The evening times., 1898-05-16
TRYING TO RvADE SAMPSON.

| Spanish Admiral Again Runs From
the American Squadron.
| New York. May 16.-The arrival Of the
Cape Verde squadron ut the island of
Curacao-so often miscalled Curacoa-
shows. in the opinion of a naval expert.
that the Spanish admiral Is for the mo-
| ment. at least. seeking to avoid battle
| with Admiral SIMPSONS squadron.
The island lies little TO the south and
| west of Martinique. and is distant about
| four hundred and thirty miles from that
colony. 1t is located in the region of the
steady trade winds. which at this season
blow from east northeast to east and is
| swept by westerly current which sets
along the Spanish main at a fairly uni
| form rate of two knots.
These conditions of wind and current
| favor vessels coming from the Windward
| Islands. and in the existing circum-
stances, which a careful tactician must
consider, enable a composite squadron to
| transfer its smaller vessels. like torpedo
destroyers. to a new base with a minimum
| chance Of damage to hun and machinery.
The probable intentions of the Spanish
admiral in taking this course would there
| fore be apparent and not difficult TO
gauge were it not for the halt called at
Curacao. BY skirting the coast, Of Vene-
| zuela he avoided all danger of intercept
| ton by Sampson's squadron. for In reck-
| oning the probabilities he must have con-
sidered the chances that our vessels
would. after abandoning San Juan. steam
along the north coast of Porto Rico and
| then. swinging through the Mona Pas
! sage. seek to engage him in the Caribbean
| Sea.
| This also would explain to some degree
/ " h, mi he
| those advantages of surprise and of Sc
cret movement which hitherto have aided
| him SO much. The puzzle is why he
| should come to an anchor in port which
has cable communication with the world
and is distinctly friendly to us.
Curacao is. however, under 500 miles
from San Juan. and IL is not impossible
that the Spanish admiral may. in his va
riations of the clever game of hide and
seek he is playing. simply be waiting in
the hope that SIMPSONS squadron may
hurry westward. thus unmasking the port
of San Juan, and leaving it open for his
ships.
Should he. however. venture to seek the
southern coast of Cuba he will. when he
considers his course clear make some
cure point in the Caribbean. haul to the
northward and westward. and then. pass
ing at a safe distance from the Island of
Jamaica, order a spirited dash for San
vana. The distance from Curacao to Glen
fuegos is for example. 920 miles, and with
the speed maintained on his run from
Martinique he ought to reach this port in
four and half DAYS.
In the meantime what will our strategy
be? II Admiral Sampson has shaped a
direct course from San Juan to Cienfue-
gOs, leaving his monitors behind-which
would seem to be a bad policy-he would
arrive off his port in four days; IL his
monitors go with him he would be six
days in reaching this same point If wind
and weather are fair.
The squadron of Commodore Schley
should. on the other hand. reach the
northern coast of Cuba in four days, in
cfuding the detention of Charleston for
orders; Cienfuegos is about five hundred
miles distant from Havana. and this
ought to be reached in two days easily
or in six days after leaving the Virginia
Capes. This fits in neatly, for it will en-
able both armored sQuadrons to be con-
centrated and array an irresistible force
Much alarm has been expressed for the
safety of the small cruisers. gunboats and
patrol vessels blockading the southern
coast. This should be needless for un-
doubtedly warning has been sent them
by Commodore Watson. and should an
early departure of the Cape de Verde
squadron threaten them. they ought to
escape surprise without extraordinary
exertions or especial luck.
The new phase OF affairs lightens the
Governments anxiety as to the Oregon
and her consorts. Curacao lies nearly
500 miles to the westward of the north
eastern knuckle of South America,
around which a greater or lesser dis
tance, these American ships will have to
wheel before they can haul up northwest
to join the other vessels operating in
Cuban waters.
1t is extremely improbable that the
Cape Verde vessels would await them,
and surely there are no other enemies in
these waters which need give Capt. Clark
and his colleagues a moments uneasi-