The Red Cloud chief., 1898-05-20
SPANISH FLEET is HEMMED IN,
In Tight Quarters at Ceryera==Car
Hardly Get Away.
American Ships Ready TO Pounce Down Iron the Span.
iards at the Very First Opportunity Enemy Hopes
10 DO Some Lively Dodging to Avoid a Decisive En-.
g%agen1ent Many TreacherOuS Maneuyers.

NEW YORK., May j. A dispatch 60
The New lork Herald from Washing.
ton says: SPANS fleet in the Carib.
bean sea is to uc met Ivy 4 squadron
consisting of the arnorclads Of the
l nitcd states in North Atlantic
waters.
This seems to be the intention OF
the naval war board and preparations
are making to effect the junction Of
Rear Admiral Sampson's ilect and the
lying squadron. under the command
OF Commodore Schlc".
A dispatch TO the New York World
from Madrid says: Admiral ,crvcra's
fleet will dodge about the Caribbean
s'a and Gulf Of Mexico. it is said ~
naval men here.
Ccrvcra will avoid a fight IL h, finds
himself overmatchcd.
His chief ain is To draw the Amcri.
can s%quadrons away from the Cuban
coasts 80 hat he may make a dash
into Havana. The principal object of
sach IA dash, it is asserted. would be
to allow the cruiser Nizcaya to 90 into
dry dock to clean her bottom, and
thus improve her speed. for in her
present condition She cripplcS the
movements of the remainder OF the
fleet
Great expectations are founded on
night raids by the Spanish torpedo
boat dcstroycrS on the American
blockading squadron.
Later, when the rainy season srts
IN last blockade runners, both Span
ish and foreign, will undertake. to
carry ammunition and provisions to
Cuba and Porto Rico.
"A dispatch from Kingston, Jamaica.
says tho report has reached that place
that three war ships, the nationality
OF which it was impossible to make
out, mere seen last evening oil Moran
point, 1T the eastern extremity Of ia
maica. The ship, were taking %
%Southerly course.
CAFE HAYrIEN. IIayti, MAY Is
Two Spanish cruisers or ]gunboats are
making their base of opcration, Mt
Badiquiri, or Guantanamo bay. They
arc known to move every night in the
western waters between Hayti and
Cuba
A IIayticn schooner plying between
the Mole St. Nicholas, Jean Rabel and
Giatinagua reports, through an agent
of the Cuban insurgents at Port de
PaiN, having met Spanish vessels sew
eral times The Spaniards arc sup
posed to hide in the Cuban ports dur.
ing the day and so out cruising at
night
KEY WEST, Fla, May iS.-The ships
OF the American blockading squadron
are keeping a vigilant watch for the
appearance OF the Spanish tiect and
will not be taken by surprise should
the spanish mcn-of-war round Cape
Antonio, the westernmosL point of
Cuba, and swoop down upon Havana.
All our ships have been warned by
Commodore Watson of the possibility
Of such n move, and sailors are kept
constantly in the tops, where they
can sweep the horizon for thirty
miles, looking out for the first signs
Of q hostile ship
All the navn officers on the blockade
station are anxious for a meeting with
the Spaniards, and when informed
h n the latest reports placed them
off the coast Of Venezuela they jubi-
lantly declared that the enemy could
be hcmmed In between the Windward
islands and the Nucatan chanuel. 10
be destroyed. The only fear expressed
was for the safety OF our ships block
ing Cienfuegos. But they do not
doubt that precautions have been
taken for the safety OF the ships now
IN the southern coast Of Cuba. The
torpedo boats and fast yachts OF the
auxiliary fleet keep the blocking ships
in constant communication with Key
West, whence the movements of tho
vessels are being directed.