Evening journal., 1898-07-06
soMsARDMENT POSTPONED.
President Wants Combined Action Of Ar
my and Fleet.

structions were sent by the president
TO Admiral Sampson and General SHAFT
ter TO confer together concerning a
joint plan OF attack upon the city. Up-
on tho outcome OF this conference de-
pends the line Of action OF the immedi-
ate future. For the present the land
bombardment by General Skaters
forces has been deferred. as the sltua-
ton has so completely changed by the
annihiIation of the Spanish fleet that
It is manlfestly the part Of wisdom for
this land bombardment to await the CO.
operation and support Of a lombard
ment from Admiral Simpsons fleet.
General Skaters demand for the sur
render Of Santiago on the pain of bonn
bardment was made at $3.50 o'clock Sun
day morning. An hour later Admiral
Cervera made his suicidal dash from the
harbor resulting I'm q complete trans
formation OF the naval and military
conditions. Instead of a menacing
spanish fleet within the harbor. the way
has been cleared, save for the shore bat
teres. for the entrance OF the American
fleet up to the very wharfs of the city.
with this material change wrought, 1t
was obvious to the authorities here that
the blow first intended to be delivered
by General Shafter alone would be dou-
forces could be brought together and
strike simultaneously from land and
sea. IL IS for this reason that the con-
ference Is held between the American
general and the American admiral. Up
10 the close OF office hours yesterday no
word had come either to the war or
navy department, 80 far as was dis
closed, as TO what determination had
been reached at the conference.
At the same time IL is the clear ex-
pectation OF the authorities here that
the conference will result In a determi-
nation by the admiral to take his fleet
through the narrow neck OF the harbor,
make his way past the shore batteries
and fortihcations and take position be-
fore the city for a bombardment. There
is reason TO believe that the instruc-
tions sent TO Admiral Sampson at least
conveyed the desire, IL not the instruc-
tions, that he enter the harbor. But It
is said that the admiral and the general
continue TO be the supreme officials in
authority and that being on the scene.
fully alive to all the conditions. their
judgment will be taken as final in the
course TO be adopted.
There is said TO be no obstacle so far
as navigation Is concerned to the en-
, trance OF the harbor by the American
fleet The CristObal Colon, which clear
ed the Merrimac and got out Of the har-
Dor Sunday. drew % feet inches, which
is within seven inches Of the draft of
the battleships Iowa, Indiana, Massa-
chusetts and Oregon and is greater than
the draft OF the battleship Texas More
over. the navy department has known
for the last ten days that the neck Of
the channel was open, despite the sink
\ a.
clear seaway OF seven fathoms
through which any ship in our navy
could sail This removes all difficulty
except for submarine mines or from the
shore batteries
AS 10 the mines, little account is TAX
en- Of them since the Spanish fleet pass
ed over them. The Spaniards are I'm the
habit OF using contact mines, so that
there IS little likelihood Of there being
mines operated by electric connection
, with the shore. The forts and batteries
{ have been badly weakened by the con-
3 stant fire of the fleet for many weeks
, past and while stlll a factor they are
I greatly disabled
], Once up to the city. the fleet and army
could combine I'm a terrific double fire.
No less than 292 heavy guns would be
trained from the American warships on
the llAlH anu AT liAt rtAlilt lflllt the UlE
e siege guns, which. Il Is expected. have
e been brought to the front of Skaters
o line. would rain down a torrent of steel
e from that quarter. The siege guns
I throw shells Of 1856 pounds. Aside from
r them there are four mortar howitzers
o and a large number OF smaller howitz-
r. ers. These are I'm the heavy artillery,
y while the light artillery embraces a
h great number Of guns of 3.2 caliber.
Il Combined this fire from the land and
sea would be terrific IN it's effect
l. The action OF the foreign representa-
n tives at Santiago has been an additional
e reason for deferring the bombardment
e II was made known late yesterday that
one Of General Skaters dispatches
10 stated that these representatives had
l. Joined In n request TO him to put Off the
n shelling Of the city for another brief
l. period until their respective colonies
r could be removed This accounts Tor
n the departure OF the foreign warships
- from Santiago harbor, as they are bear
10 ing away the foreign residents IN the
period before the b0mbardment begins
e The activity OF the consuls at Santiago
i has led TO no diplomatic complication
~ which has reached the state department
II thus far. and the authorities here fee
that nothing or that nature viii de-
n velop.
The state department yesterday tool
occasion 70 dispel some Of the spanisi
\, illusions over the escape of Admira
- Cervera's fleet. II seems that Madrid 4
not alone In the belief that the fee
made q handsome sortie from Santiago
a. and left the American ships far in tn
- rear.
Yesterday a cablegram came from
United States Minister Lumis at Caraca
" saying the Spanish residents there wer
ny celebrating the Spanish naval victory
u The minister was informed briefly tha
40 Cervera's fleet had been destroyed. tn
admiral made prisoner and that Gen
ai eral Shafter had demanded the surren
ne der Of the city.
The definite official report reaching
nj here yesterday that the Spanish flee
u had entered the Suez canal made n
ce change in the plans of the navy depart
ment as 10 sending Commodore Wat
en- sons squadron to the coast OF SpaiI
r. Secretary Long said II would start a
DO the earliest possible moment, but he al
nd not care TO give the day of departure.
n The annllhilation of the Spanish fee
es continues to be an absorbing toni