The evening times., 1898-05-31

Is spain's Cadis squadron on its way
to Western waters!
This s-the question which naval officers
in authority are asking each other. They
have taken means to sb.ain solution Of
it by dispatching the auxiliary cruiser St.
Louis to ASCERTAIN, the nesrs wherea-
bouts. and cable the result OF her search
to Washington.
While Capt. C. F. Goodrich. command
ing the St. Louis, was In Washington on
Saturday. he carefully went over the sit
uation with the Naval War Board. Con-
fident Of the hemming in OF the Spanish
fleet at Santiago de Cuba. the chief con-
Germ Of the authorities Is to prevent a
Spanish naval force from reaching West
ern waters. 1t was pointed out today
that this Government would be In sorry
plight II the Spanish squadron should
make an attack on some point on our At
lantfc coast. as Commodore Schiey. with
his armorclads. is practically anchored
there until he has disposed of Cervera's
fleet. and Rear Admiral Sampson, with
the vessels of his command. Is necessary
protection.
The suspicion entertained by the au-
thorities that the Spanish reserve squad
ron is bound for Western waters has de-
veloped from Information they received
on Friday last. announcing the departure
of the armorclads OF the Spanish fleet
from Cadiz. The dispatch stated that
the ships had ostensibly gone out for tar
get practice. their commanding officers
hAttx
for further instructions as to the course
they should take.
Members of the Naval War Board be-
lieve 1t possible that the Spanish vessels
received their final instructions before
their departure from Cadiz, and that they
are now on their way toward North
America The ST.. Louis will scout for
them. and 1t is probable that the Yale
and the Harvard will be relieved from
duty near Santiago de Cuba. and resume
their stations on the westward Of the
Windward Islands. on the lookout for
Spanish re-enforcements.
So far as the officials know, Spain's
available Cadiz force consists Of the bat
tlesfip Pelayo. the armored cruiser Car
los V. the protected cruiser Alfonso XIII,
and four torpedo boat destroyers. Short
ly before Lieut.. G. L. Dyer. the naval
attache of the United States, left Madrid.
he reported that work was being pushed
on the armored cruisers Cardenal Cisne-
ros. Catalina, Princesa de Asturias. and
Pedro DAragona. and on the torpedo gun
vessels Dona Maria de Molina, Marques
de la Victoria and Don Alvaro de Baxan.
The officials are absolutely in the dark
as to whether these vessels are ready for
service. but II they are there is more
reason. they believe. for crushing the
Cervera squadron at the earliest practi-
cable moment. 1t has been known that
the armored cruisers were to be ready
some time during the Summer and that
two of the torpedo vessels were to be
placed In commission during the present
month. -, s,,,,-,,,sl...
with these vessels In commission Spain
will have. even without the Cervera
squadron, six armorclads. one Of which
is battleship, and the other five armor-
ed cruisers. The junction Of these vessels
with Admiral Cervera's force would make
Spain superior to the United States on
number Of armorcIads. Against her ten
armored ships the United States would
have but seven, four Of which are battle
ships, one being a second-class battleship,
and two armored cruisers.
To prevent the possibility of such su-
periority the authorities propose to crush
Admiral Cervera with all possible dis
patch. 1t Is appreciated that on a dark
and stormy night, when Commodore
Schley's ships would have to lie well out
to sea to prevent being thrown on the
cuban coast. the fast armored cruisers
and torpedo boat destroyers could creep
out. and with their superior speed. es-
cape from the hole in which they are now
confined. -
It is supposed in naval circles that Ad-
miral Cervera has taken advantage of his
stay in Santiago de Cuba to scrape the
hulls of his ships, by means of divers, so
as to remove the barnacles which were
reported to be clinging to them. The re-
suit of such action would be to increase
the speed of the Spanish men-of-war. and
once they were outside the harbor with a
fair chance they would get away from
Commodore Schley's ships. Some appre-
hension is felt by the officials In reference
to the torpedo boat destroyers. which.
with the harbor as their base. could oper-
ate to excellent advantage.