The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-28
SPAIN'S SLIPPERY SQUADRON.
sCHLEY SENDS DISPATCHES FROM
CIENFUEGOS TO SAMPSON.

"AbsOlutely Nothing Definite Can BE
Said" the Reply Made When Capt.
Chadwick of the New York Was
Asked What They COntnined-The
! Admiral Sure the Spaniards Would
BE Bottled Up When schIey Left
Key West.
Copyright, 1885, by the Associated Press.
| Off the Northern Coast of Cuba, May q,
2 a. m, via Key West, Fla, May H.-At
| 10 o'clock last night The Dolphin ran
| alongside the flagship New York Her
lights showed that she bore dispatches for
Rear Admiral Sampson.
The commander of the Dolphin shouted
through the megaphone: Il have dis
patches from Commodore schley to ths
| commander-in-chief."
A cheer went up from the crowded decks
of the New York.
Commodore schleys dispatches were
! dated off Cienfuegos.
Absolutely nothing can be said" was
| the reply which Capt Chadwick of the
| New York made to a question as to what
had transpired.
Since he heard of Admiral Cervera's ar
rival at Curacao, Rear Admiral Sampson
has repeatedly said he believed the Span
iards would go to Cienfuegos or Santiago
de Cuba
To prove that the American admiral
was almost sure the spaniards would be
caught, The following may be divulgol
without a breach of confidence:
When the ships of Commodore Schley's
| division up Of Z
der Rear Admiral Sampson's orders. the
admiral sent this signal to Capt Philips
of the Texas: You are going to nab the
! Spaniards, and good luck to you"
Since then the rear admiral has been
cruising around as a purely precautionary
measure. He thoroughly believed Commo-
dore Schley would bottle up the Spaniards
| either in Cienfuegos or at Santiago de
| Cuba; but he took all measure to guard
against a possible evasion of Commodore
Schley by the enemy and any attempt to
make Havana through the eastern or
western passage, though there is little
doubt that the commodore, had he met the
Spanish ships, could have defeated them
There is good reason TO believe, from a
strategic point of view, that more can be
gained by the Spaniards being bottled up
iii Santiago de Cuba than in an engage
ment which, though it would result in q
victory for the Americans, might have re-
suited In some damage to our ships
In the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, the
Spanish feet is helpless. The channel lead
ing into the harbor is narrow and the ere
my can either be kept a prisoner by sink
can be destroyed by superior force.
If Commodore Schley has successfully
accomplished his object there now seems
nothing to prevent active operations upon
the part of the army. That is the idea Of
the best naval authorities
The climate in Cuba is not what it was
a month ago, but it is much better than it
viii be a month hence, and before anothe r
Spanish feet can reach these waters, the
naval authorities hope to see our troops in
possession of a base of operations in Cuba
The navy would be able to cover the land
ings of the troops and enable the military
forces to get ashore without hindrance.
Intense enthusiasm regns tonight
among the officers and men over the news.
even though it Is not absolutely certain,
of the success Of the work of the Lass
month. The days have passed slowly and
wearily, and no persons have chafed more
over tue ueldy ana inactivity tnan those
who have been cruising in Cuban waters
since the war began.
But if Commodore Schley has really gol
the Spanish fleet at Santiago de Cuba. il
is almost as complete victory as could
have been expected from a naval engage
ment. The Spaniards' policy was 10 avoid
an encounter and it would have been DIFF
hcult for any division of Rear Admiral
Simpsons fleet to have overhauled or cap
tured them.
But now, If they are bottled up in San
tiago de Cuba and baffied at their own
game, the future seems bright and all that
is waited for is the order to prepare 20
protect the landing of our military forces
in Cuba.
Since Rear Admiral SIMPSONS squadron
left Key West, an intensely close watch
has been kept for the Spanish fleet in
spite of the belief thai IL was at the south
of Cuba. Several false alarms have been
given. the men on the lookout in the tops
being so anxious to catch sight of the
Spanlards that they would see five col
umns of smoke where only one was really
| discernible, and that the smoke of one
Of Read Admiral SIMPSONS own boats
The tension was naturally great This
was not caused by any feeling of doubt
as to the result of a naval engagement.
for Rear Admiral Simpsons feet has been
so active since it left Key West that the
Spaniards would have been completely an
initiated If they had courted a fight.
The feet as at present constituted with
out Commodore Schley's command and
without the ships actually engaged in the
blockade, forms the most powerful squad
ron ever gathered by the United States
navy.
Then, again, Commodore Schley's ships
are fully able to defeat the Spanish force
under Admiral Cervera even under condl-
tions favorable 10 the enemy, a state OF
things which IS thought to exist at Santa
go de Cuba. 1t would be pastime for the
| Massachusetts,. Texas and Iowa to sink
the Vizcaya. Almirante Oquendo. Cristo-
bal Colon and Maria Teresa, If they at
tempted to file out of the harbor.
sCHLEYS SQUADRON.