Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-28

squaofon, with the single exception OF
the two Spanish o-boat-destroyers.
The officers of the eastern squadron are |
az follows.
Commander-in-Chief, Commodore J. c.
Watson; battleship Iowa, Captain r. d.
Evans: battleshsp Oregon. Captain Charles
u. Clark; flagship Newark, Captain AL
bert s. Barker; cruiser Yosemite, Com
mander w. IL. Emory; cruiser Yankee,
Commander w. II. Brownson; cruiser
Dixie, Commander c. II. Davis; collier
Scendia. Commander r. w. Watson; col
lier Alexander, Commander w. +. b.
wen: collier Alarenda, Lieutenant-Com-
mander w. H. Buford.
SPANISH COAST DEFENCES.
When the American feet sails for
Spain It Will take with Il complete in
formation as to the entire stretch OF
Spanish coast, with detail maps of every
harbor and rs fortifcations. The War
Board had a mass OF this information
before It to-day and spent a good part
OF the day studying Spanish charts and
fortifcations with view to outlining
the series Of blows which are TO be de-
livered at Spain at home. The Spanish
coast-line is 2,122 kilometers G,322 miles)
| long, OF which 769 kilometers is on the
north coast. while 1853 hlometers is
| along the Mediterranean and the Allan
| tic, on the south coast. The coast Is de-
scribed by naval strategists as abrupt
| and mountainous, with sinuous inlets ana
| CULTS. resembling the fiords OF Scapdi-
| navia. In general. the fortifications OF
| the coast are relics of the medieval
greatness Of Spain, and many OF these
old defences are tumbling into ruin.
The Spanish coast Is divided into three
captain generalcies-namely, Ferrol on
the north; Cadiz, on the south, and Car
thagena. on the east. At Ferrol is the
naval school and the school of naval ap-
pHcation. At Carthagena is the schooi
OF ordnance and the torpedo school
| Cadiz is the point where most OF the
fertilization guns are made. Each OF the
three naval provinces has a certain num-
rper Of coast-towns under it's immediate
care The Ferrol division includes the
ports of Ferrol Corunna, Niliasarcia'
| Vigo, Vivero, Rivardeo, Santander BIZ
bao. and St Sebastian. The Cadlz ol-
visIxn includes the ports OF Cadiz' Al
geciras. Malaga. Matril, Almeria, Seville
Huelva. and the Canaries. The Cartha-
gena district includes the ports Oh Gar
thagena. Alicante. Valencia, Niharoz'
Tarragona, Barcelona, Mataro, MaJorca'
Port Mahon. and Ivica.
ARTILLERY STRENGTH,
Tho total artillery strength Of these
J ports. under the normal condiuohS Vi
war. is as follows; one hundred ana niii0
teen Krupp guns, hfty-fiye Arnistiohe
GUNS ninety Ordonez guns, ana a large
nun,,,er Of Hontoria guns. The main re-
lance is on the OrdoneZ guns "hioh "i0
especially well fitted for fortlhcatioh pun
noses. They are Of q and "a centimeue
8-inch and 13-inch, respectively calipie C.
A senarate division of the coast Is maze
for the purpose of placing torpedoes ana
submarine mines. The work Is uiNiue'
into r,ur districts Each town along the
co,st is allotted a certain number oil toI'
nedoes. For instance, the allotment loi
porce,ona alone Is 500 torpedoes
Many Of these ports are connected "
81 cables which form an additional feature
J Of naval attack. A cable runs lron
. parcalona TO Rarseiues. Cadiz has three
.ables-one 10 the Canaries, another t'
C,ibraltar. and another to villa Reai
Vigo Is the cable station for two lines
The information is in minute detail az
IN the deftnces of each port. For IN
T stance. Ferrol is protected on the nortf
IA, a series of four batteries and tW'
S other fortiications, the latter occupylht
a noiuts which command passes from I'M
t sea. The town is encircled by Dasuoh
1 ard redoubts Of ancient pattern, but re
$ oe,tlv remodeHed. The defences of Cadl
oo,sist ~ a circle of eleven powerfu
s forts The other harbors are similarl!
o defined with detail information as to ap
y ,roocbas channels. depth of water, bat
teries, etc.
THE CANARIES FIRST?
% with this full information at hand, tn
nature Of the assault upon the coast
- spain will be'pretty well outlined peIol
r. the American squadron sails. Al IN
r came time. much will be left to the com
y mander-in-chef of this squadron som
naval authorities believe that the Cahar
Islands will be the first point OF ATTACK
and that The next move will be to estat
rsb a naval base at Ceuta, point on IN
African coast owned by Spain and oppo
cite Gibraltar. With this base our snip
. would be in easy striking distance OF IN
J. long stretch of the Spanish coast
NO NEWS FROM sHAFTER.
o one short telegram received by Gene
O raj Greeley from one of his signal corps
l. oescers with the army under Shatte
q u,as all that came to the War Depar
y ,oent last night or to-day That relate
. entirely 10 the management of telegraph
IS and contained no news as to the move
nents OF the military. Therefore IL
n ossun,ed AT the department that Gener'
4 shafter is simply carrying forward n
4 nlan az bringing forward his troops frol
Il the seacoast and conceptrating them
j. noints of vantage on the heights SUI
" rounding Santiago. His army is not
s Give hattie until every precaunon Una
IS rru6ence can suggest has been taken
al .ssrra the success of the movement, fc
40 one better than General Shafter al
J. nreciates the tremendous moral adVai
s ,,.e that would accrue TO Spain irol
"a .,,,,,ororv check of America