etc. Her tonnage. armor and arina-
ment in every respect similar to that |
of the Vizcaya.
Armored cruiser Infanta Maria Te- |
resa, also Identical to the Vizcaya.
Her armor consists Of complete nick |
el steel belt, feet 3 inches wide, s
inches thick. The armor of the bar |
bettes is six inches thick.
Armored cruiser Crlstobal Colon, |
built OF steel. twin screws, two covered |
barbettes fore and aft. and two fun |
nels, one military mast. Length 1928 |
feet. displacement 6,S+0 tons; speed 20 |
knots. Her armor consists Of a com |
plete nickel deck from 2 to inches |
thick; coming tower 0 inches. All the
guns have shields.
Her armament is two ten inch guns,
ten SIX inch guns, six AZ inch stern six
Founders. ten one Founders, two Max
I'm machine guns, four torpedo tubes.
She has complement of 800 men.
The Terror and Furor are torpedo |
boat destroyers lately added to the
Spanish navy, having been built at |
CLYDE bank in 1896.
They are OF Steel length 200 feet. dis
placement $40 tons. speed rs knots, ar
mament two IA FOUNDER quick firing |
guns, two six FOUNDER quick firing |
guns, two one pound quick IRE.
Each destroyer mounts two II inch |
torpedo tubes on deck and carries CT
men.
The Asturoid is another formidable
modern destroyer. but her exact de
mansions and armament are not avail
able at the navy department
MINISTERIAL CRISIS CONTINUES.
Madrid, May l3.-2;aO p. m.-The
Spanish ministerial crisis continues.
Premier Sagasta has had several con-
ferences with prominent politicians but
there does not appear to be any sou-
ton In sight of the difficult problems
he has in hand.
A dispatch received from Fort de