The times., 1898-05-27
SAMPSON FORESAW VICTORY
Congratulated sohIey I'm Advance as
He Left Key West.

New York May 26.-The Herald prints
the following graphic description of the
assembling and departure of the Ameri-
can squadrons at Key West last week.
II congratulate you in advance. / be
lieye you are going TO meet and defeat
the Spaniards.
Those were the words that futtered
from the flagship New York last Thurs
day night when a squadron of the nneSt
ships of the American Navy sailed out
from her toward Cuba. The words were
the farewell of Admiral Sampson to Com
modore Schley, who went away strength
ened for what naval men tell me viii be
one of the final events of the war-the de-
struction of the Spanish fleet, which Is
reported to be in harbor at Cienfuegos or
Santiago, on the southern coast of Cuba.
Mystery and activity. movements OF
tremendous Importance. have occupied
the last four or five days here. The out
side world has heard nothing OF it, be-
cause not a word can go from Key west
about the coming and going of warsnlps-
The censorship is of the stricteSt But
today | am able TO tell of doings tnat
may decide the fate of the war Ior the
United States-perhaps before this de-
spatch is printed.
of Sand Key Light last Wednesday the
fleet st. Paul was sighted steaming at top
speed and soon from her masthead she
flung signals for coal in a hurry. A sig
nal ship took her message, and sent II 10
another nearer Key West Then 1t was
transmitted 10 Commodore Remy, IN
charge of the base of naval supplies mere,
and i'm an hour the former American lin
er was taking on fuel at a rate that sur
prised even the veterans along the piers
In the offing little while later another
ship appeared and the beautiful Brook
lyn. working her engines at top speed,
came bounding TO an anchorage. Sne, 700
wanted coal and got ii. After -her came
the Texas and the Massachusetts, guard
ing between them the Scorpion. These
were the ships of the flying squadron that
left Hampton Roads Monday
None then knew where they were go
ing. No dispatches telling of their sud
den arrival here and rapid coaling were
allowed to pass the censor. There was
only the superstition that they were off
TO join the admiral after his lombard
ment of San Juan and his unsuccessful
search for the fleet OF Spain that sailed
from the Cape Verde Islands
Commodore SchIey came ashore on the
Scorpion. which is the dispatch boat of
MS squadron He talked for a while with
commodore Remy. and In a short time
thousands Of tons of coal were being
poured into the bunkers of his yarshtns
Scarcely had the excitement attan5frc,
TINS naval surprise died away when the
New YORK brought Admiral Sampson in
Iar ahead OF the other vessels of his feet
ihe flagship bore marks which showed
that she paid a small percentage TO vic
tory. but she needed no repairs before po
ing out for another.
She began to coal at once and rapidIy.
Inc admiral, though. was impatient. He
sent an order to the Dupont. and soon the
little torpedo boat went out to sea 10 hur-
ry in the laggards.
The Dupont found first the battleship
Iowa almost of Lobos Key. in the old
Bahama channel. Fighting Bob's" shin
was doing double duty in furtherance of
orders TO be speedy. and was helping in
her unwieldy steaming companion. the
monitor Amphitrite.
When the Dupont sent TO the Iowa the
orders of the admiral the monitor was
cast off to care for herself and the bat
tleship plowed in here at an average speed
OF fifteen and half knots. With her
coming ended the surprises of Wednesday.
Another one came Thursday morning
and still another before the day was
done.
The Indiana came in soon after dawn.
The monitors Terror and Amphitrite were
companions in arrival
Then Key West saw a sight of which
United States Navy lay in its harbor.
But it was not for long. When the last
of SIMPSONS ships dropped anchor the
first of Schleys squadron set her forefoot
toward the Cuban coast and away she
went leading the others, including the
two big battleships.
Nobody knew where they were going,
but it was supposed that the swift piece
Of naval strategy given to them for execu-
81. E.NT- IL
Spanish fleet had left Curacao and had
gone either to Cienfuegos or Santiago
PrOudest of all those who sailed with
Schley was Fighting Bob" Evans. So
eager was he to get away that he person
ally superintendent the taking on of coal
although one of his arms had been crush
ed at the time of his ships arrival by the
falling of a battle hatch. He suffered in
tense pain. but he had the Iowa of the
minute the signal to start was given and
he received his orders 10 join the flying
squadron.
More and more increased the activity
in the harbor. Commerce was forced
from the shore by the preparations for
battle. Smaller Ships-auxiliary cruisers
tugs. dispatch boats-crowded in TO coal
and forced peaceful craft to get AWAY
from the coaling piers. The MONTGOMERY
and the Detroit. of Sampson's fleet
SlSdiitu III LOT COdl ana after them can't
the Nashville and Marblehead the cabIs
cutters of Cienfuegos.
Jackies had night ashore to quarrel
among themselves as preliminary train
ing for conflict with the Spaniards when
a ships bunkers were full away She
went, never waiting for a companion and
nearly all of SIMPSONS vessels had gone
by Saturday night
l understand that to Commodore scbIev
has been assigned the task of defeatine
the Spanish fleet and that Admiral SamD-
son will turn his guns on Havana as soon
as the commodore reports victory. II
is possible. too. L am told, that the fight
and bombardment may ocur at the same
time.
Real war. in any event. seems to he in
the immediate plan, and that idea is
strengthened by the departure from here
Friday night of five transport ships II
is supposed that they went to Tampa
Mobile and New Orleans to take on
troops for Cuba.
The sending of supplies to the insurg-
ents has been stopped pending the resuit
of the movement of the fleets.
THE WEJRT OF oTn acr