Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-24
eat interest Manifested in Sailing Of Monterey for Manila
Schooner Given Lesson at Portland
The Maine Troops Did Not Leave, Monday-~Now Planning
for Long Practice March, Today
CERvERkS DCDGlnG ACT.

Washington, May 23.-Tha naval
authorities believe that the chances a:e
/ greatly lessened Of Admiral Cervera's
proIonglns his elusive plan for any con
siderable time
I There are several reasons for this
but The main one is that the Spanish
ships have made inroads on their coal
supply, ana the run across from Cane
&c Verde used up the greater part, If
not All, Of their supply.
Since then stops have been made at
Martinique, Curacao and Santiago, but
al no one Of these places has it been
possible to take one more than enough
coal for temporary uses.
At Martinique the French decree u
nuctrality prevented the Spanish ships
from getting more than enough coal i
carry them to the next port, which
would be 800 To 400 tons at most.
At Curacao the amount Of coal Sc
cured did not exceed 100 tons. At
Santiago there is no coal unless golfers
have brought it there recently, which
is not believed to have occurred.
As against these small supplies the
Spanish ships have been consuming
much coal on their elusive runs.
There are no other coaling depots in
the West Indian islands, open to the
Spanish ships, except for their most
temporary needs.
Tho British islands, Jamaica, Bar
BADGES and others. are closed against
them by the decree making coal con-
traband of war.
The Dutch islands will give them no
further coal relief as d result Of nego-
tiations With the Dutch authorities
following the coaling o: the Spanish
ships at Curacao.
The Danish island Of St. Thomas is
similarly closed against them. Guada-
loupe and other French islands have
the same restrictions as Martinique
I3aytien ports are closed to them by
4 strict treaty provision between Hayti
and the rnited States, which the Hay
ten authorities will see is not waived
in the present case. Santo Domingo
ports are similarly protected against
the chance of recalling by Admiral
Cerera fleet.
In short. naval officers believe the
Spanish admiral is now inside the
caribbean sea with it's original stock of
coal used up. with scant additions al /
ready well exhausted and with no de- |
pots in sight for complete recalling |
This, in naval parlance, would starve |
the ships before long. The only relief /
possible fer this dangerous condition is |
! juncture with Golfers from the other |
side. y good collier carries from 1000
to 4000 tons of coal. and two or three !
Of them could completely recoal Adj
miral Cerveras fleet.
Whether the Spanish will succeed |
in accomplishing this is still in doubt |
and it is doubt upon which the large
results depend.
There have been unofficial reports
tsating that British Golfers We're sight
cd off Martinique and also off the Ven
ezulan coasts and reports from London
have stated that Spain took the pre-
caution of buying and shipping large
quantities of British coal before the
declaration of war.
But there has been no official conhrma-
ion that these Golfers made a juncture
With Admiral Cervera's fleet, and The M
Continued on page 80 J