New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-13
rIEET MAY CROSS THE SEA.
NEW FLYING SQUADRON EASILY
FORMED FOR TITS PURPOSE.
fny TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.


>..u,nort News, Va, .une 12.-The Tribune
correspondent to-day received further confrma-
.,or from a scmi-offidal source. Of the ex-
.,rs,ve dispatches sent o The Tribune early last
EEK relative to the brmation of new. or
,.o,sanization Of the old. Flying Squadron.
according 10 a naval attache. who In the
..,v to-day on business in connection with the
.ork on the cruisers now IN these waters, the
,ob,lizatlon OF wa,ships In Hampton Roads Is
,or no other reason than tha. given above.
Tho Navy Department is believed to be con-
,,aering two plans for the proposed dash across
,,a ocean: one being to send squadron Of fast
ship. with large coal-carrying capacity only for
.coutng purposes. and the other being to dis
r.,ch one squadron ahead, composed Of the feet
a., sh,ps ans best fighters among the cruiser
,,oss and to follow this with a second squad
ron probaby composed OF two attle-ships. a
number OF colliers and several Of the cruisers
With lighter coal capacity.
spaIN's RESERVE FLEET THE OBJECTIVE.
The first plan. OF course would be solely for
ne purpose OF having good ships in Spanish
s.ters. 10 keep watch on the reserve armada.
rhe idea OF adopting the second plan would be to
nspatch the swifter cruisers ahead for the pur-
nose OF fixing the position of the Spanish ships,
n order that the second and more formidable
Feet might engage the enemy in It's own waters
occasion permitted.
THE Spanish reserve fleet" said the officer
referred TO- "is in as good condition to-day as
II ever Will be. and the reports coming from
Madrid about delays in repairs and shortness OF
ammunition all excuses TO gain time. Spain
will never send her reserve feet 10 swallow Ger
yera's dose, and the Government knows II. We
have got to 60 after them. and from the plans
now on foo, II looks as IL that would soon be
done"
FLAGSHIP OF THE SQUADRON.
When asked about the statemen: that the
Newark or the Cincinnati would te the flagship OF
this squadron the naval attache laughed and
said that no commodore would 60 out on a ship
that could carry only eight hundred or four
hundred tons Of coal when others of better class
were available.
He confirmed the news sent by The Tribune
correspondent last night. to the effect that Com
modore Schey will probably be the man se-
scted to go on this bold and hazardous voyage.
which Is likely TO startle the whole world 10.
sudacity Of purpose The Brooklyn OF the New
York will be the flagship OF the squadron In
case the presence OF both these ships Is re-
ouired In Cuban waters. then the Minneapolis
or the Columbia. each Of which can carry l'SlD
tons OF coal in its bunkers. TO say nothing OF
what 1t can handle in other ways. VIII be
selected as flagship OF the squadron.
According 10 information received from sew
eral sources 1t Is not likely that the Newark
the Cincinnati and the San Francisco VIII Dc
assigned 70 the Flying Squadron for the reason
that not one Of them can carry over 500 tons OF
COAL
VESSELS LIKELY TO GO.
can Be stated on good authority thet 'his
squadron IL the Department decides to send II
across the ocean, Will be made up In part OF the
following cruisers: The Brooklyn or the New
York. probably BOTH In which event the Brooklyn
would be the flagship: the Minneapolis and the
Columbia the ct. Paul. the st. Louis. the Yale
and the Harvard With Cervera's fleet out OF the
Way all OF these ships be spared. and they are
1ust the ones to send on long dash. as every
one OF them is rated above twenty -one knots
ANY DELAY on Spaiu's part In moving its re-
serve fleet is likely TO cause the formation or a
reinforcing squadron. to be composed OF TWO
such battle ships as the oregon and the Texas'
number of collicrs and probably several more
cruisers.
This statement is based upon interviews with
naval officers and Is known TO be the idea con-
Gdered by the Department and indorseo Dy
strategsts.
A significant fact IN connection with the pro-
posed squadron is the presence IN Hampton
Roads now OF four GOLFERS and severa coai
schooners The latter are the Alexander 'hc
EVELYN. the Southery and the City OF Macon.
WORK ON THE BUFFALO DELAYED.
The shipyard has received notice that the
work OF converting the Buffalo into an auxiliary
cruiser will probably be DELAYED for Few days
Until board Of inspection can determine
whether or not the ship is in a worse cond'tioh
than represented by Flint & Co. OF Nortoik'
who purchased the Nictheroy from the Brazihah
Government for the United States. II is feare1
that her repairs may take longer than was con-
tsmplated in which event the Government VIII
not take the vessel off Flnt's hands She IS
stil at Old Point and had not moved al ia'e
hour tonight
The Yale will drop out into the stream TO-
morrow morning In order to avoid paying uh-
Necessary wharfage TO the shipyard. her guns
being mounted and only the finishing touches
nmainng 10 be put 10 her.
The Harvard went to the shipyard this morn
Ing and tomorrow her gun mounts VIII De
placed In position. The eight 5-inch guns which
she will carry arrived at the yard to-day from
Old Point where they were forwarded last
night from the factory. The Minneapolis Is
sui here. Che 10 now taking on coal.