The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-14

Before they Como Together.
WASHINGTON. D. G., May ia
icomplete change has taken place In the
lofienslve plans OF our government The
receipt OF the news from Sampson OF his,
attack on the forts at San Juan and the
news OF the actual presence OF the
spanish flying squadron OF Martinique,
only five hundred miles away from
Sampson and less than / 900 miles from
Havana caused the dispatch OF the
Tying squadron under Commodore
schley and the delay OF the army OF in
yasion to Cuba.
IT Is to the navy that the government
again looks for battle that may end
the conflict. Tho news OF the Spanish
fleet revealed at once the possibility Of
"a quick move on the part OF the Span
3ish fleet that would cut the line OF COM
nunlcatlon by water between Cuba and
Key Vest, exposing TO great peril niry
7 American landing force that might be
! caught between superior Spanish army
FIN Cuba and the; sea patrolled by Span
Sish cruisers. 1t became therefore, uec-
essary to- defer the departure OF the
military expedition from Florida until
the Spanish fleet Is met and crushed or
lldriven from West Indian waters.
4 Orders flew. quick and fast from both
the war and navy departments. The
first checked the movement on Florida,
lSsettlng In from all parts OF the country,
Ediverted the troops towards the con-
l;centration camp ut Chickamauga. The,
navy! department wired Sampson infor-
nation OF the approach OF the; Spanish
fleet and directions what to do and an
other order flashed to Schley. who has
been eating out his heart at Hampton
I Roads In his eagerness to get into the
fray to: start with his vessels at the
earliest possible moment.
Took no Chances. =
The commodore took no chance OF a
cancellation gof these highly desirable
orders, but at AS o'clock had put him,
!self beyond the reach OF any telegraph
ic recall. What Is expected of him cam
mot be disclosed iat the navy depart
Nant and naturally is purely a matter
4 OF conjecture. Sampson's; fleet is strong.
l.enough uuaided to oyercome. the sSpan-
1 Sisp flying squadron II he can ever catch,
l5it}out OF the, reach OF fortifcatIons. His
I;fset, however, Is lacking In speed, as
tcpmpared to the Spanish vessels and
Incorporation on the part OF our flying
siquadron would add very much to the
chance OF cornerlng the Spaniards and
forcing the fight which ls believed to be
necessary to the success OF the Cuban
campaign as now planned. Some ope
suggested at the navy department that
the Spanish feet when last heard from
was at a point not very much more dis
tant from the great cities Of the Allan;
tic seaport than from Havana. but II.
the Spanish admiral contemplates
movement In the former direction he
probably will run full Into Schley who
will have his scouts well out In advance
when he moves southwark. 3 q
Much regret is expressed among ma
4 val officers at the delays experienced In
communicating with Sampson and It is
not to be learned as yet at the navy de-,
ipartment whether the admiral has ac-
tuallyy received up to this moment the
4 important advIces as to the movements
4 of the Spanish fleet that have been dis
4 patched to him. Doubt on this score Is
founded on the experience the depart
sment has had already with the cables
received to-day from the West indies. s
\ AccompllIhcd His Object.
Il was stated positively at the close
4 OF office hours that no word had come
during the day from Admiral Sampson
save the one telegram sent out this
morning regarding the attack on the
/ forts at San Juan. 1t can be stated
that there Is good ground for the belief
! that the admiral has achieved all that
was expected of him or that was neces--
sary to carry out the plans Of the STRAIT.
i egy5 board. The purpose was to destroy
i San Juan as a fortified base that might
4 form o harbor Of refuge for the Span
ish fleet md according to the admiral's
4 report this has been practically accom-
4 plished. It was neither necessary nor
material that; San Juan itself be occu-'
pied, all that was essential being that
the Spanish fleet should find no more
\ protection there than 1t would In any
harbor without substantial defenses
and II the flying squadron should have
1 the temerity now to enter San Juan
1 harbor they will fall easy victims to
Simpsons batleshlps and monitors.
Strength OF Spanish Squadron.
The Spanish squadron that is being
sought by the United States sQuadrons.
Is made up. OF seven first-class ships, Of
(which four are armored cruisers, and
three idestroyers. This is as near the
exact strength as can be stated. for the
reports from Cape Verde and from Ca,
diz have caused much doubt as to the
{exact strength OF the Spanish squndron.
But, allowing for the. torpedo boats
and other craft which returned to
| Cadiz, there IS little doubt that the Span
ish squadron OF Martinique has at least
seven warships OF formidable dimen-
i ,sions. < These are: R Armored cruiser
i lsVizcaya, built of STEEL with double
screws, two turrets, two tunnels, and
two military masts. with tops; length
4 1854 feet; 4 displacement $3.50 tons; maxi
mum speed, 20-2 knots. She has an ar
NOR belt OF steel, s feet 6 inches broad,
4 315 feet long and ten or twelve inches
4 chick. Her turrets have nine Inch steel
armor;t coming towers twelve inch ar
NOR. Her protected deck is from two
\ 10 three inches OF steel. Her armament
I lsis NJ two eleven-tnch Hontoria guns,
amounted slnglY In sturrets, one forward
and one aft, ten 5.5-inch guns. five on
ca ch beam, the forward and nfe ones
sbelhg sponsoned: eight slx-pounders,
l;ten ten-p Founders, eight Nordenfeldt
mnchine guns, two Maxim machine
L guns, six torpedo tubes and two sub!
Emerged torpedo tubes. She carries Ash I
nen. s. -,
Armored cruiser Almriante o1nendo,
built OF steel: double screw; two tur-ss
lsrSts; etc. Her, tonnage, armor and ar-l
snistneat in every respect, Is similar to
i &hnf Of fhn tyizcn N ll.S 2. l..sS wv