The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-10-29
SAMPSON HAD A DIARY,
The Admiral Makes His Official
Report On the Campaign.
STORY OF THE BATTLE.
Quotes Dispatches TO Sustain His
Position-The Appeal lie Re-
ceived from Shafter

Quotes Dispatches TO Sustain His
Position-The Appeal lie Re-
ceived from Shafter.
Washington, d. c., Oct. 2i.-The navy
department has made public that portion
of Admiral Sampson report covering the
conduct of the fleet under his command III
its operations in the West Indies for
about two months prior to the destruction
of Admiral Cerveras' ships on July 3. 1t
Is made mp largely of official dispatches
and the movements of the fleet with eX-
/ plantations and comments by the admiral.
The report is dated August >. on the fla g
! ship New York. and nj.-ins with state
mcnt of til" determination reached by the
navy department To send Il squadron 10
| tn" " lndWard paSSag" Tor the purpose of
! observation, because of informa ton Ie-
c"iNed of the sailing. April 30. Of Admiral
! 'erVcra : squadron from the Cape Verde
! islands
/ bn the voyage eastward from the naval
base IT Kew West which began May 1.
/ Admiral Sampson reports there eX-
/ porIeuced endless trouble and delay he
! cause of the inefficiCncy Of the two mOni-
| tors accompanying the other ships and
! which had to he taken in tow. Their
/ coal supply was 50 small that il was at
/ once evident that they must either frc-
/ pU"ntly coal or be towed. The admiral
1 says:
( Had the SEA been rough. or had the enemy
4 appeared 1T this juncture, the squadron
! would have been in much better position
! for an engagement had the monitors been
4 elsewhere Subsequently when engaging the
I batteries Of San Juan it was evident that
their shooting was very bad. owing to the
4 quick rolling of these vessels. even III very
moderate sea, they We're unable to fire with
any degree of accuracy.
Among the telegramS received by the
admiral from the department mt Washing
ton when off Cape Ilaticn was the fol-
| lowing:
Washington, l.. G, May 6.-Do not risk or
cripple your vessels against fortfcations 50
aS to prevent from soon afterward success
fully lighting the Spanish feet. composed II
P"layo, Carlos V. Oquendo, Nizcaya, Maria
Teresa. ChriStoha Colon and four deep sea
torpedo boats, If they should appear on this
side. LONG.
Pombardmeut of San Juan.
GA May s thore was a consultation on
board the flagship. and the admiral said
he decided to stand an the eastward aS
far as San Juan, Porto Rico, on the
chance OF finding the Spanish squadron in
that port. whore. If they were not sue
caSsful i'll destroying it. it could he at
least blockaIed and held. The squadron
| arrived off San Juan On the morning of
! May II and the homhardment of the
plIc" cnsucd. Regarding his action at
this place the admiral says:
Ii j. clear to my own mind that the squad
ron would not have any great difficulty in
forcing the surrender Of tn" place. but the
fact that should be held several days in
completing arrangements for holding it: that
part If our force would have to be left to
anai; tn" arrival Of troops 10 garri>onit; that
the movements Of the Spanish squadron
our main nhicctiNr-wCrC still unknown; that
the flying squadron WAS still north and not IN
position to render any aid; that Havana,
trrNera'S natural objective. was thus open to
entry hY such a force as his while we We're
thousand miles distant. made our immcdi-
1T" mol em"ut toward Havana imperative.
thuS reluctantly gave UP the project
against san Juan and stood westward for
HaVt,rI-
Several trlr-ramc are here presented
! based u.l reports that teryara $ squadron
| had returned to Cadiz. and they had in
vi"W to return and capture San Juan,
tn" lciSUr" 10 do 50 and occupy the place
ha iEg assured in the event Of Admiral
t"rvcra : failur" Ia cross the Atlantic.
| Shortly after news was received that the
Spanish fleet had appeared off Curacao.
West Indies. and tho squadron. under or
drrA from the department. proceeded 10
Key West. To which place the flying
squadron under Commodor" now Ad-
mirirl Scilley had already been ordered.
Schlcy Sent to Cienfuegos.
Arrangements were then hurriCdiy
made and the flying squadron. augmented
hy the other vessels under Commodore
Schlcy. WAS sent of CicnfucgoS. where it
was believed the enemy would go. in
which case an effort was to be- made TO
pngaG" AMI capture him. Sampson was
given the choice either of the command
of IN" hlockadiug squadron off Havana
or at CicnfueGOS. SChley in either case to
remain with his own squadron.
From messages received hy the admiral
from the department about May ~ il ap-
pears that reports had reached the United
States that the Spanish fleet was at san
tia"o: 50 the department advised Samp-
son to send Immediately word To Schlcy
to proceed to that place. leaving one small
vessel off ticnfuegos
ON May Il instructions We're written
hy Sampson for Commodore Schley and
sent to him via the Marhlehoad regarding
the possibility of the Spanish fleet being
M Santiago They are in part as fol
lows.
United states Flagship New York. First
Rate, Key West. Fla. May y, 1S9S.-Sir:
cuba four ShipS ana three torpedo-h"at de
etrnyerS. II You are satisfied that they ar,.
not at CienfurEos, proceed with all dispatch.
bur cautiously. to Santiago de Cuba. and Il
the enemy j. there blockade aim in port
lou viii probably find il necessary to Is
'ahli>h communication with some of the in
4
uitcly that the ships are in port, Il he NJ in
possible. 10 see into il from the outside.
The admiral said he felt much con
cerHcd aS to the delivery Of these orders
and sent 4 duplicate hy the Hawk with
an additional memorandum. The admir-
aI suggested that if the information did
net reach Commodore Schley before day
light of May - TO mask the real direc-
zion he should take rs much rs possible.
He adds. Follow the Spanish squadron
whichever direction they take
The admiral off Hanava gives copies of
orders Of battle which We're To he fOl-
lowed in the event thar Cervera left San
tiaso on the approach of Schley's fleet
from Cicufuegcs aod attempted TO cruise
around the coast 10 Havana, in which
case the Havana squadron would at
tempt 10 intercept him by going east
about POO miles beyond the junction of
Saurircn and Nicholas channels. Strict
orders wcr" given for screening lights
and to see that none was accidentally
shown. The squadron was 10 cruise gen
orally to the eastward in the day and
westward during the night.
Ordered SchIey to Santiago.
On May 923. ~ shown by the report.
Commodore Schley expressed the belief
that the SpaniardS We're at CieufuegoS
ON the o1;h the admiral sent word To
Schlsy directing him to proceed with all
possible speed Ia Santiago because OF in
formation received that the Spaniards
were there The same time orders were
srmt to have the collier Sterling dis
-HIchCd ~ Santiago with an expression
ui opinion that the commodore sh uld use
Il 10 oh<truct the channel AZ its narrowest
part leading into the harhor. The de
tails of the plan were left to the commo-
drreS judgment. a. he tSamp>unl had
the utmost confidence in his ability TO