The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-07-02
.CAMARAS BIG BLUFF
HAS BEEN CALLED CALLED
Commodore Watson'ss Fleet viii Be
) Ready BY The Fourth
Of July.
The VESSELS IN cANaRR's FLEET
Nothing So Formidable That Dewey
Cannot Take Care Of It
With Ease.
THE VESSELS IN CAMARA's FLEET
POSTED ON spalN's oEFENsEs
Department. Fully Posted rs 10 the
the Spanish Coast aud tho
Work Necessary to Nuke
Proper Impression.

Washington, June 29.--Thc admins
tration yesterday finally came to a de-
%scision to send an American squadron
tosthe spanishenas and into the Med
~iterranean. several times since the
war broke out rumors to this1Gtsfactf
have circulated, but the project had.
not matnrcd; it required the Spanish
movement toward the Philippines by
Camara's squadron to decide the navy
department to adopt this bold stroke.
Late in the day the detail of the YES
sells selected to constitute Commodore
Watson's eastern squadron was an
nounced and official orders We're given
to provision the fleet for four months.
Composition of Cnmnrn's Squadron
This squadron is the most formid-
able Spain has afioat, in total tonnage,
strength of individual ships, armor
and guns. The Pelayo is the strongest
of the ships and the only battlcship i'll
the Spanish navy. She is 5000 tons,
with u speed of 1877 knots. She carries
thirty-five guns Of various caliber and
has seven torpedo tubes. The largest
guns are the twelve inch Hontorias,
one forward and one aft, and eleven
inch Hontorias, n on each beam.
The Carlos v is of 5000 tons, with a
speed of 10 knots an hour. She has
twenty-eight guns, the largest being
eleven inch H%ontorias, worked electric
ally, one forward and one aft. She has
also six torpedo tubes.
The Audaz and Osada are torpedo
boat d%estroyers recently finished III
England, Just before the war began.
They are of 400 tons each and are thir-
ty knotters. Each curries six guns
and two torpedo tubes.
The Buenos Aires has been trans
formed into Il cruiser. She is $500
tons, with fourteen knot speed.
The Proserpina, Patricia and Rapido
are merchant vessels recently conycrt-
ed and armed.
The Colon, Covandonga and San
Francisco are Golfers.
AS there are only two armored ships
in the lot, Admiral Dewey's fleet of
protected but unarmorcd ships prob
ably viii take care of this squadron.
With the Monterey ndced, he could GER
tainly do so.
The eastern squadron which the
United states will now send against
Spain far outranlts this Spanish squad
ron, the Iowa and Oregon exceeding
the Pelayo and Carlos V at every point,
while the other vessels are superior,
ship for ship, to those of the Spanish
squadron, with the single exception of
the two Spanish torpedo boat destroy
erS.
Well Posted on spain's Dcfcmscs.
When the American fleet sails for
Spain it will take with it complete in
formation as to the entire stretch of
Spanish coast. with details as to
Spain's harbors and Qualifications.
The war board had this information
before it and spent u good part of the
day studying Spanish charts and forti-
fications with a view to outlining the
series of blows which are to be deliv-
cred to Spain at home. The Spanish
coast line is 2,12s kilometcrs long. of
which 769 kilometcrs is on the north
coast, while 1853 kilometers is along
the Mediterranean and the Atlantic
south coast. The coast is described by
hawai- s~trategists as abrupt and moun-
tainous, with sinuons inlets and CULTS,
resembling the boundaries of Scandi-
havia. In general, the Notifications of
the coast are relics of the medieval
greatness of Spain and many of these
lefenses are tumhling ruins.