Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1898-05-26
SPA|NS FLEET N A TRAP.
ADMIRAL Cervera Enters the Bay At
Santiago de Cuba with
His Squadron.
the PLACE A vtnITiBIe RAT TRAP.


" AsiiiNSroN, MAY i-Au of the
news that was given out Yesterday at
the navy department was compris..d n
the one short bulletin posted Mt tho
close of the day stating that the de-
paftuent had information. believed tn
be authentic, that Admiral C.rvrra
with his spanish flying squadron wa,
at Santiago lie CUBA. This went tn
confirm the newspaper reports and
also the Madrid cabiegrams published
yesterday morning. the latter a rather
unusual circumstance. for the SPAN
'sh bulletins have been notably decep-
tlve ever since the flying squadron lef.
Cadiz
Accepting this statement as correct.
II indicates that there i little proba-
putty ot hostile meeting between
sampson or >chlcy and Cervera imm,-
diately. Looking over the chart, Of
santiago harbor, the experts soon dis
covered that the place would be a yer.
ltSole rat-trap for the >paniards. with
It's narrow entrance, in which single
American monitor could bottle up tn,
whole Spanish feet.
Ihe naval strategy board. rechriS
tened OF late the war board. is to lose
one OF its most active and valuable
members in the person ofCapt. BARKER.
lie leaves Washington to-day for
Hampton rOais to take command of
the fine protected cruiser Newark,
which has just been extensively re-
paired at the Norfolk navy yard.
IL Is expected that the Newark will
loin SIMPSONS squadron IN the West
indies a. soon a. she can get there.
Another loss 10 the department will
occur to-day. when Lieut.. Gibbon
leaves 10 serve ~ one Of Capt. Bar
kers officers on the Newark. Thi.
young officer has displayed the great
sst energy in securing for the service
ot the navy the various naval militia
organizations of the states, and
A. an incident to that work
ne was Obliged to put forth
MS best efforts to secure the
formation of new organizations where
none existed and additional battalions
IN the states that already possessed
naval militia The great value of the
work Is shown by the fact that many
vessels of the auxiliary navy and most
Of the old monitors that have been
commissioned for coast defense pur-
poses are manned almost altogether by
the naval militiamen
Preparations go on steadily for the
Philippines military expedition. Gen.
Merritt, who will command, stopped
in Washington yesterday morning on
his way westward from New York and
spent most of the day in consultation
with the officials of the department ar
ranging the details of the expedition
Another transport was secured yes
terday and the department is showing
a disposition to treat ten. Merritt with
the utmost liberality in the equipment
Of his force. II is expected that the
advance guard of one vessel under the
command of ten Otis will sail out of
the Golden Gate to-day hound for the
Philippines.
The complaints of the shoeless among
the volunteers just brought into the
army will soon be silenced, as the war
department has just placed orders for
lO0, 900 pairs of soldiers shoes.
\ beginning WAS made yesterday to-
wards the organization of the indie
pendent volunteer forces. under au-
thoritv conferred upon the president
| by special resolution. The national
guard will have no part in these or
| ganizations, which will be made up o.
engineers. immunes and electricians.
The staff appointments are coming
out rapidly in the general orders is
pointnents being made generally on
the request Of the ma generals, the
brigadier-generals vet To be provided
in this matter.
| The state department yesterday an
nounced that the Polaria. the liam
burg American line steamer at Key
West. which was authorized to land
certain passengers in Havana, had de-
clinsd to avail itself of the privilege,
so the department IL relieved of what
| promised 10 be an embarrassing Incl
dent. and of the necessity of establish
ing what might prove To be danger
Gus precedent
Officials here dismiss As pure inven.
| ton the story coming from Montreal
that former Minister Polo has sue
eeeded in securing for spain coaline
station on one of the French islands oi
Il. Pierre and Miquelon, of the New
foundlaud coast At the French EN-
bassy the report is treated with in
dignant contempt. as the trenet
lecree of neutrality is binding
on the French governor o
these islands and effeetually pre-
vents the granting OF suei
exceptional privileges as coaling sta
| tions. 1t is not generally known tha
| France possesses these small islands II
the north Atlantic
The navy department Is about 70
call for bids for steel floating dock
capable of floating n ship of i5,cO'
tons. to cost $500, 900. and to be located
nj New Orleans. This dock when com
pleted will be one of the finest struc
tures in the country. Provision for il
was made in the naval appropriation
bill as a result of recommendations o
the naval board, headed by Admira
Buuce. Although located at New Or
Loans. the dock viii be of that hoatine
| type similar to the big floating dock n
Havana, which can be towed to any
point desired
The department is also looking for
ward 10 securing docks at other points
| The department published in th'
shape of consular reports yesterday
some statistics from United States Con
sui williams at Manila They show
thas last year, out of -. vessels OF al
kInds departing from the philippines
8 were from the United States, ls'
| from Great Britain, 70 from Germany
and Al from Spain The arrivals wer'
r. about the same proportion Mr.
| Williams last report is dated April
showing a most hourishing condition
of the Manila customs. the receipts io'
February last exc-eding by ses'sio th' q,
-seaints for the corresponding montt