Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-14
THE Flying SQUADRON
LEAVES HAMPTON ROADS
Continued from First Page.


troops in reserve to occupy the
town if it were captured, was to
destroy the Notifications and make
the harbor useless to the Spanish
flying squadron as a place OF re-
fuge. The reports so far received
show that he did not complete that
undertaking yesterday and the
question now is whether he VIII
resume his work to-day, or will be
diverted from it by the report oil :
the presence of the
SPANISH FLYING SQUADRON
in the neighborhood of Martini
que. The statement given out at
the Navy Department that tine
Spanish squadron is now hull
down to the westward of Mar
Unique" could not be supplemented
by additional information as to the
time the dispatch was sent but it IS
supposed that the squadron was
seen yesterday.
Sampson already knows of its
movements, for the United States
scout Harvard, which put into
Martinique yesterday, is said to
have found there one Of the tor
pedo boat destroyers composing
the Spanish fleet and certainly
would report the fact to Sampson
via st. Thomas if possible to do SO.
There is suspicion, however, that
the United States has not been
treated with perfect fairness in the
matter of the use of the cable from
Martinique and that messages OF
the utmost Importance, such Tor
instance as those reporting the
movements of the Spanish ships,
have been delayed an unconsider-
able length of time 10 the great
embarrassment of cur forces. The
subject is one that will be investi-
gated in the future, as well as
other facts connected with the
treatment of Spanish ships IN
West Indian ports which are nom
inally operating strictly under the
neutrality laws.
It is suggested that the Spanish
squadron is lying in wait for the
Oregon which, with the Marietta
nd Nictheroy, sailed on the 18th
from Bahia to join Sampson, and
the reported activity of the Span
ish torpedo boat destroyers in run
ming in and out of Martinique
seems to show that they are heing
used as scouts to give the rest of
THE SQUADRON NOTICE
of the approach of the American
batteship. If so, the mission will
be fruitless, for having discovered
the Whereabouts of the Spanish
force. Admiral Sampson will carry
out his orders to destroy their
ships if he can reach tAem. The
fact that the Spaniards were head
ed yesterday towards the west
ward on the surface would indicate
that they were bound for the south
coast of Cuba, but warships in
these circumstances try to mislead
observers ashore.
The information that the Spanish
squadron had been sighted off Mar
Unique caused a decided sensation
throughout naval circles, as this
brings close to Admiral SampsNa's
squadron the formidable collection
of SPANS strongest and most mod
ern vessels. 1t is this fleet which
was reported to be lying at Cadiz.
Evidently the latter report was in
spired by Spanish strategy.
Martinique is a French island,
lying 500 miles east of Porto Rico,
and 700 miles from the eastern
coast of Cuba. 1t is one of the out
posts of the West Indies, and is
the natural point at which the
Spanish fleet, coming from Cape
Verde, would first make land
ing.
1t must now pass the French
island of Guadalupe to the west,