The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-05-20
TO DEMoL1sH THE ENEMY.
Naval War Board Convinced the Hostile
Squadron Cannot Now Escape an
Engagement With Sampson.

squadron consisting OF the afInOr-clauS
of the United States in North Atlantic
waters.
This seems to be the intention to-
night of the naval war board, and
| preparations are being made to effect
the junction of Rear Admiral Samp-
sons and the flying squadron, under
| the command of Commodore Schley,
with all possible dispatch. If neces-
sary, Commodore Schley, according to
one Official with whom | talked today,
will join Rear Admiral Sampson on the
| south coast of Cuba, in order that the
southwestern section of the American
blockading squadron may be protected,
and to place the American force in a
strategic position to attack the Spanish
fleet at whatever point it may appear.
1t is not necessary, nor would it be
good policy, to attach the monitors to
the combined fleet, and the probabili-
ties are that these vessels will be sta
toned in front of Havana, or at south
ern ports, for their protection in case
the Spanish squadron should attempt
to lombard coast city,
With such squadron as the officials
contemplated forming, the enemy's
fleet, if met in battle, will, it is conf
IDENTIFY believed, be totally crushed.
Sampson's Crushing Squadron.
Rear Admiral Sampson will have un-
der his command, it is expected, the
battleshipS Iowa, Indiana and MasSa-
chusetts, second-class battleship Texas,
and armored cruisers Brooklyn and
New York. Handicapped, as Admiral
Sampson now is, by the Monitors-the
speed of these are not more than eight
or nine knots an hour, for the reason
that the fleets speed is the speed of the
slowest vesSel-the Terror and Amphi-
trlte are being towed, besides endeavor-
ing to hasten their voyage by proceed
ing under their own steam. With no
monitors in his feet, Rear Admiral
Sampson will be able to steam at the
his squadron well together, and under
forced draught may be able to reach
fifteen knots. The New York and
Brooklyn, with the auxiliary steamers
and torpedo boats to be attached to his
force, will be able to speed at such a
rate as to be able to overhaul the
Spanish armored cruisers and hold them
engaged until the Texas, followed by
the heavier ships of the line, come to
their support.
The flying squadron is now well on
its way to Cuban waters, and should
reach them, officials state, by tomor
row afternoon. It's collier, the Sterl-
ing, is trailing along behind, and the
vessels will coal either from her or at
Key West.
Rear Admiral Sampson has colliers
with him and can coal his ships from
them, but should he change his plan of
proceeding to Cienfuegos and come to
Key West, there will be a plentiful
coal supply for his vessels there, and he
can coal as rapidly as he may desire.
But whatever is the plan of the war
board, it believes it will have ample
time to perfect it's preparations to en-
compass the destruction of the Spanish
fleet. A chart of distance which that
body has studied shows that there can
be a junction of the American fleets
without interference on the part of the
Spaniards.
A Chart Study.
From Caracao to Cienfuegos is 1000
miles. and if that point be Rear Ad-
miral SIMPSONS destination, he will
reach it about the same time the Span
ish squadron arrives there, provided it
sailed yesterday from Caracao for that
port If the Spanish fleet is coming, as
is believed, then the operations of the
board can be completed without undue
haste. and the combined armor-clad
squadron can be stationed at the STRAIT
egic position to be selected, from which
it will strike in any direction that the
enemy may make his appearance.
An important feature of the boards
plan of campaign is the scouts which
have been thrown out in all directions,
but particularly at the several passages
leading out of the Caribbean Sea. 1t is
proposed to keep these scouts on the
lookout for information and in constant
communication with the American fleet,
so that they can forward to Rear Ad-
miral Sampson, as rapidly as possible,
anything they may learn regarding the
whereabouts of the enemy's men-of-
war
An important reason, in the eyes of
naval experts, why monitors should be
placed before the city of Havana, cor
the cruiser Newark should be hurried
to that point, was the ruise executed
yesterday in accordance with Capt
Gen. Blanco's order by the cruiser
Conde de Vcnedita and the gunboat
Neueva Espana, designed to draw the
American vessels within the radius of
fire of the shore batteries.
If the commanding officer had been
plucky, the experts at the department
say, he could have raised the blockade
in front of the city of Havana by de-
stroying the small vessels cruising at
that point. With the Terror and the
Amphitrite off the city, there would be
no danger of Spanish vessels again try
ing the performance of yesterday.
The Wisdom OF Silence.
WASHINGTON, May 16.-An order post
ed this morning, and signed by Secre-
tary Long, relative to the publication
of news emanating from the navy de-
partment, had the effect today of con-
siderably curtailing the supply of in
formation that heretofore has been
rather freely given out. The secre-
tary's orders were directed to Capt.
Crowninshield, chief of the navigation
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