The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-07-01
ARE OFF FOR SPAIN.
A Mighty Squadron Will
Soon Sail.
MAY LEAVE ON JULY FOURTH

| Magnificent Opportunity to Strike q
| Crushing B1ow-Carrying the waI
Into Africa and Thus Securing 8
Naval Base at Ceuta.
Washington, June 29-The admin.
ist1ation finally came to a decision tC
send an American squadron to the
| Spanish coast and into the Mediterra-
mean. Several times since the wal
broke out, rumors to this effect have
been circulated, but the project had
not materialized-it required the Span.
ish movement toward the Philippines
by Camara's squadron to decide the
navy department to adopt this bold
stroke. This first announcement to-
day through bulletin posted at the
war department of the government
intention was received with incredul-
ity. There was suspicion that the
story was given out to deceive the
Spanish government. However, when
later in the day, the detail of the ves-
sells selected to constitute Commodore
Watson's eastern squadron was an.
nounced, and official orders We're given
to provision the fleet for four months,
it became apparent to the last d oubter
that the government was in earnest in
this purpose to dispatch the fleet to
Europe.
The three vessels selected as colliers
have started already ON their way to
Newport News to take on a large sup
ply of coal. 1t will require a week to
get them down to SIMPSONS feet, so
that if the start is to be made from
that point, = it will be impossible for
Commodore Watson to get away before
the Fourth of July. This would seem
to be an auspicious date for the Begin
ming of an expedition that will for the
first time in the worlds history start
from the New World to attack Conti-
mental Europe. No attempt is made
to deny that the government is influ-
enced in ordering this movement by a
desire to check the progress eastward
of the Cadiz fleet. 1t was not believed
that the Spanish admiral could be
guilty of the folly of uncovering his
home ports in this fashion, but mas
much as he seems determined to do SO,
the naval startegists could not do less
than take advantage of the magnifce mt
opportunity ths,s q atfocdca them to str;tke
crushing blow at Spain, and thereby
perhaps save much time and loss of life
and money in the conduct of the tedi-
Gus campaign in Cuba.
The determination to send this
squadron against Spain was the out
come of direct official advices reaching
the state and navy departments as to
the progress of Admiral Camara's
squadron. These advices give list
of the Spanish ships now nearing the
Suez canal, which differs somewhat
from the list given i'll the press dis
patches and by Lloyd's. The official
list is as follows:
Pelavo, Carlos V. Audaz, Osada,
Prosperina, Patricia, Rapido, Buenos
Ayres, Isla de Pane y Colon, Covan.
donga and San francisco.
The additional information comes
from official sources that this squadron
is at Port Said, and expects to take ON
ing the Suez canal. Such a heavy coal
ing will take. some time. 1t discloses
also that the admiral expects to make
long sail, and is doubtless headed for
the Philippines, point which the
officials here doubted at first.
The squadron is the most formidable
Spain has afloat, in total tonnage,
strength Of individual ships, armor
and guns. The Pelayo is the strongest
of the ships and is the only battle-ship
in the Spanish navy. She is 5000 tons,
with speed of 1877 knots. She car
ries 35 guns of various caliber and has
seven torpedo tubes. The largest guns
are the 12-inch Hontorias, one forward
and one aft, and 11-inch Hontorias,
one on each beam. The Carlos V is
of $3.50 tons, with speed of 10 knots.
She has % guns, the largest being H.
inch Hontorias, worked electrically,
one forward and one aft. She has six
torpedo tubes. The Audaz and Osado
are torpedo-boat destroyers, finished in
England just before the war began.
They are 400 tons each and are 80 knot.
Each carries six guns and two torpedo
tubes.
The Eastern squadron which the
United States will send against Spain
far outranks the Spanish squadron, the
Iowa and Oregon exceeding the Pelayo
and Carlos V at every point, while the
other United States vessels are far su-
perior, ship for ship, to those OF the
Spanish squadron, with the single ex-
ception of the two Spanish torpedo-boat
destroyers.
When the American feet sails for
Spain it will take with it complete in.
formation as to the entire stretch Of
Spanish coast with detail maps OF
every harbor and its Notifications.
The war board had a mass of this in
formation before 1t, and spent most of |
the day studying Spanish charts and |
Notifications, with view of outlining !
the series of blows which are to be de-
livered to Spain at home.
The Spanish coast is divided into
three aptain-generalcies namely, Fer
rol on the north. Cadiz on the south,
and Cartegena on the east. At Ferrol
is the naval school and the school Of
naval application. At Cartegena is
the school of ordnance, and the torpedo
school. Cadiz is the point where most
of the fortifcation guns are made.
Each of the three naval prov inces has
a certain number of ports and coast
towns under its care. The total artil.
lery of these ports under the normal
prior to the war is as fol-
ows:
One hundred and nineteen Krupp
,uns, 55 Armstrong guns, 90 Ordones
guns, and large number Of Hontoria
,uns.
IT.. i-eox.-- T., = ,,-1. ax.;1