Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1898-06-09
HIGHEST PRAISE.
Naval Game In West Indies seems rlay-
ed Out Santiago in,ites Capture by
Military Action Ccrvera's Fleet VIII
lie Scuttlcd or Captured.

LONDON, June G.-All the papers re-
fer in terms of the highest praise to
Naval Constructor IIobSon's daring cx-
plot at Santiago de Cuba, hut some
doubts are thrown upon the statement
that the Mcrrimac 50 completely blocks
the channel as the American reports
assert.
The Times in an article reviewing
the operations of the week SAYS:
ut is most probable that Adm. Ger.
vera has II deliberate intention to stay
at Santiago, therefore, to open the
channel would br of very little use TO
him. 1t seems clear that his squadron
was not prepared for war or tit for sea
when it left the Cape Verde islands,
and there is good reason to doubt
whether the Cristohal Colon even ship
ped her big guns at all.
"lIobson's exploit is one of which
the American navy may well be proud.
| The idea that the wreck can be re.
moved by the use of little dynamite
is opposed To all experience. Madrid
describes the affair as "a brilliant Span
| ish victory, but from dreams of such
victories there is an unpleasant awak'
Cning
Adm. ,crvcra's period of evasion is
now ended and, beyond creating an
unrcaNuniug panic in America, he has
accomplished nothing. The naval
game Ia the West Indies seems played
out, and little can To- said of it cNccp,
| that events have conformcd strictly To
| laNN and that M nrNy and ,Nn.,t,I Ia.
vclupmcntS can I've traced. Santiago
now invites capture by military ac
ton, and Adm. Ccrvcra's ships, unless
scuttlcd, can not avoid capture"
The Times, commenting cditurially
ON the exploit, says:
The pcrilous operation was cNccut
ell with splendid gallantry by n littl,
| band of volunteers who almost
tremendously escaped. The dcstruc
ton and fall of Santiago are now only
a question of time, with the disap
pearance Of all the hopes founded up
ON the Spanish fleets.
| "Spain's sympathizers recognize that
her case is hopeless, and America will
not distress herself much about sucl
warnings a. that of the st Peters
burg Novosti Saturday. until the com
| bination assumes a more tangible
form than there is any prospect of AT
present
Peace is at SPANS disposal when
ever she seeks il frankly and sincerely
but her game is clearly lost and it is
quite out OF the question to define a
honorable peace one restoring the
statu quo.
The Daily Chronicle remarks: Add
cd to the other dangers was the danger
of sharks. The incident gives fresl
lustcr To the rcnown of the American
navy.
| The Daily News says:
"All English sailors will join will
the Americans in admiration of this
exploit under the point blank fire %
the Spanish batteries. Whether tn,
| Mcrrimac WAS intended to be sunk ol
To clear a fair way through the mines
can not affect the praise du,
men who hcroically volunteered
To face almost certain death il
the service of their country. IL tn,
United States can count on self-sacri
flee of that kind in great emergencies
the Santiago forts will be powerless t,
prevent Adm. Sampson reaching tn,
Spanish squadron, should that meas
urc seem good to him.
The article proceeds to argue tina
it IS premature however to suppos,
that the channel is absolutely close,
or that it would be impossible to de
stroy the hulk. 1t says:
English torpedo officers could de
wise many methods of floating GU
dynamite chargcs-EIlass the hulk lie
far outside Morr -. ftle, in whis'
case it can not be blocking theehanne
completely. IL the Merrimac's mast
and tunnels are still visible, She sunl
somewhere near the five fathom mari
and has left the deep channel clear