The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-30
SCHLEY'S FLYING SQUADRON
PROBABLY CORRECT NEVIS or SOME
 OF ITS MOVEMENTS.

the HarbOr but Discovered No Spanish
 Warships Later the Hawk Brought
 News That Cervrra's Squadron Was at
 Santiago and SchIey Sailed for That
 Place.
 [Copyright, 1898, The Associated Press.l
 Off Cienfuegos, Cuba, May 23.-The squadron assigned to special duty and cleus ''The Flying Squadron left Key West on Thursday, May 19 It con- sisted of the armored cruiser Brooklyn, flying the commodore's flag of Winfield Scott Schley and under command of Captain Francis A. Cook; the battle ship Massachusetts, commanded by Francis J. Higginson; the battleship Texas, commanded by John W. Philip; and the Scorpion, converted yacht, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Aloph Mark. Commodore Schley's or ders were to proceed to Cienfuegos, where he would be joined by the Iowa.
 The Iowa, first-class battleship, in command of Captain Robert D. Evans; the Marblehead, third-rate cruiser, in command of Commander Bowman H. McCalla, and the Nashville, third-rate cruiser, in command of Washburn Maynard, together, with the promised torpedo boats and perhaps some fast gunboats, would, it was believed, make an invincible squadron.
 Less than two hours out from Key West, and while running to the south west, the cruiser Marblehead was seen going to the northeast. She signalled that she was running into Key West for coal. A half hour later the con- verted yacht Wasp was sighted, and the Scorpion, at Commodore Schley's order, was sent out to intercept her and get news. She reported that the blockade of Cienfuegos had been prac- tically abandoned by the small fleet that had done such splendid work there, having received the United States governments notice that the Spanish fleet was supposed to be head ing in that direction. She also report ed that the Nashville had blown out one of her starboard high-pressure cy- linder-heads and was steaming in slow ly for repairs. There had been no fir ing at Cienfuegos since the cable-cut- ting episode. The Wasp was allowed to proceed. The squadron took an eleven-knot speed and after the ships were cleaned of the dirt by the taking of coal active preparations for battle were made, the decks being stripped for action and the main batteries load ed At 1 o'clock the Nashville passed the squadron within hailing distance, bound for Key West She signalled her number and destination, and was not stopped.
 On Friday morning at 9 o'clock, when just inside of Cape San Antonio light, the smoke of two steamers was made out on the horizon. A call to the guns and to prepare for action awakened the greatest enthusiasm among officers and men, and much disappointment was manifest when the strangers were made out to be the United States cruiser Cincinnati and the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius. Captain Chester of the Cincinnati came aboard the Brook lyn and to Commodore Schley gave a summary of their patrol work about the coast. They had not seen the Span- ish fleet or any indication of 1t. To Captain Cook the captain of the Cin- cinnati said he believed it to be use- less to attempt to land munitions of war on the coast unless troops were also landed. for absolutely no depen- dence could be placed upon the insur- gents for assistance. He believed that the arms and ammunition already land- ed was in the hands of the Spanish. Maceo, the insurgent leader, had not shown any interest in the matter, but had claimed to have been insulted be- cause communications sent him at a great risk of life were not officially ad- dressed.
 Saturday. at o'clock Cienfuegos was sighted. Sunday morning at 7:30 o'clock, while all were at breakfast, a torpedo boat, was seen near the en- trance of the harbor. There was a quick call to general quarters, but the boat disappeared, and breakfast was resumed. At 8 o'clock the smoke of a steamer was seen to the southwest. It proved to be the torpedo boat Dupont with dispatches for the fleet. A close inspection of the harbor of Cienfuegos failed to reveal any indication of the Spanish fleet although the shore bat teries' definantly raised their Spanish standard. A group of cavalry was seen on shore at one point, but no at- tempt was made to fire on them. At noon the Iowa steamed within sight and joined the squadron. Commodore Schley allowed the men to cheer and Fighting Bob" and his splendid battle ship were cheered to the echo The Iowa announced that the Marblehead, Castine and collier Merrimac would be here in the morning.
 At o'clock Commodore Schley took his squadron, now a most formidable aggregation of ships, and ran close into Cienfuegos harbor, discovering that there were no warships there but only a few schooners and small gunboat. "It is the Spanish squadron I'm look ing for" said the fighting commodore, 'and not few almost ruined Spanish subjects in Cuba" and so not a shot was fired. At o'clock the Scorpion was sent away to Santiago de Cuba, 300 miles distant, for the purpose of com municating with the Minneapolis or the Harvard, either of which was suppos- ed to be there, so that they could take