Schley started that same night for Santiago. He had in his fleet now the converted yacht Eagle which, in the rough weather Which ensued, could make no better speed than four or five knots an hour. For some time the speed of the whole squadron was kept down to that of the Eagle.
fore rests the ground for THE SECOND CRITICISM, that Schley, who should have exerted every effort to get to Santiago at the earliest possible moment, should permit the Eagle, 3 vessel that could not be entered into ealeutation in the event of battle, to fix his ron speed.
hley's torve arrived off' Santi the sifternoon of May taken nearly fort of three hundred miles. Then, instead of mn approsehing the arbour. entrance <o, see there were signs of the Spanish squadron, he stood off some twenty-two miles to the southward. Communication was had with three American scout ships, which were there met, and then Schley set the signal for his squadron to return to Key West. 'This remarkable move he explains wi the statement that the machinery of his collier, the Merrimac, had broken down, "and as the prospect did not seem favourable for replenishing the meagre coal supply of the vessels the squadron stood' to the westward, towing the collier." Had the squadron approached the coast they would have easily seen at the harbour's mouth Cervera's cruiser, the Cristobal Colon, which was at that time anchored there.
Herein comes
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.