The Portland daily press., 1898-07-19
ENTERING THU IIARBOR,
Commodore Schley Inspscts The
Abandoned FOrtificatiO1s.

o. OoAAJou ~ uIduslulsSlonJ- lie Quay,
almost Immediately after the flag was
hauled down, steam launches commanded
by Lfeuts. Hobson and Palmer entered
the harbor, penetrating as far as the firing
stations of the submarine mines. These
mines were judged to be not as forIni-
dable as expected and later in the after
noon they were all exploded under the
supervision of the Vixen. 1t was seen
that two mines had been exploded at the
time of the entrance of the Merrimac
into the channel of Santiago harbor, but
il is not thought probable that either of
them had anything to do with the sink
ing of the craft.
Soon after noon, Commodore Schley
with Capt. Cook of the Brooklyn, Lieut..
Sears, the flag lieutenant, and Lieut..
Wells, the flag secretary, went into the
harbor on steam launch, which moved
slowly in order to make close observation
of the Spanish forts and batteries.
Everyone expressed satisfaction at the
fact that MORO castle was not demolished
by the bonn bardment. Capt. Cook says:
"We need MORO as an object lesson
and America is rather shy on ruins any
how. 1t is the only imposing. fortifica-.
ton in the harbor, and it is only SO in
appearance, since not a gun is mounted
within or on the crumbled walls. In
fact, all the batteries, masked and open,
dwindled in their terror-inspiring quail
ties as the inspection grew closer. Crown
ing the hill on the west side of the on
trance were the famous six inch rapid-fire
guns from the Spanish cruiser Reina
dangerous while below on thessbrick foun-
dations on the western shore of the en-
trance were the revolving guns (which
poured such a bitter fire into the Merri-
mac. Directly east of MORO castle, on
the crest of the plateau-like cliff, ..were
six big guns, one or two of which were
dismounted.
Commodore Schley has over and over
again expressed the belief that our fleet
could probably have entered thesharbor
without the loss of a single ship. The
mines might have stopped ingress by
sinking the leading ship, fbut this is
chance of war and not so grave as many
taken during the civil Strife nor as seri-
Gus as would have been the situation had
there been good batteries properly manned
in the harbor. Commodore Schley's party
first steamed around the wreck of the
Reina Mercedes, which lies with her bow
pointed toward the: city. She had a list
to STAFFORD and rested on the foot of
Moro cliff. The cruiser was sunk to 1.-The
upper deck, on which one six-inch gun
Reina Mercedes. left her in hurry. This
is less to be wondered at when it is noted
that there were great gaps in sher sides,
showing where two IL and two 13-inch
shells had struck her.
About 600 yards ahead of the Reina
Mercedes and almost in line with her
was the wreck of the Merrimac, lying in
fully six fathoms of water and on the
very edge of the cha mel. Had not the
current swung the doomed ship alongside
instead of athwart the channel, the latter
would have been well blocked. When
Assistant Naval Constructor Hobson took
the collier into the harbor he was hunt
ing for a four fathom spot and only
missed it by few hundred yards. At
the firing stations on the west side, which
Commodore Schley inspected in person,
the American party met Spanish artil-
lery captain, who was courteous but
gloomy. Commodore Schley was his
own interpreter and advised the officer
with the few men under his command to
go to the city and surrender as quickly as
possible.
When the Spanish captain was asked to
point out the route to the six-inch bat.
terry on the west hill, he said there was
none, and explained that the way to get
there was over steep, rocky and difficult
ground. 1t was learned that this was not
true, and it was surmised that the Span.
lard was anxious to prevent the Ameri-
cans from seeing the damage done by the
bombardment.
Commodore Schley then said he was
determined to have a glimpse at Santiago
city, and the launohl was headed along
the west side of the channel. going slowly
and sticking to the shallow water, lest
some contact mine put an end, as the
remarked, "to our quiet
pleasure party" Skirting the bro ad,
spot in the harbor where the
Spanish feet, destroyed two weeks ago
today, used to lie during the lombard
ments, and noting the brilliantly painted
buoys which marked the shadows, Punta
dorda.. was rounded, and distant about
two miles, the city of Santiago shons out,
The cathedral being especially well de-
fined, and tho masts and tunnels of not
, few vessels showing at its wharves.