The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-28
He is in Front of Santiago de
Cuba HarbOr
With a Squadron of Twelve
WarshipS.
CERVERA Is INSIDE.
This is Now Regarded as a
Certainty.
The Harvard Reaches Kingston
Direct From the Fleet.

Copyright 1898 by the Associated PresS)
Kingston, Jamaica, May 28.-The
United States auxiliary cruiser Har-
ward, formerly the American line
steamer New York, arrived here this
morning after having left the Aneri-
can feet at noon yesterday. Twelve
American warships are now outside the
Santiago de Cuba harbor and Admiral
Cervera and the Spanish fleet are al
most certainly inside. But nothing GER
tain is known as to the communication
which Commodore Sch1ey has had with
the shore. or as 10 the number of Span
ish fighting vessels bottled up in the
harbor.
1t is to be presumed that the Harvard
has important dispatches for the naval
authorities at Washington.
Copyright 1898 by the Associated Press)
Key West. May 2S.-It is now almost
certain that Commodore Schley has
the Spanish fleet bottled up in the har-
bor of Santiago
There is so little doubt about this that
the naval campaign is proceeding upon
is incapable of doing any harm. With
in few days the exact conditions at
Santiago will be known without a
shadow OF doubt In spite of assertions
TO the contrary. Commodore Schley was
not absolutely sure of his game when
he last communicated with Rear Ad-
Tnirai Sampson and the commodore Will
not take active steps to block up the
entrance of Santiago harbor until he
is perfectly certain that Admiral Ger
vera's ships are inside
However, he may have done this al
ready as Commodore SchIey's last com
munication forwarded on Thursday
only reached Rear Admiral Sampson
yesterday. The commodore stayed
three days at Cienfuegos. He signalIed
to his ships: I believe the Spanish
fleet is in the harbor'' On this belief
a message was sent to the American
admiral The details of how Commo-
dore SehIey found out that he was mis-
taken are not yet known At any rate
acting on the admiraPs instructions the
commodore then moved east, arriving
outside Santiago on Wednesday morn
ing. May %.
The topography of Cienfuegos and
Santiago is almost identical Both har
bors are about six miles long with
narrow entrance about 800 yards wide
and protected by high land A whole
fleet could lie in the harbor of either
place and be invisible from the out
side.
After his experience at Cienfuegos.
1T is probable that Commodore Schley
was very conservative in deciding
whether or not he had caught Admiral
CerVera- From the tone of his dis
patches, it is evident that the commo-
dore soon gained much second hand
and external evidence which pointed to
Admiral Cervera's presence in the inner
harbOr- This evidence was apparentIv
strong enough to make the commodore
feel certain the object of his trip had
been accomplished. but in view of his
previous experience. he would not risk
a decisive statement until after ascer-
tanning the fact for himself It is like
" that Commodore Schley has sent
some vessels into the entrance of the
harbor of Santiago or has obtained from
a reliable source ashore, information
as to the exact number and names of
the Spanish warshipS sheltered by the
hills about that place
Contrary to the generally expressed
opinion the Santiago harbor is poorly
protected Like Havana and San Juan
de Porto Rico it has its Moro castle
which is even a better target than those
of Havana and San Juan. The only
danger to be feared is from the mines
which have been laid in the channel Of
Santiago since war was declared But
countermining would probably render
these mines harmless should it prove
desirable for Commodore Schley's ships
to enter the harbor. Such a step how
ever is unlikely.
In this connection it NAV be noted
that since the commencement of the
naval operations. the moral effect of
the mines has been great This condi-
ton promises to continue and will prob
ably mark the naval operations TO
greater extent than ever imagined in
the past.