The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-05-06
SIMPSONS SQUADRON
Leaves Key West and Will Meet and An.
initiate the Spanish Fleet Now Coming
Over-Startling News Expected Soon.

DEVASTATING News Expected Soon.
TAMPA. Fla, May Sit appears to
be almost a settled belief among army
officers here that no movement of
United States troops toward Cuba will
take place until after the meeting of
the Spanish fotilla with RI. Adm.
SIMPSONS squadron, which is now be-
lieved to be inevitable.
Nevertheless everything possible is
being done to put the United States
troops in readiness for immediate ship
ment. Plans for division hospitals and
the allotment of surgeons were practic-
ally completed Wednesday. The First in
fantry. one of the regiments which
will be landed in Cuba, was put
through the emergency entrenchment
drill, throwing up entertainments
with tin cups, skillets, tin pans
or whatever was convenient and
long practice marches in heavy march
ing order was given other regiments.
Preparation for the landing of large
force of native Cubans at some point
| in Cuba within convenient reach of
Gen. Gomez army are being pushed as
| fast as possible. How large a force
there will be is as yet uncertain.
The Cuban recruiting offices that
have been opened here are
fairly overwhelmed with applications
for enlistment, and it is very probable
| that Is, 600 will be armed and ready
for service unCer the banner of Gomez
before the end of the week. Most of
| the Cubans who are now in the West
Tampa camp have already had consid-
cradle military training. Their num-
Der is being constantly increased by
arrivals from New York, Jacksonville
and other recruiting points.
! Between 80 and 40 young Cub9ns ar
rived here Wednesday from New York
and will be followed by $50 more from
there all enlisted at the junta head
quarters
Two or three United States naval
officers, thoroughly familiar with the
Cuban coast, are now in Tampa for
! the purpose of escorting the Cuban eX-
petition to Cuba and will remain with
it until the juncture with Gomez is ef-
! fected.
OLD POINT COMFORT. Va. May st
is the general expectation here that
the Flying squadron will go to sea
within "a hours, or as soon as the
cruiser New Orleans arrives. COmmO-
dOre Schley has been notified that the
cruiser Columbia has been detached
from the squadron, and that the New
Orleans will take her place. So far
as fighting ability is concerned
the New Orleans is superior to
the Columbia, being more heavily
armed and without so much free board
and upper works to act as a target.
The squadron as now constituted will
consist of the Massachusetts,, first class
battle ship; Texas, second class battle
ship; Brooklyn, armored cruiser;
New Orleans, of the type of the
Raleigh and Cincinnati, and the
Scorpion, fast armored yacht. with
four four-inch and four skip or
guns. The Minneapolis has
been officially detached and
join the squadron. The SOU
now accompanied by a fir
tug for dispatch and water
poses, and the collier Ste, d.
On the ships Wednesday ire
and collision drills were gone
through with in remarkable shape. On
the Brooklyn the two score of hose
connections were made and the tar
paulins spread in less than minute
and quarter, while water was ready
to be let into the magazines. During
the collision drill, the water-tight com
partments were closed and the mat tC
cover break in the hull prepared for
use IN less than two minutes.
Lieut.. Commander Daniel Delhanty,
who is to command the Suwanee, ar.
rived here Wednesday afternoon. The
men on the squadron are very anxious
to hear the particulars of Dewey's
victory at Manila, and to what extent
the squadron suffered.
LONDON, May 5.-A dispatch to the
Daily Mail from Key West, sent by way
OF Tampa in order to escape censor
ship, asserts of positive knowledge
that RI Adm. SIMPSONS feet viii
! steam at full speed to Porto Rico, eth
er to destroy or to occupy the cOaling
station as a naval base before the
Spanish squadron arrives and then pu
to sea and try to engage the Cape
Verde fleet