The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-12-01

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3O.-The Navy
Danartment to-day made public re-
port from Rear Admiral Sampson, COW
ering the operations OF the United
States blockading fleet off Santiago
after the destruction of Cervera' >
squadron.
The report begins with dispatch
dated the flagship New York, July
18th, and winds up with one from the
same flagship, dated Guantanamo, Aug
ust 4th.
In the first report Admiral Sampson
tells of the demonstration made against
.Aguadores by the Michigan troops I'M
der Duffield, the point of which was
that as soon as the ships took part in
the firing the Spaniards disappeared
He says that the bombardment OF SAN
tjago on the I'd Of July served no par
ticular end, because Skaters attack
had been postponed He quotes dis
patches from himself to Shafter stat
ing that it was impossible to force an
entrance to the harbor until the mines
had been removed, and that the work
could be accomplished only after the
troops had taken the forts. Shafter
replied that he could not tell when he
could take the batteries. If they We're
as difficult as those against which he
was pitted, it would take some time,
and a great loss Of life. Says Shafter:
II am at a loss to see why the navy
cannot work under a destructive fire as
W ell as the army Ny loss yesterday
was over 500 men. BY all means keep
up fire on hight until demolished |
expect, however, with time and sufti-
cient men, to capture the forts along
the bay
An hour later on the same day, July
I'd, Shafter again appealed to Samp-
son to Immediately force the harbor en-
trance. so as to avoid future loss
among his men, already very heavy.
/ He says: You can operate with less
loss than 1 can"
In reply, on the same day, Admiral
Sampson pointed out that the channel
of the harbor was we'll strewn with
mines, which would certainly result in
the sinking of one or more of his ships
IL he attempted to enter the harbor, and
that by sinking them the harbor would
be blocked against the entrance Of the
others. He had hoped that Shafter
would take the batteries from the rear,
so that he might drag for the torpedoes,
but it was Skaters earnest desire that
he should force the entrance He
would prepare to undertake 1t, think
ing, however, that the position of both
army and navy would be made more
difficult if they failed in the attempt
He promised to use mines at Guanta-
namo TO countermine those at Santiago
which would consume considerable
time.
Says Sampson: ''It is not so much
the loss of men as the loss of ships
which have until now deferred me from
making direct attack upon the ships
within the port
Admiral Sampson says that after the
destruction of Admiral Cervera's fleet
Shafter renewed the request that he
should force the entrance to the har-
Dor, and it was arranged between them
that the outside forts should be taken
by marines and Cubans after the fleet
had shelled them. Then the harbor
was to be forced by the fleet. Admiral
this plan was abandoned, and still be-
lieves time and many lives might have
been saved had it been carried out
Thus" says Sampson, II have been
surprised to see published in the pa
pers any statement of refusal on nv
part to endeavor to force my way into
the harbor, and cannot understandable
case the newspaper report be a truth
full statement of what was sent by him
General Skaters sending any report
of this kind. / here, moreover, would
animadvert upon the apparently extra
ordinary openness with which every de-
tail of hope effort or suggestion on nv