Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-02
SCHLEY saw CERVERA.
HE SP kNlSH FLEET HAD JUST RUN IN.


with the u. S. Fleet OFF Santiago de
Cuba, May 49, via Port Antonio, ia
maica. June 2.-[Copyrighted, 1898, by
the Associated Press. Flour weeks
after the victory Of Rear Admiral
Dewey at Manila, Commodore Schleyi
in command of the flying squadron
had his shrewdness and pertinacity
rewarded by finding the Spanish fleet
In the harbor of Santiago de Cuba.
For ten days he had, in the face of
conflicting rumors and some cases oil
alleged verif,> lions, insisted that the
ships Of Spain were trying TO land on
the southern coast of Cuba. This was
evidently not in consonance WIN
newspaper and ofiicia, Information
and his opinion was not given much
public weight. In fact, 1t is believed
that some days before he proved the
correctness of his diagnosis OF the stu
ntlon, he was ord cred to return to Key
West. However, new facts gathered
by him in the meantime gave him still
more ground for belief as to his pro&-
unity to the Spaniards.
The captain of the British steamer
Adula, who was Interviewed at Glen
fueGos. testified to seeing the Spanish
fleet in the vicinity of Santiago de Gu
ba, evidently awaiting opportunities to
get in.
Captain sigsbee, of the st. Paul re-
lated how he had captured Spanish
coal vessel going into the harbor of
Santiago de cuba, and Commodore
schey argued from these two incl
dents that the fleet of Spain was
awaiting in some haven near Santiago
until such time as a visit, fruiuess in
its results, should be made there by
att- do
parture, the Spanish fleet would run
into the harbor
Commodore Sch1ey determined to
make That visit, and on Friday night
he ran within six miles OF the harbor
The st. Paul was then detached and
sent back and keep out OF sight with
instructions to be ready ait a twenty
knot clip to bring news to the comino-
dore at any moment.
From the Aperican ships the Span
ish batteries were In plain view, but no
doubt under preconcerted arrangement
| they made no attempt to fire, and the
flying squadron, after circling around
slowly steamed away In the dlreC tion
of Key West as its coal supply was
| getting short. There was collier with
| the squadron, but there was no friend.
| ly harbor with smooth water and there
was serious danger Of smashing the
collier IF an attempt We're made tc
coal any OF the bhtttS0IpS at sea.
Resourceful and daring, Commodore
Schley showed forth. however, and al
dark. with an original rigging to pro-
tect the ship, the Texas and the Mar.
blehead began to coal. They worked
all night and at daybreak had filled
their bunlSers.
BY noon on Sunday the converted
yacht Vixen had also coaled, and at
o'clock, not having heard from the St
Paul, the warships moved again to.
wards Santiago.
Standing Off the coast about II
miles, the squadron afterwards circled
in front Of MORO castle, but not Close
enough In to get view Of the inside
of the harbor, guarding carefully
against the possibilities Of a TORPEDO
| boat attack.
At night the squadron lay off n
point Of land, and In the morning, sun
day, the St Paul came along. but did
| not report any knowledge of the Span,
| fish fleet's whereabouts.
Consequently Commodore Schley de-
| termined to find It himself and with
| the flagship in the lead, he started to.
wards the harbor The Spanish troops
| ut he earthworlts and batteries could
| be seen, through glasses. preparing in
| haste to give the American ships as
warm a reception as possible.
When about five miles from the bat.
teries the lookouts reported the mast,
! OF two ships. and Lieut.. Sears and En-.
| sign McCauley made out the first one
| to be the Cristobal Colon. Two tor.
| pedo Loats We're also made out and a
second vessel of the Vizcaya class
| was seen.
All this time Commodore Schley was
| upon the after bridge of the Brooklyn
| making good use of his binocular.
Arrived at the harbor entrance, wher
| the ships were sighted from the deck
he turned his eyes from the glasses
| long enough to wink and said:
81 told you l would lind them. They
| will be q long time ~ettinG home"
The order to man the port battcrie.
| had been given, and the men, stripped
| to the waist. in a temperature consider.
| ably over 100 degrees, waited with
| Impotence the word to fire.
But the commodore decided not Il
| waste ammunition on the batteries, ant
the men We're disappointed for tht
| time being However, there was much
| quiet jubilation among the men over
| the prospects of the fight.
Commodore Schley showed his even,
| ness of temperament by ordering tn,
Massachusetts to take coal from thu