The Portland daily press., 1898-10-24


appeared not the same day Admiral Samp-
son expected. At one time Commodore
Schley contemplated going to Key West
with the squadron for coal, but this was
abandoned, the repairs to his collier hay
ing been temporarily made and the neces-
sity for trip to Key West being avoided,
Santiago was then blookaded. The Ad-
miral congratulated the Commodore on
his success and directed him to maintain
close blockade at all hazards, especially
at night. Then follow kilograms from
Schley, showing that he had recognized
the enemy in the port and from Secretary
Long to Schley, pointing out that the
most absolutely urgent thing was to know
positively whether the Spanish division
was in the harbor.
If they were, an immediate army and
navy movement was to be made. In one
despatch, the secretary said it would be
discreditable to the navy if the presence
of the Spanish fleet were not ascer-
tanned. The commodore's despatch evil
IDENTIFY had not been received at the
department when the secretary's tele-
grams were sent.
Meantime Admiral Sampson had made
arrangement to proceed to Santiago with
a number of his vessels. He arrived
there June IA. Then follows historical
resume of the doings of the fleet while off
Santiago, of the bombardment of the
forts, of the taking Of the lower bay at
Guantanamo by the Marblehead and the
Yankee, copies of memoranda regarding
method Of blockades, kilograms bearing
ON the proposed army movement to San
tiago, etc., practically all Of which is told
in official kilograms. ION June Sth the
Admiral urged upon the department as
he had previously done, to expedite the
arrival of the troops for Santiago, the
difficulty of blockading the Spanish ships
daily increasing. On June 10 q despatch
was received showing that the army ex-
pedition was temporarily stopped be-
cause of the reported observation of
additional Spanish vessels in American
waters.
It appears that according to despatch
to Secretary Long dated June 26, the
channel at Santiago not having been OBJ
srtucted by the sinking OF the Merrim &C,
Admiral Sampson was preparing tor
pedo attack to hasten the destruction OF
the Spanish vessels, although he regretted
resorting to this method because of its
difficulties and small chance Of success.
He would not do this, he says, were the
present force to be kept there, as it then
insured capture which he believed would
terminate the war. The above telegram
was sent, the Admiral explains, with
reference to the proposed detachment of
some of our heavy ships for service abroad
(the proposed expedition to the Spanish
coast A despatch from Secretary Long
shows that this expedition was to consist
of the Iowa, Oregon, Newark, Yosemite,
Yankee and Dixie, and they were to go
to the Azores for orders en- route to
Tangier, Morocco. The colliers were to
join the fleet at the Azores.
On July 2 the following was received
from Gen. Shafter: Terrible fight
yesterday, but my line is now strongly
entrenched about three-fourths of a mile
from town. 1 urge that you make effort
Immediately to force the entrance to avoid
future losses among my men, which are
already very heavy. You can now operate
with less loss of life than I can. Please
telephone answer.
A reply was telephoned Gen. Shafter
from Admiral Sampson through Lieut..
Stanton
The explanation was made that it was
impossible to force an entrance until the
channel was cleared of mines-a work of
some time after the forts were taken pos
session of by the troops. To this, Gen.
Shafter replied:
"It is impossible for me to say when l
can take batteries at entrance to harbor.
If they are as difficult to take as those
which we nave been pitted against. it will
be some time and at great loss Of life. 1
am at loss to see why the navy cannot
work under destructive fire as we'll as
the army. My loss yesterday was over
500 men. By all means keep up fire on
in sight of you until de-
molished. expect, however, in time and
with sufficient mon, to capture the forts
along the bay"
Admiral Sampson then says: II wrote
Gen. Shafter the following letter and
began making preparations to counter
mine and with the object of arranging
an attack upon the batteries at the en-
trance, asvisit was arranged to Gen. Shat
ter that the matter might be thoroughly
discussed and COM bined action take place
had in view the employment of the
marines for an assault either on the
MORO or Socapa battery, while at the
same time assaulting the defences at the
entrance with the feet.
s.U. S. Flagship New York. first rate,
off Santiago de Cuba. July 2. 1898.
My Dear General-I have your note of
this morning-just received at 11.S0.
San officer Of my staff has already re-
ported to you the firing which we did this
morning, but I must say in addition to
what he told you, that the forts which
we silenced were not the forts which
ruou1d Give Won any Inconvenience in can