The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-11
NAVY NOW AWAITS THE ARMY.
PATH BLAZED For THE TROOPS TO
LAND AT GUANTANAMO.

Scout Boats Holding Thirty-five
Miles of the Coast East of Santi-
ngO-Eastern Cuba May Now Be
Safely Invested by Land and Sea.
Cervera's Fleet Must Fight or Sur
render, as American Troops VIII
Soon Man the Forts.
Copyright. 1898, by the Associated Press.
On Board the Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Wanda, off Santiago de Cuba, June
9, p M, via Kingston, June 10. TAO a.
m.-The navy awaits the army.
The fighting ships of Rear Admiral
Sampson and Commodore schley have bat
tered down the coast defenses of Southern
Cuba and have sealed up Admiral Ger
vera's fleet in the harbor of Santiago de
Cuba by sinking the collier Merrimac in
the channel at it's entrance, which the
guns of the fleet cover increasingly.
Scout boats running under the shadows
of Ell Morro have cut the Haytien cable
and now hold thirty-five miles of the coast
east of Santiago de Cuba, including Guam
tanamo harbor.
Under the cover of the guns of the fleet
Eastern Cuba may be safely invested by
land and sea, Admiral Cerveras fleet an
initiated and the entire province and its
towns and harbors seized and held after a
short campaign.
The harbor of Guantanamo is fine base
for land and sea operations. The harbor
is capaclous and has forty feet of water.
The land approaches are not so precipitous
as at Santiago de Cuba.
The low lying hills can be easily crossed
with trains of siege guns and there are
level roads to Santiago, thirty-three miles
distant where a few mountain batteries
beyond the reach OF the fleet will be taken
to an eminence commanding the city and
the Spanish ships.
Guantanamo is an important place. 1t
has six miles of water harbor and will be
of great value to the United States as a
navy and army supply station, coaling de-
pot and cable terminus.
The Spaniards made but slight defense.
Their batteries were silenced on Tuesday
by the Marblehead in a few minutes firing
at 1900 yards. A small Spanish gunboat
ran away.
The Oregon, Marblehead and Yankee
hold the harbor, waiting the land marines.
The navy's work has been done we'll
Daily and nightly ships patrol the thirty
miles of coast within easy gun range Of
the shore
The officers and men are ever ready, and
impatently say: What more can we do?
We have opened the way. Where is the
army of invasion?"
The answer seems near at hand.
The Marblohead returned to Guam
tanamo on Wednesday taking Capt Good
rell of the marines, to survey landing
places.
This morning the New YQFJ1, New Or
leans and Porter were close In shore, off
Daiquiri east of Santiago, where there
are extensive iron works A large iron
pier offers an excellent landing place. Pos
sibly one detachment of the army will
land there, another may land west of El
MORO and a third body of troops may
land at Guantanamo. It is believed the
city can be captured within few days
and that Admiral Cervera will be COM
PEELED to fight.
The destruction of the shore batteries
now makes possible their occupation by
portunity to enter the harbor, remove the
mines at the entrance and effect a Joint
blow of the army and navy, involving the
surrender of the Spanish troops in the
eastern provinces, now practically all con-
centrated a Santiago de Cuba, and the
surrender or destruction of Admiral Ger
vera's fine ships would necessarily have
an important if not controlling bearing.
IN closing the war.
1t is in this view that such a close watch
is maintained to prevent the escape of
the Spanish ships and necessarily, the
presence of the soldiers Is required TO pre-
vent the defeat of the work thus far ac-
complshed by the navy