New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-11
SPANS "SPOOK SQUADRON.
FEARS OF THE NAVY DEPARTMENT
NOT ENTIRELY GROUNDLESS.
WHY THE SAILING OF TRANSPORTS FROM
TAMPA FOR SANTIAGO WAS DELAYED.


fBY TELEGRAPH TO rRrBuSEl
Washington Oct 10.-Al the facts about the
famous "spook" Spanish squadron that caused
so much alarm Just before General Shafter lett
Tampa came out at the Navy Department TO-
day proving that the fears were not altogether
groundless. and that the departure OF large
feet Of unarmed transports for Santiago JUST a'
that time might have resulted in a deplorable
catastrophe. Up TO this time there has been
a disposition in the Navy to be reticent about
the details OF this incident due to the rigid reg
ulations still in force against giving publicity
to war operations but the announcement by war
Department authorities that the alleged ds-
covery of part of Cerveras squadron near the
Florida coast contributed largely TO embarrass
the Army, causing tedious delay whiie the
men were packed in transports. and therepy
adding greatly to the difficulties Of the Santiago
campaign has removed the injunction OF secrecy
so far as it affects this particular matter.
General shafter was ordered to Santiago on
May 80 On June T. according to his report ne
received additional orders ito sail without de-
lay but not with less than ten thousand nei'
Several days later he was directed 10 ueiay
until further orders, after some OF his shlps hau
reached the lower bay. This delay ne says
was occasoned by the Navy reporting that
! Spanish NeSSel
Nicholas Channel The ships in the lower bay
were Immediately recalled. on the next day. J"
compliance with instructions from the Adjutan'-
! General of the Army the necessary steps were
| taken 10 increase the command TO the fun ca
pacity of the transports, and the expeditioh
! sailed June IA with S1J officers and l6O'Z en-
listed men,
! General Shafter placed no blame on the Navy
for the delay, but was enabled TO take au'
vantage Of the four days lost by materialy III
| creasng his forces. At the time. however more
or less good natured fun was poked at 'he 4'"''
| for the supposed false alarm. The oTa'esS
Board at first doubted the accuracy or the re-
port that the Spaniards were lying IN walt ioi
the transports or that any considerable porlion
/ Of Cervera's fleet on the way 10 a''a0N
Tampa but the Army placed the greatest re-
lance on it. and was disposed to oeheVe the
widest reports about the feet that were 'eie-
| graphed to Western newspapers.
SPANISH VESSELS IN BAHAMA CHANNEL
II now appears that the Strategy Board ano
others made the mistake Of jumping at the con-
! cusion that the vessels were reported rs Ce'-
vera's but there is no longer any DOUBT that
SPANISH vessels were In the Bahama Channei on
the night OF JIne T. and that Lieutenant
| Switzerland. of the Eagle. who reported theni'
would have been derelict In his duty II ne nad
not given the information TO the Navy Depart
! n,ent That night the Eagle commanded by
Lieutenant Southerland. was cruising in the
Nicholas Channel, off the north coast OF |uoa'
north OF sagua la Grande. At p. m. white
light was seen bearing north northwest. The
Eagle headed for It, but about the same time the
light disappeared After running some time
without seeing anything. the chase was aoan-
doned. At about 9.45 o'clock light was seen
bearing north by east half east
Again the Eagle started in chase and maze
the private night signal, displaying II for TWO
| minutes, during which time the light dlsap-
peared and only the vessels hull could oe maze
out No answer made to this signal rive
or ten minutes later the Eagle repeated the
night signal and received no reply Finally the
chase dsplayed a white light. and was immedi-
| otelv answered by the display Of other white
lights about equal distances astern and TO the
westward The Eagle. in the mean time nav
| ing APPROACHED at full speed could make out
four vessels, two large onee. The Eagle steamed
| within q mile of these vessels for over half an
hour In the interval the vessels could be plain
| " made out in the moonlight The TACT thaI
the night signals were not answered ana 'he
! presence of white stern lights all went 10 prove
| tho vessels probably to be enemies. The Eagle
|
Eev West One of the vessels was reported in
chase. bur this could not be seen from the deck
Shortly after the Eagles arrival at Key West
the Resolute arrived there. and reported having
been chased by four vessels a short time after
the Eagle ett tie channel.
FOUR SHIPS PLAINLY SEEN.
Every man Of the sixty in the crew Of the
Eagle saw the four vessels in the moonlight.
even their rig being plainly visible. IL was
recognized at once that they were not American
naval vessels either regular or auxiliary, ana II
was well known that no other vessels were in
those waters during the war. The officers OF the
Eagle never thought they were Cervera's ships
Tbev made out vessel which looked like the
! Alfonso XIII and another which appeared to be
| a tornedo-destroyer presumably the Terror. Both
those vessels had been in San Juan de Porto
Rico n few weeks earlier. and Lieutenant South
erland conjectured that they had slipped away
from, there and were lying in wait for small
American auxillaries by night going into Cuban
| hat bors In the daytime. The other vessels ap-
| reared to be gunboats of the type used by Spain
| in Cuban waters. The Eagle promptly proceeded
TO Key West and reported the occurrence 70
! Commodore Remey, who telegraphed briefly 10
the NAVY Department about II. Commodore
| Remey's economical telegram permitted the I'm.
preston to arise that the fleet reported was or
! formidable proportions perhaps Cerveras, and
| for a day or two this impression became more
exaggerated especially in the Army, until scouts
| which were sent out failed 10 find any further
traces OF the Spaniards Then the Shafter ex-
! pedition which had been mate ally increased IN
| numbers permitted to san with an aug
| mented convoy OF warships
SURE THEY WERE SPANISH GUNBOATs.
Naval officers are convinced to-day that the
four vessels sighted by the Eagle and the Reso-
lute were Spanish gunboats taking advantage
OF the darkness and Of the knowledge that all
the heavier and speedier ships OF Simpsons
and Schleys squadrons were around on the
south coast looking for Cervera, TO go from
one Cuban port to another or lie In wait Tor
transports They expect TO confirm this belief