Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-05-28
SAMPSON IS NOT AT KEY WEST
Hc Has Been Almost within Strik-
ing Distance OF the span.
ish Fleet.

ing Distance of the Span.
isii Fleet.
Washington, May 23.-Secretary
Long was not able to reach the white
house for the meeting OF the cabinet
until the session was nearly over.
He was detained at the navy depart
ment receiving news Of the fleets and
giving orders TO the board Of strategy.
The news of a battle is hourly cN.
pccted.
Information as to ships is carefully
guarded.
Senator Shoup Of Idaho, who spent
some time with the president, e&
pressed the belief that the reported ar
rival Of the Spanish fleet at Santiago
was true and that il might have the eff
feet Of bringing about an earlier close
of the war than had been expected. lie
thought, however, the indications were
the war might last a year.
A dispatch to the New York Journal,
sent out of Key West by carrier pigeon
10 avoid the censor, says:
Both big American squadrons are
here. Commodore Schlcy, with his fly
ing squadron, arrived Wednesday
Thursday i'm came Admiral Sampson
and his ships.
"a report came from Washington
that Admiral Cervera and his fleet hac
put in at Santiago de Cuba. There il
treat hustle in the fleet, and evidently
arrangements are being made to sail
at once.
The rumor is that Schley will take
the monitors and some of the smaller
cruisers TO keep the Spaniards out oil
Havana, while Sampson takes the bat
tleships and larger cruisers TO chase
Cervcra around the island.
Sampson brought the Indiana, Iowa,
New York, Terror, Amphitritc, Detroit,
Wampatuck and Porter.
With Schlcy came the Massachusetts,
Texas, Brooklyn and Scorpion.
Rear Admiral Samson has beer given
authority to employ divers to clean the
bottoms of the men OF war which were
With him before San Juan. If it proves
rue that the Spanish feet is at Santa
20 de Cuba he will defer this action.
If the report is true that Ceryera is
II Santiago de Cuba an immediate
noycment Of the fighting squadron to
,hat port will take place.
As a matter Of fact Rear Admiral
SIMPSONS squadron is almost within
Sighting distance Of the Spanish ships.
Iintings Of this great fact have been
permitted TO pcrcoIatc through bar
riers that have been thrown around
,hc navy department. 1t is admitted
BY a high officer Of that branch of the
administration that golfers have been
sent to the Windward passage witlf
,oal for Sampson. IT is thought thd
Oregon with her consorts, having
picked up the Harvard at st. Pierre
Martinique, and having joined thd
Montgomery, st. Paul and 81. Louis,
which were scouting in the Caribbean
sea, have joined forces with Sampsoni
An effort to reconcile the report tina
Sampson is at Key West with the me-
ccssity that he should be in the neigh
Dor hood Of the Windward passage fof
the purpose of e"ncountcring the Caps
Verde fleet should il attempt TO sail
through Mona or Virgin passages tG
attack our s]caCOast or 20 enter Santi.
ago or CicnfucgOs, meets with failure
The official presumption is that we
shall have another sea- battle within
thirty-six hours, possibly within twen'
ty-four hours.
Secretary Long confessed after leav-
ing the white house that he was in.
to believe the newspaper reports
that the Spaniards are at Santiago.
Previously he had allowed the i'm.
preston to go out that he placed nc
reliance in the dispatches.
When asked if he expected a meet
ing Of the American and Spanish ships
Immediately, he shiftily observed that
eve ought to have encouragement in
two or three or four days. and then
puckcrcd his lips significantly and hur.
ried away.