Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-04-17
SAMPSON ON CERVERA.
Spanish AdmiraPs Strategy Criticised
by the American Commander

Not the least interesting part OF Ad-
miral Simpsons paper on The Atlantic
Fleet in the Spanish War, in the Cen
fury, is that in which he criticises the
Spanish commanders strategy
When we come to consider the STRAIT
egg of Admiral Cervera in leaving the
harbor, it must be Said first OF all that
it would have been much better, if he
could have done so, to leave by night
That he could not do so is the testi-
mony of the officers of his fleet. We
know from what they said subsequent
Iy, while they were prisoners, that
this plan had been considered by the
admiral and his officers. Two adyo-
Gated going out by night; the others
were all in favor of the sortie by day.
The great difficulty in a night attempt
was our dazzling search-ight. a
search-light shining direct in ones
eyes prevents him absolutely from see
ing anything else; it is as though he
we're looking at the sun; and it was
shat effect upon them, taken in con-
their way out of the channel, that
made them hesitate. This feeling was
in itself a compliment to the efficiency
Of the blockade, but we did not attach
so much Importance to the dazzling OF
the enemy as to the illumination OF
the channel so that we could see ev-
erything that was going on. 1t was a
continual wonder to us why they did
not fire at our seach-Iight, which was
always within range. To be sure, it
would have required pretty good
Workmanship to knock it out, but It
would have made the man who was
manipulating it quite uneasy to know
that he was the center of the enemy
FIRE.
The enemy had no search-lights at
their defenses. All the necessary ma
chinery was in place for the establish
ment Of one on Socapa, but they never
got so far as to complete the plant and
actually use it.
What appeared to us the most ia
YOrable chance for CerVera was to have
been prepared to come out with tull
head of steam, and then to have chosen
a very cloudy, dark night, or one when
a dense rain or squal was passing
over the harbor-when it would be
very difficult to see in any clrcum-
stances-and, guided by screened lights
placed along the channel for the pur-
pose, to have made for the open sea.
His ships might have run out of such
a storm in about an hour; so long as
the squall continued they probably
could have counted upon being inVisl-
BILE to a great extent 1t would have
been difficult to identify the particular
ships, and in the confusion and dark
ness they would probably so far have
escaped observation that they might
have been out of sight by the time the
weather cleared up or the squall had
passed. There were several such
nights, and very anxious ones they
were for us.
Diminishing the question of sortie
by night, there were several things he
might have done by day: Cd to take
the course he did take alongshore to
the westward; (2) to take a similar
course to the eastward; CD to divide
his feet between the two courses; anu
(4) to scatter through our fleet. When
they ali came out and started along
the beach, our fire was easily concen-
trated on them. 1t would have been
worse to go eastward, as he would
have had to engage not only all the
vessels he did, but the New York and
the vessels at Guantanamo-the Mas
sachusetts, Newark and Marblehea1,
which could have been notified by tel
egraph. He might have made a feint
to go in a certain direction. Two
ships sent in one direction would prob
ably have called out most of the
strength of our vessels, and have given
his others a better chance than they
had What would have happened if
they had boldly attempted to dash