Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-06-10
IS SHORT OF FOOD
WOULDN'T TAKE LONG TO sTARvE
SANTIAGO OUT.
FEW SPANISH TROOPS THERE
ONLY 5000 INSTEAD OF 10000, AS
HAS BEEN STATED.
Even These Are Badly Fed and Dis
heartened-Every ERort Being
Made to Cut on All Cable
Communication With
Outside World.

Made to Cut on All Cable
Communication With
Outside World.
Copyright. 1sss by the Associated Presk.)
OFF SANTIAGO DE. CUBA. SATUR-
DAY, June 4, VIA KINGSTON, JAMAI-
CA. MONDAY. June 6. a. m.-Every ef-
fort. Is being made to cut of Santiago de
Cuba's connection with the outside world.
and it Is believed that within forty-eight
hours there will be a practical accomplish
ment Of the design.
Since Sunday last, wnen Commodore
Schley found Admiral Cervera's feet try
ing quietly to leave the harbor and headed
on the attempt, thus probably solving the
var problem, it has been the policy. SO to
surround the city and harbor that no as
sistance, either in supplying arms or am
munition. could reach there.
After driving the Spanish fleet into more
protected position in the harbor by the
bombardment Of Tuesday, Commodore
Schley opened communication with the in
sufgents, eighteen miles from Santiago. to
the east. They were urged to obtain. II
possible. the names and number Of the ves-
sells Of the fleet inside the harbor. as the
contour Of the land at the entrance made It
impossible to determine accurately by a
view from the American feet Just how
many vessels Of the Spanish squadron were
there's .
On Friday afternoon, Lieutenant Sharp,
OF the Vixen. went to the place Of rendez-
vous and received from the insurgents q
| map Of the harbor. showing the entire
Cape Verde feet. with the exception OF tho
destroyer. Terror, inside and close up to tho
city under the protection of the guns
mounted on Blanco battery at the northern
extremity Of the harbor.
The ships there. according to this chart.
are the Cristobal Colon. the vizcaya, the
Almirante- Oquendo. the Maria Teresa and
the -Reina Mercedes destroyed by the
American Warships since this dispatch was
written. all cruisers Of the first class and
heavily armed. together with three tor
pedo boats. The definiteness Of this infor-
nation naturally gave Commodore Schley
great satisfaction. Although he had known
that several ,ships of the enemy were
there, he was not certain that some others
had not succeeded in getting away or had
not been sent in another direction.
With Admiral SIMPSONS arrival Wednes-
day, the blockade was much strengthened
and while the plans to starvs out the city.
its troops and the enemy's fleet were
"
find and cut the cables communicating
from Santiago to Jamaica and Hayti.
cables which It had been. alleged had been
cut by the auxiliary cruiser st. Louis.
The boat was put to work, but up to to.
day had not found the cable for which she
was searching. Guarded by the battle
ships Massachusetts, and Texas she work.
ed on Friday morning within two miles Of
formidable Notifications on shore, and,
strange to say. without any attempt Of the
Spanish gunners 70, hit them, although in
the early mornins,the big guns were fred
at Commodore schIeys. flagship.
Just how long Santiago can stand be-
sieging Is matter Of conjecture. Three
weeks ago 1t was claimed at Jamaica that
food In Santiago was very poor, and that
1t was also very scant. The country about
the city is unproductive and mountainous,
and the insurgent camps are 50 close that
there y little or no Communication between
the city and its environs. The railway
service is not carried to distance much
beyond ten miles from the town. Since
Sunday last, when Cerverass squadron was
bottled up by the flying squadron under
Commodore Schley. nothing has gone in
and the auxiliary cruiser st. Paul cap
tured about 1000 tons Of coal consigned to
the port. 1t is thoroughly believed that
Santiago to a starvation basis. Naturally,
the fleet has a supply. perhaps for two
months. but the Spanish soldiery cannot be
sustained on this. 81
One important fact was learned to-day
from the insurgents on shore. with whom
communication has been opened up There
are not 10000 soldiers as has been stated, in
this part Of the province of Santiago de
Cuba, but only about 5000. Even these are
Aoa t~kn
It had been the intention to send the
cruiser Marblehead and the cable steamer
east to Guantanamo to cut the cable at
that point, word having been brought that
the Spanish fleet evidently was in commun-
ication with Madrid. The ships were to
leave at midnight, but subsequent order
delayed the matter. In the meantime, the
Spanish seemed to be profiting greatly by
delayed. Active work il being prosecuted on
the earthworks and new guns are being
mounted.
On Sunday morning the fleet lay outside
the harbor. ready to fight at a moments
rotice.
At 10:3O tugboat bearing a flag of
truce was, seen by the lookout on the Iowa
to be steaming down the entrance. Grasp
ing the situation Immediately. Captain
Bob" Evans, commander of the battle
ship, started out in a boat to meet the
tug at the same time instructinE the OF.
ficer In charge to go as close as possible
to the mouth Of the harbor, SO as to see
where the Merrimac was sunk and II her
hull, was successfully blockading the har-
bor entrance.
The boat succeeded In getting near
enough to observe that the Spanish tug
had to go into shallow water and around
the wreck before she could get out. When
she emerged. the Spanish officer on board.
after an exchange of compliments. said
the Spaniards had seen what they believed
to be a flag of truce on the Iowa and had
come to answer 1t. They were politely in
formed that they had been deceived by the
awning. over the lookout in the foretop,
and that the American fleet had no occa-
sion to send up flag of truce. The Span
ish tug returned to the harbor.
TO SEIZE THE LADR0NES.
Cruiser Charleston Has Other Work
ON Hand Besides Carrying Re-
lief to Dewey.
SAN FRANCISCO. June s.-The Evening
Post will say to-day the cruiser Charles
ton will not go to the Philippine Islands
Immediately, but that her destination is
the island OF Guahap. in the Ladrone group,
which are controlled by the Spanish, and
which are about l5O0 miles from Manila,
and $500 miles from Honolulu. The chief