The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-20
CERVERA'S SHIPS IN A CORNER.
sPANIARDs WILL FIND 1T HARD TO
ESCAPE.

If They Go to SAN Juan Admiral
Sampson VIII Attack Them There.
If They Make "a Dash for Cuba He
VIII Meet Them-Attempt to Bonn
bard a Coast City of the United
States Not PrObabIe-The Longer
Cervera DOdges the shorter His
Coal supply.
New York, May ia dispatch to the
Times from Washington says: admiral
Sampson is now, it is said, in a position
to be regularly and frequently informed
of the appearance of the enemy and the
Spanish admiral is now or viii be cut off
and unable to turn in any direction with
safety.
I'VE are bound to come up with him,
said prominent naval officer to-day, un-
less he decides to run for our coast, but
that will only defer the inevitable for a
few days. The longer he runs and lodges
the shorter becomes his supply of iuel.
Once that is exhausted he has no place
to which he can resort for supplies, cx-
cept San Juan or Havana.
He may select either port he prefers.
If it be Puerto Rico Admiral Sampson
would return and resume the bombardment
I do not, however. believe Admiral Ger
vera will permit his fleet to be bottled up
In a harbor and shelled where it cannot
maneuver. That would condemn him for
both unseamanlike conduct and for Grim
nal waste of the power of his fleet.
Few officers consider the suggestion of
a dash for the coast of the United States
as one of the probabilities. If that were
to be undertaken, it would be by vesseis
not in the squadron now in the Caribbean.
| The danger from that source Is regarded
as very slight If the squadron is pro-
! eeeding by a northern route, 1t cannot
avoid being seen by vessels bound east
along the usual routes. If 1t is travelling
by a southern route of the usual line, the
scouts of the United States navy are al
most certain to sight it,
Charleston, Chesapeake bay, Philadel-
phia, New York, Boston and Portland are
considered by navy department officials
and by ordnance officers of the war de-
partment quite safe against any Spanish
exploit.
y
| cd to pay any attention TO inquiries con-
! corning the many Spanish fleets daily re-
| ported as having been seen a widely sep
| arated points of the compass, and win no
! longer venture to extend comforting as
surances to those who cannot avoid con-
| cern at every fresh report of a Spanish
| fleet. But a little amusement and some
| indignation is expressed about the alto
| gether uncalled-for nervousness manifest
| ed by citizens of Boston and other East
| ern cities who called for protection from
! the navy, and who succeeded in detaching
| on useless scouting service the Columbia
| and the Minneapolis
"The officers of those vessels have been
| heard from here and they consider that
| they We're unnecessarily deprived of useful
| scouting service southwark and exposed to
! the jeers of their comrades merely 10 quiet
the anxieties of persons quite needlessly
! alarmed.
THE war, it is believed by those who are
! acquainted with the programme of the ma
| val authorities and the condition of the
| Spaniards in Cuba, will be short If the fleet
of Admiral Sampson and that of Spain
| can be brought together soon.
THE navy department does not look for
| any excess of energy in the Spanish navy.
! 1t Is considered that the demoralized con
| dition of Spain precludes renewed war ac-
| tivity."
| A dispatch to the Tribune from Wash
| ington says: 80 far as is known to those
not in the closest confidence of the naval
! authorities the American squadrons now
| concentrated off Cuba are still maintain
| ing the blockade of the north coast and
| guarding the southern approaches to the
! Yucatan passage at the western, and the
| Windward passage at the eastern end of
| the island.
"No encounter with Admiral Cervera's
| vessels is looked for within the next two or
| three days nor is it yet apparent that the
| Spanish commander will risk battle ex-
| cept under conditions he can himself de-
| termine.
| "A report was in circulation that the
! Oregon had safely passed the Lower Wind
| ward Islands, and would soon join Acting
Admiral SIMPSONS fleet. But the Oregon.
| if she left Bahia at the time reported i'm
| the press dispatches, has not yet had time
| TO make the run from Bahia to Barbados
| and is probably still steamng north some
where off the Guiana coast
There is good reason 10 think that the
! battleship will next be heard from at
| point well off the beaten course from Bra
| zil to the United States and will report
ultimately TO the navy department. not
| from Key West, but from some harbor
much higher up on the Atlantic coast"
| Useornnr