The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-27
N I III H d
TO INV ADJ 81 PAIN.
Commodore Watson's For
midable Fleet Organ
lied.
NEWARK HIS FLAGSHIP.
Two Powerful Battleships to
cross the Atlantic with
Him.
WILL WAKE THE SpANIARDs UP
Camara to Be Bottled Up in the
Mediterranean With His
Squadron.
WILL NOT WEAKEN BLOCKADE
Navy Department Plans Contem-
plate Short and Sharp Work
on Cuba's Coast.
WILL NOT WEAKEN BLOCKADE
Navy Department Plans Contem-
plate Short and Sharp Work
on Cuba's Coast.


WASHINGTON. June 27, 1S9S.-rhe Navy
Department has posted the following bull
letin showing Commodore Watson's
squadron 1t is designated the Eastern
Squadron and is as fololws:-
Flagship Newark, battleships Iowa
and oregon, cruisers Yosemite, Yankee
and Dixie, and the colliers Sceadia,
Abarenda and Alexander The starr will
be made at once from off Santiago.
The bulletin also showed the following
changes in destination of the divisions Of
our war vessels
North Atlantic F'leet-Rear Admiral
Sampson commanding.
First Squadron-C Commodore J. A. How
ell, commanding.
Second squadron-Commodore w. >.
Schley, commanding.
Naval base, Key West, Fla.-Commo-
dore Remey, commanding.
The decision of the administration to
send a squadron of warships to Spain
was not made hastily For the past six
weeks the matter has been under con-
sideration and strong element, well ac-
auainted with the practice of the Spanish
Government of keeping the great mass
of the public ignorant of the actual state
of affairs has contended that the only
method of bringing the war home to the
people of Spain would be to send an Am
erican squadron there to harry the coast
cut off shipping and lombard fortified
towns.
The purpose was to bring the Spanish
people to realizing sense of the hope
lessness of continuing the present struggle
Since the departure of the Cadiz neet for or
the Philippines there is another object IN
addition to the first. This is to destroy
or capture this Cadiz fleet by bold
stroke and then to take UP the work o.
harrassing the Spanish at home, proyid-
ing that blow does not suffice to bring
about peace.
TO add to the embarrassment of Cam
ara, there is good reason to believe that
the canal management will obstruct his
passage on the ground of interference
with navigation. Thus there is every
famed indefinitely in the Mediterranean
Sea- which is greatly desired by our
Department. BY the use of some speedy
vessels as Advance guards NJ, 7 tann may Pc pc
reach the straits Of Gibraltar some time
before Camara's slow moving fleet could
get there, returning from Port Said.
Reinforced by ironclads, Watson would
have the Spanish squadron bottled IN the
Mediterranean. This is large bottle, 1t
is true, but it is believed by the m naval i
officers that Camara could be hunted
down as successfully as was Cervera with
his flying squadron.
Operating in a sea surrounded by coun-
tries whose sympathies incline toward
Spain the American squadron necessar-
ilv would be entirely self contained and
self-reliant, being fully provided with
storeships and colliers to avoid the neces
sity Of running counter to the neutrality
laws of the various Medterranean ports.
Commodore Watson should reach Ad-
perhaps earlier for the Newark. having
been extensively repaired is now swift
warship The operations before Sampson
employrnent to the best advantage of the
big monitors for bombarding purposes
and small cruisers and gunboats as block
aiding vessels.
The start will be made from off Santi-
ago Just as soon as the squadron can be
gotten ready, and this, fortunately ow-
ing to the completeness of the naval mob
:lization. will be in very short time.
There is no intention of weakening the
Havana blockade by the withdrawal OF
Commodore Watson with his flagship,