Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-05-05

On BOARD FLAGSHIP BROOKLYN, OFF
Fort MONROE, May 5.-It is the gen
eral expectation here that the flying
squadron will go to sea within "a hours.
or as soon as the cruiser New Orleans
arrives. Commodore Schley has been
notified that the cruiser Columbia has
been detached from the squadron and
that the New Orleans will take her
place. So far as fighting ability is con-
cerned the New Orleans is superior to
the Columbia, being more heavily
armed and without SO much freeboard
and upper works to act as target,
The squadron ss now constituted
will consist of the Massachusetts, first
class battleship; Texas, second class
battleship; Brooklyn, armored cruiser;
New Orleans, of the type of the Raleigh
and Cincinnati, and the Scorpion, a
fast armored yacht with four 5-inch and
four 6-pounder guns.
The Minneapolis has not yet been
officially detached and may yet join the
squadron The squadron is now ac-
companied by first-class tug for dis
patch and water purposes, and the col
Eer Sterling On the ships fire and col
nsion drills were gone through with in
remarkable shape. On the Brooklyn
the two score of hose connections were
made and the tarpaulins spread in less
than minute and a quarter, while
water was ready to be let into the mag
azines. During the collision drill the
watertight compartments were closed
and the mat to cover break in the hull
prepared for use in less than two min
utes.
Lieutenant Commander Daniel Del
hanty. who is to command the Suwanee,
arrived here. The men on the squad
ron are very anxious to hear the particu-
lars of Dewey's victory at Manila and
to what extent the squadron suffered.
KEY WEST, May 5.--Admiral Samp-
sons fleet has left here after coaling.
and it is believed here that decisive
movement of some sort is to be made
by it Immediately. Some think a por-
ton of the fleet will be sent to meet the
Oregon and Marietta, which may be
threatened by the Spanish fleet that
sailed recently from ST. Vincent, Cape
Verde islands. Another view that finds
favor is that Porto Rico is to be the next
point of American attack, the object
being to take possession Of the island
and it's ports, and thus prevent it's be-
coming base of supplies for the Span
ish feet.
Still another, and the favorite view,
is that the war board has decided
Spain S fleet from Cape Verde must be
met and conquered before any landing
can be made in Cuba, and that Adj
miral Sampson will sail to meet it and
give it the same sort of a dose as Ad-
miral Dewey gave the Spanish fleet and
forts at Manila.
WASHINGTON, May ga sensation
was caused throughout the city by the
news that came of the arrival of a YES
sci supposed to be the dispatch boat Nc
Culloch at Mrs bay, 40 miles from
Hongkong, the cable terminus. The
officials Immediately fell into an air of
expectancy waiting for some word from
Admiral Dewey that would not only
confirm officially the stirring news of
the battle of Manila, as reported by the
press, but telling what had happened
since the cable was interrupted. No
word has come from Hongkong, and the
officials who believe that the McCul-
loch was really in Mrs bay were put to
deyising ingenious explanations of the
delay IN the receipt of a cablegram.
These touched upon the I2 hours differ
ence in time, the distance from Mrs
bay to Hongkong which had to be over
come by the messenger and the slow
ness of cable communication owing to
tho nnrnber of relays on the euor1nnIsip