The National tribune., 1903-07-02
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY JULY

instructed to proceed to Cape Haitien and
communicate. After sending these dis
l patches. the aforementioned telegram
from Admiral Sampson was received re-
garding the disposition OF the auxiliary
cruisers. and the Department instructed
the Harvard at Martinique to obey the
, orders of Admiral Sampson rather than
the Departments order of the 18th.
Il THE FLYING SQUADRON.
The Naval Station at Key West was
instructed to be ready to coal the North
; Atlantic Squadron and the Flying Squad
: ron upon arrival, and Admiral Sampson
was directed to reinforce the Flying
Squadron by an armored vessel and such
torpedo boats, if any, as he thought fit.
and send this squadron to Cienfuegos. He
was given the choice of remaining on the
blockade of Havana, or of proceeding with
the squadron under orders for Cienfuegos.
The Flying Squadron arrived at Key
West on the morning of May Is, and Ad-
, miral Sampson arrived on the New York
on the same afternoon. At this point he
: received the instructions of the Depart
ment above mentioned and gave Com
modore Schley the choice of remaining
with the blockading squadron off Havana.
or proceeding with the Flying Squadron
TO the south coast of Cuba. From n
; strategical point of view is seemed prob
able that the Spanish squadron would en-
: deavor to make the port of Cienfuegos or
Santiago. Commodore Sch!ey preferred to
: remain in command of the squadron des-
tined for CieDfuegos, and after coaling
sailed at Il. M, on the 10Th, for that
port, with the Brooklyn, Texas, Massachu-
sets and Scorpion. Later on the same
day, information was received to the eff
, feet that the Spanish squadron had arrived
at Santiago. The Minneapolis, at st.
l Thomas, and the ST. Paul, at Cape
Haitien, were given this information, and
ordered to proceed off Santiago. Informa-
= ton and instructions to the same effect
5 were sent the next day to the Harvard off
the north coast of Porto Rico, the st.
Louis at Mole St Nicholas, Haiti, and the
: Yale at Cape Haitien. Admiral Sampson
5 was informed at Key West of this re-
: port and advised to send word to Commo-
dore Schley to proceed at once off San
e tiagO de Cuba with his whole command.
E Admiral Sampson reported that he
t deemed it best to let the Flying Squadron
2 remain at CienfueSos until a report could
be had from the auxiliary vessels at San
tiago or more definite information re-
ceived as to the presence of the Spanish
5 squadron there. On May 90, the Iowa,
Castine and Merrimac sailed by his or
2 der to Key West to reinforce the squadron
4 under Schey.
D On May q, Admiral Sampson left Key
West for the blockade of Havana, hav-
: ing, at } a. m. Of that day, sent the Mar
!, blehead with the order to Commodore
2 Schley to proceed to Santiago. On May
%, dispatch was received from the St
: Louis from st. Thomas, stating that the
Q Spanish fleet was not at Santiago de Cuba
e at Z p. m, Of May IS, and that it was
: not off that port at 8 a. m, May 10. The
= log of the Colon, which has since come
into possession Of the Department, shows
G that the Spanish feet anchored in the
: harbor of Santiago at 500 a. m, May 10
L from which il is evident that the st. Louis
= must have missed the Spanish feet by O
= very few minutes.
! No information having been received
t from Commodore Schley. and it being OF
> vital importance to verify the report of
v the arrival OF the Spanish squadron al
: Santiago. and, if there, prevent it from
: again getting out Of the reach of the De
: partment on the high seas, the cable Office
Y at Mole ST. Nicholas was directed, on the
] 25th,, to deliver to the first American YES
D sci arriving in port, the following mes
sage. "Where is the Flying Squadron
!, Await further orders at Mole" Later in
J. the day, dispatch was received from
o Commodore schley dated May %, sent by
s the Harvard from Mole st. Nicholas. re
h porting his arrival off Cienfuegos on May
f q, and stating that he was not Informed
that port or not.
ORDERS TO COMMODORE sCHLEY.
h The Harvard reported that she had left
. Santiago on May "a; that on the same day
i the Minneapolis had left that port fol
c Cienfuegos to report to Schley; that the
o Spanish fleet had not been seen and nC
information had been obtained respecting
l. its recent movements. The Harvard wa:
n promptly directed to Proceed at once ant
Q inform Schley and also the senior Officer
/ present off Santiago as follows: All De
4 partment's information indicates Spanish
). division is still at Santiago. The Depart
s ment looks to you to ascertain facts ant
that the enemy, II therein, does not leave
n without a decisive action" This dispatcl
was delivered to Commodore Schley on thu
a morning of May q, the squadron being
n at that time between 20 and 20 miles t.
o the southwark Of Santiago.
e On May 26, telegram, received from
Commodore Schley, dated May "a, of
It Cienfuegos, stated that coaling off Glen
: fuegos was very uncertain; that he hat
/, ascertained the Spanish fleet was not a
g that place and that he would move east
n ward on the next day, the 25th, and com
N municate from Nicholas Mole, Haiti; bu
/ that he could not blockade if Spanisl
It squadron was at Santiago, on account O
d want of coal.
II Inc ORDERS winch niu DteH Seul 10 SOLi
70 modore Schley by the Marblehead on th
d morning of May 81, directing him to pro
e ceed to the port Of Santiago were not re
e ceived until the morning of the 24th
# whereas the duplicate orders sent later OIL
e the same day by the Hawk were received
i by Commodore Schley early in the morn
a. ing of May %, which shows the wisdom
# of sending two vessels with these very I'M
q portant orders.
; The Department having this informa
y tion, expected the squadron under Commo
dore Schley to reach Santiago some tim
during the Oath.
In the meantime, the feet under Ad
miral Sampson, had been guarding th
= Nicholas Channel in such manner a
l. to prevent the approach of the Spanisl
Il squadron from the east to Havana.
II On May 26 he wired the Department
% that not having heard from COmmOdor
T Schley and "as the Spanish squadron ma.
% have evaded ut Santiago and attempte,
Is to reach Havana by Cape San Antonio,
o have moved westward to provide agains
~ this contingency. Will attempt to cove
II Havana from both directions"
II Later on the same day he cabled tn
d Department, which dispatch was receive,
ii on the morning Of the 9th, that he ha'
le received information from Schley unde
d date of May %, as follows, cam not salts
s. fed the Spanish squadron is not in Glen
II fuegos, Cuba" and also added that III
e.