The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-22

Key west, May ~, VIA JackSOnNllle,
May 81, delayed in transmission. ITO
night sees the close of the most intense
ly anxious and most vexatious day that
Key West has known since the war be-
gan. Everything indicated the proxim-
ity of a big naval battle, but with ar
unseen foe, who may appear at any one
of several points, and possibly strike a
blow and get away before a force can
be raised to offset them. Daybreak
found Schley's squadron, which sailed
from Hampton Roads on Friday, an
chored off Sand Key lighthouse, six
miles below Key West. They had Joined
Captain Sigsbee's big greyhound, the ST.
Paul., which, leaving the Roads a day
later han they had, beat them here al
most a day and a half. Admiral Samp-
sons fleet arrived here at 5 y. m. All
this was interesting enough, but not a
word of it was allowed to pass the GEN.
sor's office.
Every naval officer shore was on the
alert for riders to hurry aboard his
ship. Such last night was the fate of
the men from the Bancroft, Castine,
Helena and Wilmington. The hurry or
ders' reached them about $50. Where
the small fleet went is still a mystery;
the most plausible theory advanced to
account for the quick departure was
that they were to form a second line of
scouts to the southwest of where the
Cincinnati and Vesuvius are supposed to
be watching the narrows of Yucatan
channel. These two vessels moved
quickly out Thursday morning and dis
appeared at a leisurely pace to the
southwest.
Meantime, according to the best in
formation here, the fleet Of seven Span
ish ships. probably including the Viz
| caya, Oquendo. Cristobal Colon. Maria
Teresa and three destroyers. has been
moving west along the southern shore
of the Caribbean sea. Later reports
| from Mole st. Nicholas, Cape Haytien
and other points, make it seem prob
able that a second section of the squa-
| dron, probably including h Cardinal
Cisneros, the Pelayo and the Christina
Regenta. are following in the wake of
the first. By keeping to the south
shore of the Caribbean the Spaniards
avoided any chance encounter with
Sampson off Porto Rico. and IL they
were furnished news at cable points of
the state of the Cuban blockade, espe-
ciaIiy at Cienfuegos, it showed a
tempting chance to make a dash across
at the south Cuban coast and wipe out
the light vessels there. This done,
they could GAL and proceed around
the west end of the island about 500
miles to Havana. If, as is generally
supposed here. il is the ultimate desti-
nation. From the fact that no such
attack has yet been reported, ii is in
ferred that the fleet is still holding its
course west. Old pilots here say that
a big squadron of warships might be
easily worked west and north just out
side the fringe of keys on the Mosquito
coast without danger of discovery be-
fore they emerged from the north end
of the Yucatan channel.
From this point they would be almost
equidistant from Key West and Ha-
vana. not 800 miles either way. II their
object was to break the ava block
ade. they could do it easily if they ar
rived before Schley or Sampson.
The feeling here tonight lis that the
naval battle of the war may be fought
in As hours, and probably between Key
West and the North Cuban coast.
Everything is at high tension and both
officers and crew are looking for a dis
patch boat tearing up the channel at
any hour with the news hat the hostile
feet has been sighted within striking
distance Of Key West or Havana. 1t is
impossible to forecast the movements
of either Sampson or Schley. but the
supposition among naval men is that
orders from Washington will direct a
redistribution of the vessels. forming
a new flying squadron to make a quick
roundup of the West Cuban coast.
perhaps as far around as Cienfuegos
on the south. leaving a sufficient guard
of heavy vessels at Key West and