Their coalition never came off.

Such a thing couldn't come off without England, and England said No.
Next, Lord Cromer, at Port Said, stretched out the arm of international law, and laid it upon the Spanish fleet.

Belligerents may legally take coal enough at neutral ports to reach their nearest "home port." That Spanish fleet was on its way from Spain to Manila through the Suez Canal.

It could have reached there, had Lord Cromer allowed it coal enough to make the nearest home port ahead of it--Manila.

But there was a home port behind it, still nearer, namely, Barcelona.