The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-24

Washington, Oct 2S-The navy de-
partment has made public that portion
of Admiral SIMPSONS report covering
the conduct of the fleet under his COM
mand, in its operations in the West
Indies for about two months prior to
the destruction of Admiral Cervera's 8
ships on July 3. 1t is made up largely
of official dispatches and the move
ments of the fleet. with explanations
and comment by the admiral. The re-
port is dated Aug. 5, on the flagship
New York, and begins with a state
ment of the determination reached by
| the navy department to send a squad
ron to the Windward passage, for the
purpose Of observation. because of in
| formation received of the sailing, April
%. of Admiral Cervera'S squadron from
| the Cape Verde islands. On the voyage
eastward from the naval base at Key
| West, which began May T. Admiral
Sampson reports there was experienced
endless trouble and delay because of
the inefdciency of the two monitors ac-
cOmpanying the other ships and which
had TO be taken in tow. Their coal
supply was so small that it was at
once evident that they must either
frequently coal or be towed- The ad-
miral says:
Had the sea been rough, or had the
enemy appeared at this juncture, the
squadron would have been in a much
| better position for an engagement had
the monitors been elsewhere. Subse-
| quently, when engaging the batteries
of San Juan. it was evident that their
shooting was very bad. Owing to the
quick rolling of these vessels. even in
a very moderate sea, they were unable
to fire with any degree of accuracy"
~ NOT TO RISK VESSELS.
Among The kilograms received by the
admiral from the department at Wash
ington, when or Cape Haytien, was the
following:
Washington, D. c.. May 6, 1sss.-Do
not risk or cripple your vessels against
Notifications as TO prevent from soon
afterward successfully fighting Spanish
feet, composed of PelayO Carlos Y.
OquendO, ViZcaya, Maria Teresa, Girls
tobal Colon and four deep sea torpedo
boats, if they should appear on this
side LONG,
On May there was a consultation
on board the flagship. and the admiral
says that he decided TO stand to the
eastward as far as San Juan, Puerto
Rico. on the chance of finding the
Spanish squadron at that port. where,
if they were not successful in destroy
ing il. it could be at least blOckaded
and held. The squadron arrived off
San Juan on the morning of the 18th,
and the bambardment of the place en-
sued. Regarding his action at this
place, the admiral says:
TT was clear to my mind that the
squadron would not have any great
difficulty in forcing the surrender Of
the place, but the fact that we should
be held. several days in completing ar
rangements for holding it; that part OF
our force would have TO be left TO await
the arrival of troops to garrison it:
that the movements of the Spanish
squadron. our main objective, were
still unknown; that the flying squadron
was still north and not in a position
to render any aid;s that Havana, Ger
vera's natural objective, was thus
open to entry by such a force as his
while we were a thousand miles dis
tant, made our immediate movement
toward Havana imperative. I thus
reluctantly gave up the project against
San Juan and stood westward for Ha-
vana"
Several kilograms are here presented,
based on reports that Cerveras S squad
ron had returned to Cadiz and they
had in view Ito return and capture
San Juan. the leisure to do so and oc-
cupy the place being assured in the
event of Admiral Cervera'S failure TO
cross the Atlantic"
NEWS OF CERvERA.
Shortly after. news was received that
the Spanish fleet had appeared off Gu
racoa, West Indies. and the squadron,
under orders from the department.
proceeded to Key West, to which place
the flying squadron, under Commodore
(now AdmiraD Schley had alredy been
ordered.
Arrangements were then hurriedly
made and the flying squadron, aug
faI nv att1 xraGCa1c under
dOre Schley was sent off Cienfuegos,
where it was believed the enemy would
go, in which case an effort was to be
made to engage and capture him.
Sampson was given the choice either of
the command of the blockading squad
ron off Havana or at Cienfuegos,
Schley in either case to remain with
his own squadron.
From messages received by the ad-
miral from the department about May
10Th, it appears that reports had
reached the United States that the
Spanish fleet was at Santiago; so the
department advised Sampson TO send
immediate word TO Schley to proceed
to that place, leaving one small yes
sci off Cienfuegos. On May q instruc-
tions were gotten by Sampson for
Commodore Schley and sent him via
the Marblehead regarding the posi-
bility of the Spanish fleet being at San
tiago. They are, in part, as follows:
INSTRUCTIONS TO SCHLEY.
United States Flagship New York,
first-rate, Key West, Fla, May u, 1898.
Sir: Spanish squadron probably at
Santiago de Cuba-fOur ships and three
torpedo boat destroyers. If you are
satisfied they are not at Cienfuegos,
proceed with all dispatch. but eau
tiously, to Santiago de Cuba, and if
the enemy is there blockade him in
port You will probably find it neces-
sary to establish communication with
some of the Observation-Disclosures or
others-to learn definitely that the
ships are in port. it being impossible
to see into it from the outside"
The admiral said he felt much con-
eerned as to the delivery of these or
ders, and sent a duplicate by the Hawk,