The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-10
{ \ ] R A !!
TO CONVOY
INVADERS
Great Fleet OF Sixteen War
Vessels Organized
at Key West.
INDIANA THE FLAG SHIP
Vast Flotilla of Transports
Ready to Garry Our
Army to Cuba.
NO NEWS FROM SAMPSON
Regiments at Chickamauga
Suffer Sadly from
Vaccination.
ENGLAND ON PEACE OUTLOOK.
Parliament Told That There Is No
Present Prospect of Successful
Intervention.
ENGLAND ON PEACE OUTLOOK.
Parliament Told That There Is No
Present Prospect of Successful
Intervention.

WASHINGTON, June 10, 1S9S.-Another
formidable American fleet has been as
sembled consisting of 16 warships of var
ious classes headed by the big battleship
Indiana, which for all around etreetive-
ness stands at the head of the navy.
This fleet is assembled at Port Tarlpa ard
is to serve as convoy Tor the troop
transports from that point.
The foundation of this formidable con-
voy fleet is due to the reports. more or
less indefinite. that Spanish ships Were
lurking between Florida and Cuba with a
view of intercepting the troop transports.
The Navy Department has not given
serious credit to these reports, yet hey
were more or less circumstantial.
In order to avoid the slightest possbili-
ty of a dash by some Spanish ships
against the troop transports, this new
fleet of sixteen warships was determined
upon. Whether 1t was ordered from
Washanstea,-,s ,sFsspfs ;iusszte-tEe. prseas~
tIonary measures Of the officials in com
mand IN the South is not disclosed. 1t
is known only that Commodore Remy
commander of the naval base at Key
West, has brought together this power
full fleet of conveys.
1t is strong enough both in number OF
ships, size of Individual ships and arma-
ment, to cope with any Spanish vessels
that might be at large in the West In
dies, and it entirely eliminates any pos
sibIe danger that might attend the trans
porting of the army of invasion TO Gu
ba.
Captain Taylor, who commands the In
diana, is available as commander OF this
squadron. although it is not disclosed
definitely who will be its chief Com
modore Watson is with the blockading
fleet off Havana and cannot well be
spared from that position, which will be
maintained efficiently notwithstanding
the drafts made to create this large con-
voy squadron. Captain Taylor IS re-
garded as one of the most judicicus and
capable officers In the service and should
the squadron command fal on him, it is
felt that It will be in able hands.
The Indiana probably will be flagship of
the convoy squadron. There probably
will be other battleships, but 1t is not
deemed advisable for prudential reasons
to give the full list of the ships in exact
detail. The Indiana is considered one OF
the most formidable ships afioat. zeing re-
garded by naval experts as superior as a
lighting machine to the ships of the Ter
rible class in the British. navy.
She has a displacement Of 1928 tons,
and has a main battery of sixteen large
guns. besides many smaller rapid fire and
machine guns in her secondary battery
Her largest guns are of the 13-inch class,
four in number. mounted in turrets, two
forward and two aft.
The desirability 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. This informa-
ton came to the State department. 1t
was to the effect that the ships included
three Spanish warships and one transport.
The Information was regarded as trust
worthy 1t was communicated to the
Navy Department, and led to careful con-
sideration.
A little later came the reports from the
ships off Florida that suspicious looking
vessels, with military tops, had been seen
in the distant These last reports were
received with credulity, but naval Of
sficers were disposed to dismiss them as
myths They were treated lightly and
some officials spoke of the matter as an
other case of the phantom ship, Flying
Dutchman.''
But the better advised ones knowing
of the reports as to the sailing OF Spanish
ships from Barcelona, looked upon the
matter as one which should not be dis
missed too lightly. A single troop trans
port, carrying no armor, might be at the
mercy of some stray Spanish ship, and
there was no purpose to hazard the lives
of 1900 men on any of our ships, when
reports came from two widely separated
sources, one of them quite in detail, of the
approach of Spanish ships.
While it is inexpedient to give the exact
makeup of the convoy fleet, yet some
general idea may be given OF Inc war
ships which might be drawn upon for this
service. There are number Of ships
which have been doing scout service and
others held in reserve while Commodore
Watsons large blockading heet in front
Of Havana gives another source from
which the convoy fleet can be made up.
The fine auxiliary ships, like The Yale and
Harvard, with the torpedo boats could be
used; for scout duty, their swiftness per-