Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-05-21
A DECISIVE BLOW.
Admiral Sampson May be Able
to Strike One.
He Hopes to Meet tho Cape Verde Fleet
Near Cienfuegos, Cuba, and Compel the
Eons to Give eBattle-Blanco's AM
munition supply is Said to
be Almost Exhausted.

Washington, May 17.-Tt is said at
the navy department that Admiral
Sampson reported at the navy depart
ment Monday by cable from Cape Hay
tien. 1t is understood that the admi-
raj by reason of information just re-
ceived by him has changed his plans of
operations and instead of going to Key
West has directed his vessels towards
Cienfuegos.
Intimations have been received here
that Gen. Blanco is very short of am
munition, in which case the powerful
batteries at the entrance of Havana
harbor of course would be deprived of
a large part of their defensive strength.
This state of affairs may lead to some
desperate attempts at blockade run
ming on the part of the Spaniards, in
the hope of getting more ammunition
into Havana. 1t is believed that the
supplies so frequently referred to as
being on the Spanish flying squadron
are of this character, rather than food
supplies, which make it all the more
important that Sampson and Schley
should succeed in keeping Admiral
Cervera from reaching Havana, Cien-
fuegos, or any port in Cuba connected
with Havana by rail.
Commodore Schley probably is well
down on the Florida coast now and
should be able to guard the Florida
straits. His appearance on that side
of Cuba would enable Sampson to bring
his ironclads with perfect safety into
Cienfuegos on the south side, and with
this disposition of our naval force and
the free use of considerable number
of our scouting vessels, it is hard to
see how the Spanish fleet can escape
from the Gulf of Mexico or the Carib-
bean sea.
The navy department takes with
great allowance the report that the
Spanish have succeeded in sending a
| second squadron, under Admiral Villa.
, mil, to the West Indies, and that it is
also off Martinique. Even if the al.
legged information did not bear the sus
| picious earmarl1 of a Madrid date, the
department would not be surprised tc
hear that Admiral Villamil. as well az
| Admiral Cervera, was with the Spanish
force in the Caribbean sea. The fac
that the report came from Madrid sat
isfies the officials here that this is an
| other Spanish ruse to center our atten
tion on Martinique while their ship!
have passed westward.
The report has it that Admiral Villa
mil has with him the cruisers Cisneros
Catalina and Princess de Asturias. Il
is known, however, that Villamil i!
not the admiral of these ships, ant
that at least one of them, the Cisneros
is on the other side of the water
1t is also known that Admiral Villami
is a subordinate to Admiral Cervera
his duties beng to command the tor
pedo destroyers attached to the frs
Spanish squadron. There is littl
doubt, therefore, that the report is tru
so far as stating that Villamil has ar
rived with his fleet at Martinique, bu
it is merely the torpedo adjunct to tn
main feet and was reported when tn
fleet first appeared.
New York, May 17.-The Posts Ke,
West special says: THE blockader
on the south coast of Cuba have bee
warned that the Spanish squadron
reported off Venezuela, bound north
west, and to double their vigilance
Powerful vessels will be ready to al
the ships stationed there in resistin
the progress of the enemy, and ther
is small chance that the Spanish wi
be able to enter Cienfuegos."
Curacao, May 1.-THE Spanis
squadron under Admiral Cerveri
which left Sunday evening after tn
cruisers Vizcaya and Infanta Mari
Teresa had taken on about 700 tons {
coat and a great quantity of provision
was not sighted yesterday. When tn
squadron disappeared it was goin
, westward.
: London, May 1.-THE Mail says: A
cording to the most trustworthy info
nation the Spanish cruisers Cardin;
Cisneros, Princess Asturias and Cat
= luna are not yet ready for sea an
therefore cannot have arrived at Ma
Unique.
1T MEANS ANNEXATION.