New-York tribune., 1902-12-10
ENEMY CAPTURES PORT.
SUMNER GETS M4Y4GUEZ
HIS Fleet Successfully Eludes the
Squadron Defending the
Vest indies.

| with the Iowa, the llllnOlS, the Albany anu 'i0
Chicago. He captured Mayaguez without re-
sistance at o'clock, and Immediately mined
the harhor. The Nashville and the Eagle SUD
sequenty entered the channel. and reporteu
| that the Atlanta and the San Francisco had last
| ben seen off Ponce and had, perhaps, been
! overtaken.
| Admiral Summers victory was due to the care
| full execution of his plans At Trinidad he oi-
rected the White Squadron to proceed to TINS
| place Guayanilla, Ponce. Ensenada or Culeora.
His fleet was reported to Admiral Higgins. COM
manding the Blue or opposing. squadron, at
! 6 .. m. on December s. Under the rules the
| White Squadron would win If it entered the
| port selected and worked for one hour laying
| mines before the arrival of a Blue Squadron d"
| per cent superior, or If it entered the harpol
! and completed the work of mining before 'he
| arrival of a Blue Squadron double its strehsIh-
The White Squadron would lose If it were IN
| tercepted by superior force at sea- or "llhiii
one hour after anchoring in the port seiecVeu'
SIMILAR PLANS PREPARED.
While at Trinidad Admiral Sumner found that
Admiral Crowninshield. commanding the Euro
| pean Squadron with which the South Atlantic
| Squadron combined had prepared plan of
| procedure similar to his AS the NaSh-
| Vile the Atlanta the San Francisco and the
! Eagle were slow, Admiral Crowninshleld sus-
| Cested that these vessels be detached ana Or
dered to proceed deployed. scouts, TO a point
| one hundred miles south OF the eastern eno oi
Porto Rico and then north to point twenty
| miles southeast of Ponce.
THE great aim of these scouts, Adnirai
| Sumner announced. is to deceive the enemy
| as to the whereabouts and intention OF the re-
| mainder of the squadron; they should make use
of every possible means to attract and ara"
away to the eastward any force of the enemy
guarding the western end of Porto Rlco- nav
ing accomplished this object the scouts are 10
rush the harbor of Mayaguez at dayhght oL
December g."
The White Squadron sailed from Ir1nldad Ihe
morning of December +. The Iowa. the Albany
the Illinois and the Chicago forming an indent-
ed column, left the remainder of the squadron
and steamed at twelve knots an hour to LATITUDE
IA 40 longitude ~: "a which point they reached
at 6 u M on December >. The four vessels
then steamed north in line with the ISLANDS.
No lights were shown, and only small req anu
blue flags were used. The flag otncers ala thel'
night signalling by whistles and shielded lshtS
There was clear weather throughout the run
An especially careful watch was kept on De
can,ber : when the four vessels were due north
of Culebra Island which Admiral sumner sup
posed to be the centre of the north and south
iina o- the R,re scouts To avoid these scouts
Adr,ira, Sumner kept over two hundred miles
away from land.
GETTING CLOSE TO THE PORT
-, Doo.r,,.r G the Iowa. the Albany. the
Illinois and the Chicago parallel with the
north shore Of Porto Rico until direct
l., north of the Mona Passage. when tney
turned to south with the intention OF
making San Domingo sneaking along 'he
shore Of that island. and making a. oasa
across Mona Passage under forced drausht
ia Nfayacuez In view Of the average speed
Of thirteen and one-tenth knots an nouF
:, e ,ot easible to make greater detour
Come NJ The officers Of the White squadron de-
sired 10 enter Mayaguez at once. but TO TINS
.4r,i,aI Simmer was opposed. When entering
tho Mona Passage al . o'clock this morning the
soradron stouped for short time. NO Blue
scouts were sighted until dawn. then the ol!h-
pia the Cincinnati the Detroit ana Tue NIL taa
gomery were seen. Inese go. pioo II
scouting on the north shore or FoTto fNiNo'
is renerlxa BILE that they failed 10 slsht lHe
White Squadron especially as the nlght Waa
clear and there was half a moon until o cl3eh o.
All nrenarations for mining the harbor had
heen made when the four vessels OF .Ie - Les
Squadron dropped their anchors IN May sa ths
Herhor Boats were lowered at once, ana the
mining of the channel was finished IN tnlTS @
four minutes On the appearance OF the =" nite
Squadron the Hist. q Blue squadron sCout, US
cbarged green and red signals and escaped. no
effort being made to stop her. The other scouts
of the Blue Squadron, fearing caPtuIe, ~
away to search for Admiral Hlsglhsoi- ne
vas last reported at Niequez Island, Where ne
will ne advised of Admiral Summers victory.
After the four vessels Of the White squadron
,ysra in the harbor, Admiral Crowninsheld sig
vailed the following message to Admiral SUM
ner: Congratulations upon your sIeat success
10 which bold navigation contributed
To this Admiral Sumner replied. Thank you:
accent my CONGRATULATIONS upon the Deautiful
way in which you mined the harbor."
ADMIRAL SUMNER GRATIFTED.
Admiral Sumner is much gratified at this re-
suit of the nanuuvres. He says that they have
been excellent practice. Such exercises result
in improving the navy. The officers OF the
Blue Squadron cannot understand the failure of
their scouts to discover the slow moving divi-
sion of the White Squadron which passed
through a line of scouts reaching from Porto
Rico to Trinidad and along the coast of Porto
Rico The problem is held to be a further DEM
onstration of the need of exercise in scouting |
and of a greater navy. in view of the proven |
inability of q fleet equal TO that commanded by |
Admiral Sampson in the Spanish-American War |
to prevent the seizure of one of five ports with
In an area of 40 miles.
Admiral Crowninsheld says that after steam |
ing six thousand miles, 1t is gratifying to find |
his vessels in condition to win a signal vic
tory 1t is expected that Admiral Summer will |
sail tonight for Culebra Island where he will |
transfer his flag. Admiral Dewey will then or |
ganiZe the fleet. Admiral Higginson will have |
command of the first squadron: all the battle |
ships will be in the second division. which will |
be under command of Admiral CrowninshieId |
The second squadron, to include all the cruisers
will be under the command of Admiral Sumner |
ADMIRAL DEWEY AT CULEBRA ISLAND |
Washington Dec. 9-The Navy Department was |
informed to-day of the arrival Sunday of the |