Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-06-04
SPAIN IN FEAR OF HER PORTS
If She Starts IA Naval keserve i"i
Manila IL May BE IA Los
ing Game.

Gibraltar, May 30.-The warships a
Cadiz, forming Spain's reserve squau
ron, under command of Admiral "a
mara. are busy testing their guns aho
machinery preparatory TO their depart
ure from that port. Their destination
cannot be ascertained. Large quantl'
ties of coal continue to arrive at CadiZ
Washington. May 2S.-Spain's am
bassador at Paris has informed h
French minister of foreign affairs that
Manila is the prospective destination of
the squadron mobiliZing at CadlZ.
From an official source in France
this report was received by the author
tiles today. The statement was
coupled by the announcement, how
over, that the information was and be-
fore the French minister by the SPAN
Ish ambassador under Instructions
from the minister which recently Went
out of Office, and that as the new minis
ter was leyeling considerable criticism
at the work Of its predecessor, the
plan, the authorities here were in
formed, may have been changed.
In any event, according to The inror.
nation received, il is extremely doubt
full if the feet can be got in condition
TO sail under another week, and pr)b'
ably n longer time will he necessary 10
put il i'm satisfactory condition.
The machinery Of several of the YES
sells is reported 10 he u OF ord4r on
count of lack of skilled men The
battery of the armored cruiser Carlos
V. also is not in. a satisfactory condi'
ton. Workmen are employed day and
night in making the necessary repairs,
and every effort is being made 90 get
the ships away from Cadiz as quickly
ms possible.
Naturally, the report hat the Span.
ish government had informed Franco
that the destination of its fleet wa1
Manila was a cause of some comment
I'm official circles, but until further In.
formation regarding the decision oil
the new ministry the authorities do
not y to waste very much timd
I'm worrying over the matter.
With the Monterey and Charleston
attached TO his feet, Rear Admiral
Dewey. il is believed, will be able To
take care of the Spanish squadron, X
sent against him. and in the meantime
the authorities will send n naval eXpe'
lition to lombard the Spanish towns
Within the next few days, il is expect
ed, effective means will have been
taken To drive the cork into the bottle
into which Cervera's men of war are
located, and whose mouth is being
sharply watched by Schley, and the
taking Of such action will result in
placing at the disposal of this govern.
ment a fleet of armorclads which could
be dispatched 10 Spain before the Ca.
diz squadron could get through the
sue canal.
The destination of the Spanish tor.
pedo boat destroyer Terror is un'
known to the authorities, but il is be.
lieved that she will fall in with an
American scout and her capture or de-
struction is regarded as certain before
she can reach the neighborhood of the
Spanish fleet. Any attempt on the
part of the Terror 10 pass the block
ade instituted by Commodore Schley
will be foiled, the officials say, and
they are certain that within n short
time tire American scouts of Schley's
euuudron will DESTROY her.