The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-05-18
A DECISIVE BLOW.
Admiral Sampson May be Able
to Strike One.
He Hsres te Meet the Cape Verde Fleet
Near Cienfuegos, Cuba, and Compel the
Dons to Give eBattle-BlancO's Am
munition Supply is Said to
be Almost Exhausted.

Washington, May 17.-It is said at
the navy department that Admiral
Sampson reported at the navy depart
ment Monday by cable from Cape Hay
ten. 1t is understood that the admi-
raj by reason of information just re-
ceived by him has changed his plans OF
operations and instead of going to Key
West has directed his vessels towards
Cienfuegos.
Intimations have been received here
that Gen. Blanco is very short OF am
munition, in which case the powerful
batteries at the entrance of Havana
harbor of course would be deprived OF
large part of their defensive strength.
This state of affairs may lead to some
desperate attempts at blockade run
ming on the part of the Spaniards, in
the hope of getting more ammunition
into Havana. 1t is believed that the
supplies so frequently referred to as
being on the Spanish flying squadron
are of this character, rather than food
supplies, which make it all the more
important that Sampson and Schley
should succeed in keeping Admiral
Cervera from reaching Havana, Glen
fuegos, or any port in Cuba connected
with Havana by rail.
Commodore Schley probably is well
down on the Florida coast now and
should be able to guard the Florida
straits. His appearance on that side
of Cuba would enable Sampson to bring
his ironclads with perfect safety into
Cienfuegos on the south side, and with
this disposition of our naval force and
the free use of considerable number
of our scouting vessels, it is hard to
see how the Spanish feet can escape
from the Gulf of Mexico or the Carib-
bean sea. ...
The navy department takes with
great allowance the report that the
Spanish have succeeded in sending
second squadron, under Admiral Villa
mil, to the West Indies, and that it is
also off Martinique. Even if the al
legged information did not bear the sus-
pfcious earmark of Madrid date, the
department would not be surprised to
hear that Admiral Villamil, as well as
Admiral Cervera, was with the Spanish
force in the Caribbean sea. The fact
that the report came from Madrid sat
isles the officials here that this is an
other Spanish ruse to center our atten-
tion on Martinique while their ships
have passed westward.
The report has it that Admiral Villa
mil has with him the cruisers Cisneros,
Catalina and Princess de Asturias. 1t
| is known, however, that Villamil is
not the admiral of these ships, and
| that at least one of them, the Cisneros,
is on the other side of the water.
| 1t is also known that Admiral Villamil
is subordinate to Admiral Cervera,
his duties being to command the tor
pedo destroyers attached to the first
Spanish squadron. There is little
doubt, therefore, that the report is true
so far as stating that Villamil has ar
rived with his feet at Martinique, but
it is merely the torpedo adjunct to the
main fleet and was reported when the
feet first appeared.
New York, May 17.-The Posts Key
West special says: 1.-THE blockaders
on the south coast of Cuba have been
warned that the Spanish squadron is
reported off Venezuela, bound north
west, and to double their vigilance.
Powerful vessels will be ready to aid
the ships stationed there in resisting
the progress of the enemy, and there
is small chance that the Spanish will
be able to enter Cienfuegos."
Curacao, May 17.-The Spanish
squadron under Admiral Cervera
which left Sunday evening after the
cruisers Vizcaya and Infanta Maria
Teresa had taken on about 700 tons o.
coal and great quantity of provisions
was not sighted yesterday. When the
squadron disappeared it was going
westward.
London, May 17.-The Mail says: Ac
cording to the most trustworthy infor
nation the Spanish cruisers Cardina
Cisneros, Princess Asturias and Cata
luna are not yet ready for sea ant
therefore cannot have arrived at Mar
|