The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-12
NOW A PUZZLE.
from First PaEe1

a renewal of anxiety as to the Oregon. The
ship was at Bahia at last accounts, and is
believed to have started a day or two ago
UP the Brazilian coast to join SIMPSONS
squadron in the West Indies. She will have
to make a run of 1900 miles, which will &C.
cupy the Oregon about ten days only as
she is in fine fettle and averaged thirteen
knots an hour on the long run around from
San Francisco However, it is believed that
Admiral Sampson is as we'll posted as any
one in Washington as to the conditions ex-
listing in the West Indies, and he doubtless
will do whatever is necessary In his judg-
ment to safeguard the ship in her run up
the coast.
It was said during the day that the Navy
Department is in almost hourly expectation
of advices from Admiral Sampson. What
the character of these advices Will be the
officials do not intimate, but they expect IN
teresting and important news. 1t is rather a
matter of surprise to them that the press
has not already received information from
the SQUADRON via ST. Thomas and from
the dispatch boats which accompany Samp-
sons squadron. Notwithstanding the cable
advices to the effect that the Spanish n.y.
ing squadron has rejoined the Spanish home
squadron at Cadiz, the naval strategy board
is by no means assured this point. 1t
might seem that the Navy Department
should not be in doubt as to whether or not
a squadron of large men-of-war is lying
in harbor where the ships would be plain
~ visible to the eyes Of 100000 people, 1t
must be remembered, however, that the
United States now has no representative in
Cadiz, nor can it look to the representa-
tives of foreign governments in Spain to
furnish any such information touching the
naval movements. Reliance must be had
either upon severely censored newspaper
dispatches or upon the reports of spies, and
neither of these are of unimpeachable &C
curacy at this iuncture. For this reason the
Navy Department is disposed to accept all
reports with extreme caution.
The strategy board is carefully preparing
it's plans for an assault upon Havana by
sea in connection with the regular army
movement by land, the work being rather
of a preparatory nature and not commit
ting the department in any way to final
adoption of this plan. 1t has been repre-
scented that the fleet with safely might as
semble to the extreme east of the Spanish
Notifications at the entrance of the harbor.
In that position it would be exposed to at
tack by only one battery at the end of the
battery and destroy it in short order. The
attack would be followed down the line of
shore taking one battery at a time and
thus reducing to minimum the exposure
of the ships while bringing a terrible con-
centration of fire upon the batteries in turn.
One naval officer who was consulted upon
the subject guaranteed that the fleet could
knock out all of the Notifications one aft
er the other within two hours. 1T would
look like knocking down a row of bricks"
said he.
During the past month the Bureau of
Construction and Repair of the Navy De-
partment spent one million and "a quarter
dollars in the repair and Quitting of ships
and none of this money went to new con-
structon. This is said to be the largest
expenditure in this particular line made by
the equipment bureau, even during the days
of the civil war. The Navy Department felt
obliged to decline the offer made by some
wealthy New York gentlemen, headed by
o. II. p. Belmont, to build and equip a
torpedo boat for the use of the government
during the war. Possibly the declination was
brought about through the condition at
tached to the offer that the boat should
be commanded by Mr.. Belmont, for with