The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-04-28

Washington. April 2S.--The war sit
uation ID substantially this: The block
aiding squadron remains passive befor,
Havana, with no present purpose o
bombardlng, or Of drawing the fire o.
the shore batteries. The strategic pur
pose Of effective blockade Of the Cubar
capital Is being accomplished to the en-
tire satisfaction of the authorities here
There Ia no indication that part of tn,
fleet will be withdrawn for the purpost
of affording additional protection t.
north Atlantic ports. As to the re
ports Of the trnminence of a naval bat
tie of the Philippine islands the nava
authorities here seriously doubt
whether the Spanish fleet will make q
stand against the American ships
Their reason for this belief is thai
the Spanish fleet is very inferior ir
number and quality to the American
force under Commodore Dewey. The
department, therefore, is satisfied tina
the Spanish fleet will not go to DO bat
tie on the high seas with Admirn
Dewey. but will remain in port to Sc
cure the protection of the batteries OF
Manila, and are not expecting an Ell
sagement for about two days.
No Certainty OF an Engagement.
There IL no certainty that there will
be an engagement at all in the lmme-
dlatc future, the main purpose of the
expedition being to SEIZE and hold some
suitable Spanish territory in the Phil
ippines as a base of operations In
10 b. a =,
can be done without attacking the other
at ALL by seizing a suitable port on
some adjacent Island, without fortif-
cations, the sympathy Of whose inhab-
itants are towards the insurgents.
No word has come to the department
of the arrival Of the Spanish troopship
MOntserret at Cienfuegos. The Of
ficials are inclined to believe that if
She has gotten in that port she did so
before the blockade Of Clenfuegos had
begun. The press dispatch stated that
she carried 1000 soldiers, $500 900 in
specie and ls big guns.
The very fact that the Madrid Of
ficials have rather ostentatiously de-
clared that the Spanish fleet has sailed
to lombard the cities on the north At
lanttc coast is taken as a certain ind-
cation at the navy department of the
utter lmprobability of such a move
ment. If this were contemplated the
Spanish officials would be the very last
TO make their purpose public.
Some veXation is felt at the navy de-
partInent al the injury sustained by the
torpedo boat Gushing. 1t is said that
this is the first serious breakdown she
has suffered in the nine years Of her
service. Luckily the department will
pc able to replace her very shortly, for
President Malster, of the Columbian
iron works, announces that the tor
pedo boat Mckee, a 20 knotter, Is ready
for trial today. She will be sent at
once to Norfolk to have the finishing
touches added, and then will join the
squadron.
The Gushing is on her way north
from the blockading squadron of Ad-
miral Sampson, off Havana, in order
that repairs may be made to her STAR
board engine, which is wrecked az the
result, IL Is said, of an attempt to show
off her fine qualities by Naval Cadet
Boyd, who was temporarily in charge
Of her. The repairs 1t is expected
will take about MONTH and probably
Will be done at the Norfolk navy yard. |
1t is said that the vessel has had no |
encounter Of any sort with the Spanish. |
and that there Is nothing in reports
current thet the Spanish gunboat Ii
gsria had fred at and hit her
Aubnn Campaign May BE Delayed.
In the war department there Is
growing boIief thsk the campaign In
Cuba will not be In full swing before
next fall, when the rainy season has
ended. That BELIEF however has not
prevented the officers whose duty 1t Is