Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-28
Is the Hemming in Of the
Spanish Fleet.
AS CERVERA Is HELPLESS
American Troops Can he LANDED In Cabin
without Any Fear of Attack
ami Begin Active .
NH:. Operations. Y. 0o.
(BE TeleErapll.l

ria'. May 2'.-At 10 O'Clock last nigh
me l,olphln ran alongside the ilagshi,
view York. Her lights showed that sh
pore dispatches for Rear Admira
Sampson. The commander of the Dol
pun shouted through the megaphone
have dispatches from Commodor,
Schley TO the commander-in-ch chief"
"a cheer went up from the crowded
decks of the New York Commoraor,
Schiey's dispatches were dated Ciuen
fuegos
Absolutely nothing definite can II,
said. was the reply which Clnl;ir
Chadwick. OF the New York. made tn !;
| question as to what transuirrd Sine,
ne heard of Admiral Cerver,'s arr;ya
AT curacao, Rear Admiral Sarnrso1
mas repeatedly said he believed IN,
Spin'ards would go to CienfueEos O,
Santiago De Cuba
10 prove that the American aamira
WAS almost sure the Spaniar,is wn,,d
DC caught. the following may be al
| NulSed without q breach of Influence
w hen the ships of Commodore Schlay *
"iNislun were sailing out of Key Was,
under Eear Admiral SIMPSONS orders
Ny iui'''rai set this signal to Capia,n
| phillinS. OF the 'icNaS:
! You are going to nab the Spaniards
and good luck to YOU
Since then the re". admiral has been
| t,rnss;.-e, "round as a purely precau-
iits'auIe. re thoroughly be-
iieNed Commodore Schley would hot
tie up the Spaniards either in Cienfue
sos or at Santiago De Cuba, but he
TOOK all measures to guard against n
posSlhle evasion OF Commodore
SchieS by the enemy and any attempt
TO make Havana through the eastern
or western passage. though there is hit
tie aoubt That the commodore. had he
met the Spanish ships, could have de-
feated them.
There is good reason to believe, from
strategic point of View, that more
can be gained by the Spaniaris being
bottled up in Santiago DE Cuba than in
an gagenent which. though it would
result in victory for the Americans
might have resulted i'll some danger to
our ships In the harbor of Santiago
tan s'ha,th, ensI 'tlls- 44rfe., ly aff .ft!er
De Kept Il prisoner there by by sinking
a few hulks In the channel. or either
can be destroyed by Il superior force.
II Commodore Schlcy has successful
~ accomplished his object there now
seems nothing to prevent active opera
,i"ns upon the part of the army. That
is the idea OF the best naval au1hor,-
ties. The climate in Cuba is not what
IL was n month ago, but IL is much bet
ter than 1t will be 4 mouth hence. and
before another Spanish fleet can reach
these waters, the naval authorities
nope to see our troops in possession of
II base of operations in Cuba, TIE
navy would be able to cover the land
ings OF the troops and enable the mil
lthfy forces to get ashore without him
drance.
Intense enthusiasm reiEns tonight
among the officers and men over the
news, even though 1t is not absolutely
certain of the success OF the work of
the last month. The days have passed
S1 nyI-1,-
have chafed more over the DELAY and
inactivity than those who have been
cruising In Cuban waters since the war
began. But ii Commodore Schley has
really got the Spanish fleet at Santiago
re cuba 1t is almost as complete vic
a naval engagement. The SpaniarradGsi'
policy was to avoid an encounter, and
it would have been difficult for any d.
vision of Rear Admiral Simpsons fleet
to have overhauled or captured them
But now. if they are bottled up in San
tiago De Cuba and bahled at their own
game. the future seems bright and all
that is waited for il the order to pre-
pare to protect the landing of our mil
itary forces in cuba.
Since Rear Admiral Sampson's squad
ron left Key West an intensely close
watch has been kept for the Spanish
fleet, in spite of the belief that it was
at the south of Cuba. Several false
alarms have been given, the men on
the lookout in the tops being so anx-
ious to catch sight of the Spaniards
that they would see five columns of
smoke where only one was really dis
cernable and that the smoke OF Rear
Admiral SIMPSONS own boats.
The tension was naturally great.
This was not caused by any feeling Ct
doubt as to the result of q naval en-
Il fra 6Y1l3 r.lt q nm
sons fleet has been SO active since 1t
left Key West that the Spaniards
would have been completely annihi-
lated if they had courted q fight. The
fleet as at present constituted without
Commodore Schley's command, and
without the ships actually engaged In
the blockade, forms the most power
full squadron ever gathered by the Uni
ted States navy. Then again. Commo-
dore schley's ships arc fully able to de-
feat the Spanish force under Admiral
Corvera, even under conditions favor
able to the enemy, state OF things
which is thought to exist at Santiag
De Cuba. It would be mere pastime
for the Massac husetts, Texas and
Iowa to sink the Vizcaya. Almrante
Oquendo. Cristobal Colon and Maria
Teresa ii they attempted to file out Of
the harbor.
SCHLEY LOOKING FORGERY ERA.
KEY WEST. FLA, May 27.-Part Of
| Commodore" Schley's squadron sailed
| for the West end of Cuba about noon
thursday. May 10. 1t consisted OF the
| brooklyn, Texas. Massachusetts and
| Scorpion. The advance guard OF Cora
nodore Schlcy's fleet was ut Cienfue-
Cos on Sunday. May % where IT was
| Joined by the Iowa. Eagle and vixen
and later by the Marblehead.
| Commodore Schley had an idea that
| Admiral Cerveras squadron. when is
CARRYING guns and ammunition for ma
yana. would slip into Cienfnegos, when
has railroad communication with thf
| Cuban capital. officers who have ar
rived here on dispatch boats from
Commodore schley's squadron say
there was disappointment In the iiee
when it was found the Spaniards were
not there.
! scouting in the direction of Santiag'
de- cuba and on Tuesday Of this weel
i about dusk. Commodore Schleys SQUAD
ron steamed toward that port, the ter
i r- Z