The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-25
ONE THOUSAND AMERICANS AGAINST TWO THOUSAND
SPANIARDS--ENE DRIVEN FROM THlCKET--
BLOCKHOUSE STORMED--ENEMY ROUTED.
A BLOW AGAINST SPAIN FERSELF
If She Should be Mad Enough to Send Camara to Attack
Dewey, Before the Spanish Fleet Could Issue from
the Suez Canal an American Squadron
Would be Crossing the Ocean on its
Way to Garry the War into
Spain Itself.

a realizing sense of the hopelessness Of
the continuance Of the present war,
and even kindneSS. it is held, will dictate
such a blow as that it is proposed to
administer. il the Spanish persist in
this last project, After the fall of san
tago and the capture or destruction Of,
Ceyera's squadron, Sampson will have
an abundance of vessels to spare for the
task set for him. Probably he will con-
stitutc the attacking fleet in two squad
rons, the first flying squadron to be
composed of the swiftest vessels of the
fleet, such MS the Columbia, Minneapolis,
Harvard, Yale. ST. Louis, New Orleans
and such craft. This will he followed
under another command of either
Sampson or Schley, by the battleships,
which Captain Clark's experience with
the Oregon has shown, can easily be
counted on for the voyage across the
Atlantic.
No official news came TO the War De
partment during office hours from our
army near Santiago. This was cause
for mild surprise ut the department, as
General Shafter has a cable at his com
mand, and it was expected he wonld re-
port the measures of success he has
attained in the debarkation of his army
on Cuban soil and the beginning Of opera
tionS against Santiago. However the
General has the reputation here OF being
man of deeds rather than words ana
of not being given to over many official
reports. Not hearing from him the Off
cialS were obliged to rely for information
entirely upon press reports. They found
these highly satisfactory and Secretary
Alger expressed particular qualification mt
the news that the ships had reached Il
point within seven miles of Moro Cas-
tie without encOuntering serious resis
tance. The direction taken by the troops
after their landing at Baiquiri trendng
generally weStward-is taken in some
quarters here to Indicate n purpose to
unite with Simpsons fleet in an attack
on MORO Castle and the other forts at
the entrance of Santiago harbOr before
turning their attention to the town itself.
Once the fort is captured Sampson
with small boats could remove the mines
and if, as reported, the Merrimac does
not completely obstruct the channel,
some of the hattleships may be sent
to deal with Cerveras squadron. Some
thing of this kind is believed to be neces-
sary in order to relieve our troops from
the fire of the Spanish fleet when they
attack Santiago direct
One or two of the battleships, supple
mentcd by few torpedo boats could he
relied upon to keep Cervera's squadron
so fully occupied that he would have
no time to get at the troops attacking
Santiago from the rear.
For the first time to-day there was
Il reliable announcement Of the intention
of General Miles to go to Cuba to par
ticipate IN the operations there before
the campaign is extended to Porto Rico.
The time of his departure is as yet un-
settled.
With great satisfaction the Navy De-
partmenU to-day published SIMPSONS
statement that Hobson and his men are
we'll and are not i'm the line Of FIRE. 1t
was also noted that Sampson finds no
difficulty in having his flags Of truce re-
spected. which is gratifying in view Of
the statement from Havana some days
ago that there was to be no flag Of truce
recognized from the American warships,
by the Spanish.