The age-herald., 1898-06-04

Washington, June 3-A brief bulletin tells ing of Commodore. Schleys reconnaissance at Santiago on Tuesday was all the inforJ nation the navy department had to contrib bute to the press today. This bulletin went to confirm the press dispatches which told of the firing on the fortifications at Sam tiago, but which have been so steadily dis credited ever since the first report. It ap. pears from the bulletin given out that Com- modore Schley concentrated a pretty good fire upon the Spanish defenses and 1t seems possible that he found conditions more pro- pitious than they were he would have re- solved the recoinoisance into an assault in force.
 The great natural strength of the Spanish position and the formidable character of their batteries as indicated by Commodore Schey have confirmed the naval officials in the belief that they have been wise not to direct any such reckless assault upon the place in the absence of proper force as has been advocated in some quarters. The pro- blem would be simplifed were it known that there were no mines in the chanel.
 No Case on Record
 There Is no case on record of successful countermining against modern improved
 
 however, how Admiral Sampson Is going to solve this problem, whether by the use of the Vesuvious with her dynamite pro- jectiles, by the aid of divers, by re- course to the old method of dragging for the mines with a small boat in cable cutting operations. The owners of the Hol- land submarine boat, who had proposed to go into Santiago harbor and destroy the Spanish warships at so much vessel have come forward with a request for practi- cal test by the naval officers of their craft. The navy department was obliged to de- cline to entertain the first proposition, as 1t smacked of privateering and was in viola- ton of international law. The principal objection was that the boat could not be in regular commission and in command of a naval officer Besides they contended that she had never been thoroughly tested. Now the boats owners propose that a naval offi- cer or officers be designated to go down in the Holland, and that she be commissioned.
 Notw. thstanding the rather posit.ye statement coming from Jamaica that d second Spanish fleet from Ca1iz has cross ed the Atlantic and Is about to join Cervera today at Santiago the officers of the navy department refuse to be frightened at what they declare to be a bugaboo. It az ears that the basis of their confidence is a tele- graphic report dated " sterday d-clar ng the Cadiz fleet is still at Cadiz Moreover, they know that there are not so many as sixteen warships in that fleet.
 Sigsbee in Washington
 Captain Sigsbee, of the auxiliary cruiser St. Paul. reported at the navy department today and had a conference with Acting s c e ary Allen. Messers. Thrall and Jones' the two newspaper correspondents imp isoned at Hay a.a and recently ex- changed for Spanish officers, were also at the navy department during the day.
 The navy department found it neces- sary today to make an explanation of the method it had employed of advancing on the list the captains of the vessels engaged in the battle of Manila.
 There appeared to be great incon- sistency in the recomme ndation of Cart7in Frank Wilde, of the Boston, for instance, going up only numbers, while Commander Wood of the little Petral, jumped ten. Admiral Dewey himself went up only two numbers. The reason for this, according to the department, is that a number in the higher grade is worth much more than a number in the lower grade. so that what appears to be an inequality is in fact exa't equality as near as calcu'ation could make it. The advance of these officers of the naval list has caused some very curious .'skps" such, for instance, as in the case of Captain Sigsbee. Captain Crownirsh eld and Captain O'Neill, of the ordinance bu- rea,I who were all passed over.