The San Francisco call., 1898-07-01

The Navy Department, at the instance of the Naval War Board, is making all preparations to provide the fleet with annT1lA suPPly- of coal and 1resh meats, vegetables and ice. The depart ment has been informed that Rear Ad- miral Sampson and Commodore. Watson are arranging the details of the forma- tion of the Eastern squadron, and it is known that Sampson is anxious that Cervera's fleet shall be destroyed before any other operations are attempted. But the necessity of overtaking Ca mara's force, if possible, is so pressing that the authorities are anxious to dis patch the Eastern squadron after him as promptly as possible. The advan- tage the American squadron will have in making the trip Is it's ample supply of coal. Each vessel will nrobably take on at Newport New1,. supply sufficient to take it to the Balearic Islands or some other Spanish possession on the other side of the Atlantic, one of which will be seized, and under it's lee the men-of-war will take 7400 tons from colliers, leaving in the holds of the lat ter vessels more than 5000 tons.
 You can depend upon it," said an official with whom I talked to-day, "an attack upon the Spanish coast, if 1t is made, will only be in the nature of diversion. The serious business before Commodore Watson's command is the capture or destruction of Admiral Ca mara's fleet"
 In accordance with instructions to her commanding officer, Captain c. F. Goodrich, the auxiliary cruiser St. Louis is now on her way north to re- ceive armament, which will make her the equal of the St. Paul. It has not yet been definitely determined whether to make the necessary alterations at Philadelphia or Newport News, but the former point will probably be selected for the reason the materials have been collected at Cramps ship yard. The Yale and Harvard are now serving as troopships and may be required to con- tinue this duty until the troops now operating against Santiago are trans ported to Porto Rico. It is the inten- ton, however, that ultimately the four American liners will be attached to squadron which will include a couple of armor clads and a protected cruiser, and which may be sent to Spain to harass the enemys commerce and pick up any gunboats and torpedo boats which may attempt an attack, leaving to Commodore Watson's squadron the work of following Camara's squadron and destroying it, provided 1t should escape Rear Admiral Dewey. The St. Louis, St. Paul, Yale and Harvard, by reason of their large steaming rad'i and ability to store an immense amount of 44aa1 lNo rc% fIaa oJes t% tach to squadron which it was desired to keep at sea for a long time, as will be necessary in operations against the Spanish coast.
 WASHINGTON, June 30.-It was an- nounced at the Navy Department this afternoon that the Spanish Cadiz squadron had paid the heavy Suez canal tolls and was about to proceed eastward through the canal. This statement was probably erroneous in view of the later reports 60 the press indicating that the Spanish vessels were stopping for repairs. The ad- vices only hastened preparations mak- ing for the departure of Commodore Watson's eastward squadron. The commodore has reported to the Navy Department his arrival off Santiago and Is in consultation with Admiral Sampson respecting the details of the cruise. which 1t is expected Will occupy four months, provided the war endures that length of time. The delay to which the Spaniards areE subject at Port Said will rebound very greatly to the advantage of Admiral Dewey if Camara is still in reality bound for the Philippines, for the insure the arrival of almost the whole of General Mer- ritt's military forces and almost cer- tainly of the cruiser Charleston and the monitors Monterey and Monadnock be- fore the spanish squadron could reach Manila harbor.