The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-21
Yesterdays Developments.

All indications point to n great
naval battle within n few hours.
Though no OtilciaI advIces have
been received, 1T is thought both
SampsOn's and SchIey's fleets are
on the track of the Spanish "ar-
mada," and will attempt to sink it
or go down themselves i'm the ef-
fort. There was great activity at
Key West last night. All the ships
i'm port, including the press dis
patch boats, left I'm a hurry for the
prospective scene of conflict. The
Navy Department yesterday re-
ceived reports, which were be-
neved to be authentic, that Adj
miral Cervera's feet was really at
Santiago de Cuba, as reported i'm
the Havana dispatches to Madrid,
but late at night another cable
gram from Madrid said the feet
had just left Santiago.
Captain AunOn, the new Spanish
minister of marine, belongs to the
WeyIer-BIancO school of seIf-ad-
Vertisers. Because the Cape Verde
fleet stole into Santiago de Cuba
harbOr ON the day he took the Of
fice he is cOngratuIating himself
on a great victory. He promises to
make it shot" for the "Yankee
pigs from now on. Senior Sagasta
and his new colleagues of the Cab
met visited the Cortes yesterday,
and the Premier promised to push
the war to the utmost.
Mai. Gen. Wesley Merritt is in
Washington receiving instructions
as TO the conduct of the Philippine
islands expedition. He expects to
be allotted 10000 or 1900 troops,
5000 of whom may be regulars.
The City of Peking, the first trans
port, will leave San Francisco for
Manila probably ON Sunday. The
cruiser Charleston will also start
again about that time.
The Senate has confirmed q long
list of army and navy nominal
tiOns and has received another
batch from the President. Among
the army combinations are those
of William f. English and Harry
has assigned nineteen brigadier
generals of the volunteer army to
duay with the various corps, de-
partments and divisions. Paymas-
ter General Stanton has recon-
mended the appointment of eight
cen additional paymasters to meet
the increase In the regular army
to 10000 men.
The Cabinet has established
strict censorship ON itself. Naval
plans and the proposed invasion of
Cuba were not discussed yester-
day, it is said, for fear some menu
ber might incautiously say some
thing after the meeting that would
give a shrewd reporter an inkling
of the governments intentions.
Mail advices from Havana report
that thousands of people are anx-
iOus to leave Cuba. Captain GEN
eral BIancO has employed large
numbers of idle men In strength
ening the. .fOrtilcatiOns of the cap
itaH.
A special dispatch from POrt-au-
Prince, Haiti, says General Gomez,
with an army of $4,000 insurgents,
is menacing Havana, while Gen.
CaIixtO Garcia is worrying the
Spanish defenders of Santiago de
Cuba with 5000 rebels.
Forty cases of ammunition have
been found I'm the cargo of the
steamer ArgOnauta, one of the
Spanish vessels taken by the
bIockaders of Cuba few weeks
ago. The commission at Key West
has decided that the steam
ers AmbrOsiO Bolivar and ArgO-
nauta and the schOOners Candi-
dita, MathiIda and sophia are le-
ultimate prizes. The owners of the
Buena Ventura, Pedro, Catalina,
Miguel JOver, Semana and Guido
have filed claims, and the cases OF
these steamers will he tried regu-
IarIy before a United States court.
The barkentine Carlos #. ROsaS,
captured by the cruiser New York
of Havana ON Tuesday, has arrived
at Key West in charge of Il prize
crew. She has a cargo of garlic
and ierleI beef.