Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-05-05
Where Is the Spanish Armada?

the government is breaking all guess
ing records in wondering what has be-
come of the Spanish feet that sailed
| almost a week ago from the Cape Verde
Commodore Dewey in crushing out ol
existence Spanish naval power in the
| Pacific, leaves us free from cause oi
uneasiness in that quarter, and the
second act of the great drama is likely
to be presented in the Atlantic ocean.
Where will the Spanish warships
| turn up? Our navy department would
| probably give a good deal for a reliable
answer to the question, but no one save
the Spanish admiralty and the Spanish
admiral can furnish the information
and they are not likely to talk. We
shall have to contain our souls in pa
tience until the cable brings us ntelli
cence or until the thunder of battle
announces that the dons have carried
the war into our own waters. Or per
haps. from the trackless seas mer-
bring us the desired information. As
almost week has passed since the
fleet disappeared from the Cape Verde
| islands. the mystery is not likely to re-
main unsoved much longer.
There are four or five courses which
the fleet may have taken. 1t may
prove that it left the islands merely be-
cause il had to, on account of Portu-
gals neutrality proclamation, and that
it has no idea of making an aggressive
move. This conjecture would take it
back to the Canares or to Spain itself,
where it would be ready to defend the
home coast or to make further plans to
cross the ocean and strike our fleet Or
coast. Spain's attitude. however. does
not indicate that this step has been
taken 1t would be in the nature of a
retreat. and while many believed this
at first it is not now much thought
that the fleet sailed nearer home.
1t has been suggested that the fleet
is bound for the Philippines via the
Cape of Good Hope, hoping to relieve
the Spanish squadron in the Pacific and
prevent the loss of the Philippines. In
case this is true it will find when it
| arrives that Montojo's fleet is wiped
from the surface of the seas. and that
Dewey and his gallant Yankee tars are
ready TO mete it out a similar fate. II
is very unlikely, however. that Spain
has sent the fleet to the Pacific.
Perhaps the fleet has sailed toward
the South American coast in the hope
of intercepting the oregon, and cap
! turing or destroying that magnificent
battleship. If this is attempted Spain
| is likely to be disappointed and per
haps meet a sad surprise. The Oregon,
now coming north from Rio Janerio, is
accompanied by the Marietta and the
| Nictheroy newly purchased of the
| bldLlIldll SONtlllllltll l!ltN W III itpt
take the usual course. and if the Span
ish fleet runs across them it will be
purely by accident They make quite 4
formidable fleet in themselves. and the
| Oregon could take care of any tW1
Warships in the Spanish squadron, sc
we may safely assume that if the
Spanish fleet intercepts the oregon and
her companions the Spanish fleet that
is left afoat after the smoke clears
away will not be a very dangerous
affair. The naval department profess es
to feel no uneasiness on behalf OF the
oregon, and it does not seem reason
able that even foolish Spain would sent
her fleet on such a wild goose chase.
A fourth conjecture is that the Span
ish feet is bound for the North Atlantis
coast. to make a dash at some unpro
tected point. to do what injury it car
for the sake of revenge. The govern
ment does not believe this likely. but t,
guard against all possible dangers ant
to calm the fears along the coast it ha!
some of it's fastest scouts and bes
equipped cruisers doing guard and pa
troll work off the Northern shore. Fo
Spain to send her fleet here would be t
send it far from a base of supplies, in
to the teeth of destruction, with litti'
or no hope of striking a heavy blow.
The fifth possibility. and by far thu
most likely one, is that the Spanisl
fleet is headed for Porto Rico. Thi
means that there is a big naval battl'
on the programme for the immediate
future. and Admiral Sampson, aidet
perhaps by Commodore Schley, will no
fail to do in the Atlantic what the in
trepid Dewey did in the Pacific. Madrit
dispatches saying that Spain is deter
mined to strike us ''one terrible, glori
Gus blow" evidently mean that he
fleet will engage ours and attempt t.
break up the blockade and reliev
Cuba. Spain is desperate, and to tn