Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-10
TO PROTECT TROOPS
Assembling Of a Fleet at Port
Tampa.
WILL TAKE TRANSPORTS TO SANTIAGO
The Indiana Likely to Be the
Flagship.
FULL LIST OF TRANSPORTS

day was that another formidable American
fleet has bael assembled, consisting of six
teen warships of various classes, headed by
the big battle ship Indiana, which for all
round effectiveness stands at the head of
the navy. This fleet is assembled at Port
Tampa, and is to serve as a convoy for the
troop transports from that point. The for
nation of this formidable convoy fleet Is
due to the reports more or less indefinite,
that Spanish ships are lurking between
Florida and Cuba with view of intercept
ing the troop transports. The Navy De-
rartment has not given serious credit to
these reports, yet they are more or less cir
cumstantial. In order to avoid the slight
est possibility of a dash by some Spanish
ships against the transports, this new fleet
of sixteen warships was determined upon
Whether it was ordered from Washington,
or was due to the precautionary measures
of the officials in command in the south, Is
not disclosed 1t is known only that Com
modore Remey, commander of the naval
base at Key West, has brought together
this powerful fleet of conveys. 1t is strong
enough. both in number of ships, size of
individual ships and armament to cope with
any Spanish vessels that may be at large
in the West Indies. and it entirely elmin-
ates any possible danger that might attend
the transporting of the army Of invasion to
Cuba. Capt. Taylor, who commands the
Indiana, is available as commander of this
squadron, although it is not disclosed defin-
itely who will be in command. Commodore
Watson is with the blockading fleet off Ha-
vana and cannot well be spared from that
position, which will be maintained efficient
ly Notwithstanding the drafts made to Gre
ate this large convoy squadron. Capt. Tay-
Tor is regarded as one of the most judcious
and capable officers in the service, and
should the squadron command fall upon
him. it is felt that it will be in capable
hands. The Indiana will probably be flag
ship of the convoy squadron
There probably will be other battleships,
but it is not deemed advisable. for pruden-
tial reasons, to give the full list of the
ships in exact detail The Indiana is con-
sidered one of the most formidable ships
afioat, being regarded by naval expert as
superior as a fighting machine to the ships
of the terrible class in the British navy.
She has a displacement of 1O2SS tons, and
has n main battery of sixteen large guns
besides many smaller rapid-fire and ma
chine guns in her secondary battery. Her
largest guns are of the 13-inch type, four in
u
and two aft
The Spanish Fleet.
The desirabilty of forming this fleet was
suggested by the information coming
through official channels. that Spanish ships
left Barcelona some days ago. bound for
Cuban waters. probably Havana This in
formation came to the State Department
from an agent at Barcelona. 1t was to the
effect that the fleet included three Spanish
warships and one transport. The informa-
ton was regarded as trustworthy. 1t was
communicated to the Navy Department,
and led to careful consideration. A little
later came the reports from the ships off
Florida that suspicious-lo looking vessels
with military tops, had been seen in the
oft1ng- These last reports were received
with some credulity, but naval officers we're
disposed to dismiss them as MYTHS They
We're treated lightly, and some officials
spoke of the matter as another case of the
phantom ship Flying Dutchman" But
the better advised ones, knowing OF the re-
ports, as to the sailing of Spanish ships
from Barcelona, looked upon the matter as
one which should not be dismissed too
lightly. A single troop transport carrying
no armament, might be at the mercy of
some stray Spanish ship, and there was no
,Du
any of the transports, when reports came
from two widely separated sources, one of
them quite in detail, of the approach of
Spanish ships.
Ships That Might BE Used.
While it is inexpedent to give the exact
makeup of the convoy fleet, yet some
general idea may be given of the warships
which might be drawn upon for this serv-
of
have been doing scout duty and others
held IN reserve, while Commodore Watson's
large blockading fleet in front Of Havana
gives another source from which the con-
voy fleet can be recruited. Fine auxiliary
ships, like the Yale and Harvard with the
torpedo boats can be used for scout duty,
their swiftness permitting them to go far
ahead pickets to watch for hostile fleet.
The smaller cruisers and gunboats are also
available. Some of the ships which can be
used with the Indiana are the Helena, Ban
croft. Marietta, Newport, Wilmington, Cas-
tine, Cincinnati, Detroit, Montgomery, An
napolis, Vicksburg Ericsson, Dupont, Cush-
ing and Foote. AS stated, there is no de-
sire to give this rs an exact list of the con-
voy squadron, but it merely indicates with
what facility the naval authorities can
meet present conditions, without in any
way weakening Admiral SIMPSONS COM
mand off Santiago or Commodore Watson's
command off Havana. Admiral Sampson
will still have ten or more ships, including
four formidable battle ships, Iowa, Massa-
chusetts, Texas and Oregon, and the Or
n:Cred cruisers New York and Brooklyn.
The Dlockading squadron will continue to
have twelve or more ships, including the
four big monitors, Puritan. Terror, Am
phitrite and Miantonomoh
The Transports.
Besides the fleet of sixteen convoy ves-
sells, there will be from thirty to fifty
transport ships, making in all a remarkable
fotilla of transports end naval conveys.
The War Department today gave out an
official list of the transport ships thus far
hired, in order to clear up erroneous re-
ports. The list shows fifty ships chartered
along the Atlantic coast and ten on the
Pacific. Those along the Atlantic will be
used In the main for embarking troops
from Florida and those on the Pacific for
the troops going to Manila. The official
list of ships is as follows.
New York and Texas Steamship Com