Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-06-04

American squadron withdrew at 6u'clock
in the evening.
In the morning the American squad
ron reappeared before Santiago. but con-
tented itself with firing two shots. which
are believed to have been signals agreed
upon with the insurgents. who. number
ing 1000 or 5000. are said to have con-
centrated three or four miles from San
tiago.
Great events are expected hourly al
Santiago. The Spanish authorities have
taken extraordinary precautions. and
have placed in the narrow pass at the
entrance of the harbor special cOntri-
vances which permit the closing and
opening of the port at will"
According to the latest advices from
Santiago. when the Cristobal Colon
emerged from the harbor to the entrance
of the channel she was welcomed by such
a furious fire, as soon as the American
squadr sighter her, that she was COM
PEELED to return into the bay.
Washington, June 2.-It Is now the
presidents hope that the navy will finish
the war which it has fought throughout
Immediately. and that the army will not
be needed, except for the purposes of
occupation.
Admiral Sampson is now off Santiago,
in command of the combined fighting
fleets. comprising the Iowa, Indiana,
Massachusetts. Oregon, Texas. the New
Yorl; and Brooklyn. beside monitors,
cruisers and smaller craft, with Conmo-
dore Schley commanding the second di-
-I.,lp a n
tiago fortfications and the four armored
cruisers and two torpedo boa destroyers
in Admiral Cerveras command lying in
the bottle shaped harbor behind them,
and the expectation Is that, without
waiting for the landing of the troops to
take the fortfications in the rear Admiral
Sampson and Commodore Schley will end
the war
The change in the administrations
plans, which gives Admiral Sampson and
Commodore Schley their great Oppor-
tunity. was made possible by the re-
connoiSsance which Commodore Schley
made of the fortificatiOns at Santiago
and the ships of Admiral Cervera. This
was the basis for the report of an en-
gagement which came Tuesday night and
yesterday from Santiago. Commodore
Schley was feeling the enemy. to see
what his condition was, and with such
results that, although he only expended
so shells. while the Spanish fired three
times as many, and suffered all the loss,
he discovered that both Notifications
and ships were so inefficient in action
that they could he taken by ships, with
out the necessity of assistance by troous
Commodore Schley accomplished, in de-
veloping these facts, all that he had ex-
pected to do, and got the information he
hoped to get.
There was nothing more for his fleet TO
do but wait until Admiral Sampson ar
rived with fleet more formida BILE than
that with which Schlev corked up Ad
hilral CerVera. Then he reported to Ad-
miral Sampson what he had discovered
as To the weakness of the Notifications
ana shlps. which seemed to be in equally
Dad condition. and to be equipped with
equally bad gunners. and Admiral Samp-
son saw. as Commodore Schley had seen,
that the navy could do the work without
the army. and that 1t need not DELAY n
DAY that decisive victory for which he
knew the administration and the cam =
try were impatiently awaiting.
The fight Tuesday was the seuun, t,
the Marblehead's discovery. The Mar
blehead, cruising in close to the harbor
entrance, found four Spanish cruisers.
two torpedo boat destroyers and the old
Reina Mercedes lying behind the batter
les at the mouth of the harbur
Schley at once made up his mind To
draw the fire of the batteries. His oh
jcct was two-fold-to make the enemy
reveal the location of the new masked
batteries and To compel If possible. the
Spanish fleet to come out and fight.
When the American fleet advanced the
Cristobal Colon lay across the entrance
of the harbor. her port broadside facing
the assailants. Schley wanted to get
into the thick of whatever was going to
happen. so transferred his flag from the
Brooklyn to the more heavily armed
Massachusetts. This was al noon.
Two hours later the Massachusetts,
New Orleans and Iowa in the order
named and not more than cable length