The Red Cloud chief., 1898-04-08
FAR FROM PORTO RICO
THE SPANISH FLOTlLLA
HAS HARDLY STARTED.
Anchored at the Cape verd Islands south
of the Canarics- Nizcaya and Oqu-
cndo Sail Under Sealed Bound
for Porto Rico.

MADRID, April :. The statement
eabled last night that the torpedo flo
tilla of Spain has arrived at Porto
Rico was taken from a newspaper
here.
Investigation shows the
inent to be II The Spanish
fotilla has arrived at the Cape Ncrd
islands, off the coast OF Africa. and i,
is said will proceed after coaling.
As it has taken the Spanish torpedo
fotilla nine days to make the Cape
Vcrd islands from the Canary islands,
which they left March "a, it should.
going at about the same rate Of speed,
take the fiotilla about tw~cnty-six days
the Cape Verd islands. This is under
the supposition that the flotilla will
coal and start again to-day, which is
not probable.
WASHINGTON. April 4-Thc navy
department up To 10 o'clock had had
40 information concerning the arrival
OF the Spanish torpedo tlotilla fleet at
Porto Rico, as reported in II Madrid
cab Doubt was expressed that it
would make such fast time. 1t is said.
however, that it would arrive without
Interference. as no has been
made to intercept it, n course advo'
Gated by many naval officers.
New IonK, April 4.-The Evening
World prints n dispatch dated April l..
on board the dispatch boat Triton, via
hoy West, which says: "The Spanish
warships Vizcaya and Oquendo no
longer lie like big watch dogs across
Havana harbor. They are on their
way to Porto Rico. The dispatch boat
followed them until this was made
certain.
icy left their moorings at ,
o'cloclt this afternoon and started east.
ward along the north coast Of ba.
For days both of the big Spanish
cruisers have been ready to- sail n; an
hours notice. Their coal bunkers
we're flied almost two weeks 7
Late last night n package Of sealed
orders were sent out to the two war
ships from the Office Of the Almirante.
Early this morning preparations for
their departure were begun. Boat
after boat, loaded down to the gun.
wales with provisions of every kind,
started out from Havana wharvcs for
the Vizcaya int Oquendo."
The correspondent boarded the
vizcaya ut 10 o'clock. He was re.
ceived most courteous)y by Captain
Eulate in his cabin. "All l know
about It," said the V~izcayn's com.
nandcr. lis that we are going away
but where l have not the faintcst
den. Our orders are sealed, and ]
shall not open them till / am several
miles out at sea-"
A correspondent was put on board
The Triton with orders to follow the
cruisers His narrative continues;
AS soon As the two ships reached the
open gulf they turned to the west,
ward and ran three or four miles
down the coast in that direction.
After they had reached a point On the
coast about five miles westward OF
Havana they turned completely
around and headed for Moro again.
Under a speed of about eleven knots
an hour they passed Moro for the sec
ond time, tho Nizcaya leading the
Oquendo by half q mile.
Down the coast to the eastward ot
Havana tho W men-of-war passed il
procession. At Il distance of sever
miles from land the Triton parallclec
their course, sailing ut about the am
rate Of speed. AZ the sun dropped
down below the horizon the Nzcay;
and Oquendo became lost to view II
the shadow Of the long green hills o
the shore.
1.-The two ships had increased theiI
speed n little by this time and wer,
Jogging along ut about fifteen knots
They kept we'll within the five NIL,
limit Most Of the time they wer,
not more than u mile from shore. "h'
Triton followed the Vizcaya AM
oquendo until they rounded Poin
GuanoA
Point Guanos is twenty eight mile
to the eastward OF Havana Had eithe
OF the two men-of- war had any idea O
going to United States ports they Ger
tninly would have turned north n
Point Guanos. But they did not. A
a speed Of sixteen knots an hour the,
kept on to the eastward. The cours
that they followed is indicated o
: charts us being tho most direct rout
| to Porto Rico"