The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-04
Location of Spanish Fleet 70 Longer
In Doubt.
CAPT. SIGSBEE'S REPORT
SAW THREE OF THE CRUISERS
HIMSELF.
They Were Lying at Anchor In
Santiago Harbor and He Has No
Doubt But the Other Is Also There
Expected to Be Attacked By
Spanish Torpedo Boats.

New York, June Aft the slightest
semblance of doubt has been enter
tanned by members of the war board
aid the authorities of the navy de-
partment as to the precise location of
the Spanish fleet, it was entirely re-
moved, says the Washington CORE
spondent Of the Tribune. by the receipt
OF important information direct from
Captain Sigsbee of the auxiliary cruiser
st, Paul, who came on Immediately af-
ter reporting his arrival at New York
20 Admiral Bunce and communicated
to Secretary Long advices from Adj
miral Sampson and Commodore Schley,
both of whom he left few days ago,
the former then on his way through
the Windward passage, and the latter
holding tight the Spanish vessels be-
hind the outer defenSes of Santiago.
Perhaps no officer of the army is
more familiar with the type of cruisers
inow at Santiago than the former COM
mander of the Maine, and, having seen
three of them lying at anchor in the
last four days, he is positive that the
fourth is there as WELL The last occa-
sion that Captain Sigsbee met the Viz
caya was in Havana harbor, where she
lay not two cable lengths from the
Maine, and while there Captain Sigsbee
not only carefully noted her qualities
and type, but secured drawings and ac-
curate descriptions of the warship.
He has impaired to Secretary Long
the experiences OF the st. Paul and OF
Commodore Schley's squadron in trap
ping the Spanish admiral al Santiago.
Captain Sigsbee does not take full
credit for having discovered the ships
first. but says that both he and Com
modore Schley saw them about the
same time, and that as his signals went
up to the flagship, conveying the fact
that he had sighted two of the ships,
Commodore Schley's were run up, COM
municating the same information to
him.
For six days Captain Sigsbee and the
st. Paul lay off the harbor expecting
nightly to be attacked by the Spanish
torpedo boat destroyers. With his run
ming lights doused and all side lights
out, he cruised off and on about Is miles
from the shore, under darkened skies
and with steam at low pressure. The
use of searchlights to sight any tor
pedo boat that might be lurking around
ready to attack the ship would have re-
vealed his presence to. the Spaniards
at Santiago, and this was what the
captain did not wish them to learn
With every opportunity of attacking
him, the two 3O-knot- deStroyers re-
manned in the harbor all the time, and
Captain Sigsbee accounts for this con-
duct on their part as due to the desire
of the Spanish admiral not to permit
his presence TO be known.
Commodore Schley had established
an effective blockade of the port before
the ST. Paul steamed away. On leav-
ing Santiago Captain Sigsbee made for
Mole st. Nicholas and from there
cruised 10 the " until he met Ad-
miral Sampson, from whom he received
dispatches for the secretary of the
of ne MI
viii be probably in the direction of
Porto Rico and as soon as she is coaled
and proviSioned Captain Sigsbee says
he Will sail again. He leaves here to-
day for New York and will probably
pass out of Sandy Hook with his vessel
sunday or Monday.
The junction OF Admiral Simpsons
squadron with that already blockading
Santiago under Commodore Schley
seems, according to Captain Sigsbee's
calculations, to have been effected or
Wednesday, the 1st. The presence of
so many heavily armored American
ships off the harbor in which Admiral
CerVera's cruisers have taken refuge,
is taken here to indicate a purpose on
the part of the commander of the Amer
lean feet to reduce Santiago at once by
naval assault, rather than wait for
the tedious cooperation of the land
forces dispatched, or about to be dis
with some force that siege operations
against Santiago from the land side
would. on account of the rugged char
acter of the surrounding country, in
Volve insUperable obstacles, and that
with ordinary field artillery the besieg-
ing forces would be no match for the
guns of the Spanish men-of-war inside
the harbor.
The general expectation in naval and
military circles is, therefore, that the
combined American squadrons will re-
new, or have renewed the attack pn1
the outer works, with a view to forcing
an entrance into the bay and COMPEL |
ing the Spanish warships to accept
battle at close quarters. Events at
Santiago, however, are not counted on
to delay or interfere with the execution
of the administrations military pro-
gramme, which includes the eventual
occupa ton of Santiago and the prompt
invasion and seizure of the island of
Porto Rico.