The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-28

I hours each OF the hardest kind OF
| work under the most trying conditions
OF weather. General Greeley already
has taken steps to have them assist
ed by other operators as soon as the
latter can be gotten there.
renee Of such gravity. Probably the
| sole foundation for this story was the
attack made about a week ago by
Sampson upon the forts at the en-
trance OF Santiago harbor in which
the Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes
was sunk and one OF the Spanish tor
pedo boats disabled.
This report originated from n Span
ish source and the officials OF both
the var and navy departments are ex-
pecting that number of such canards
will be put afloat throughout the cam
paign. The Spaniards proved their
alertness at this work yesterday.
The war department, following the
satisfactory example set by the navy
department, has instituted n system
OF bulletins for the benefit Of the pub
lie, giving quick and concise Informal
ton OF important happenings. The
first OF these bulletins made it's ap-
pearance yesterday, giving Skaters
brief account of the driving In OF the
Spanish outposts. The wspape
had scarcely received this information
before the Spaniards got out a bulle-
tin from Captain General Blanco an
nouncing the repulse OF the American
forces. The war department officials
are somewhat discouraged at the pros
poets OF having TO meet this sort OF
bulletin service with "A simple recital
OF cold facts.
A SUSPICIOUS CRAFT.
Through its agents in the West In
dies the state department has discov-
! cred a suspicious craft lying at Fort
de France, Martinique. She is a collier
and presumably Is trying TO convey
' coal either to Cervera at Santiago or
T, to Blanco at Havana via the Isles OF
4 Pines and Batabano. Captain SigeSee
Of the St. Paul and some of the other
commanders Of the American scouting
| vessels have been notified and are ex-
pected to defeat this purpose.
SAN JUAN BLOCKADED. .
Captain Sigsbee yesterday warne n
| British hip from seeking TO enter the
| harbor OF San Juan de Porto Rico, on
the ground that il was blockaded. No
formal notice has yet been given OF
the blockade of this port but the cap
tain's action is in line with the con-
struction of law publish
ed by the navy department, namely,
hat a blockade may be initiated with
out formal notice by simple warning
from a naval commander. II is fully
! expected that this construction will be
| combated If the Spanish government
can interest any OF the European pow
ers to do so, but he navy department
is sure OF it's ground, having had the
aid of the best minds In the state de-
partment in framing the blockade reg
ulations.
| CAMARA'S WILD GOOSE CHASE.
Notwithstand the report OF the ar
rival of Admiral Camara's squadron at
Porto Said, the westerly entrance TO
the SueZ canal, the officials here still
! doubt hat the vessels are bound for
the Philippines. Rumors reach here,
unconfirmed as yet, that the only iron
clads in the squadron. the Pelayo and
the Carlos ", have left the squadron
and returned to Spain so that CamaTa
no longer possesses a force that would
threaten Dewey. II this be so either
the Spaniards have reilized the folly
of leaving their home ports unprotect-
ed or they have received Information
from the English government that the
navigation Of the SueZ canal cannot be
! jeopardized by allowing such deep
draft, unwieldy ironclads to attempt
the passage.
Some attention has been attracted at
the state department by the dispatch
from Madrid to a British paper stating
that Camara's purpose liz not to attack
! Dewey but to seize and hold with his
I ships and troops another island in tho
Philippine group: 1t IL suspected hat
il this be so the object is purely Dip
lomatic, the Spanish government being
anxious to truthfully assert. in the
went that peace negotiations are fore
ed upon IL, that the United States IL
not in such complete OF the
Philippines as would justify a demand
for their retention as one of the terms
of peace. H