Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-06-22
REVIEW OF A WEEK.
What Has Been Accomplished in
Preparation for the Army
of INVASION.

Off Santiago de Cuba, Friday, June II,
D. m-(Per the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Wanda, via Kingston, Jamai-
ca, Saturday, June 10, S:45 a. m. THE
weeks campaign in Eastern Cuba has re-
suited in the practical demolition of the
outer Notifications of Santiago de Cuba,
in anticipation of the arrival of the troops
and the occupation of the fine harbor of
Guantanamo, in which today are anchored
such magnificent ships as, the Oregon and
the St. Paul, together with the Marble
head, Dolphin, Suwanee and eleven other
auxiliary gunboats, golfers and press dis
patch boats, in an average depth of seven
teen fathoms of water.
The military resistance to the definite
occupation practically ceased since the
bombardment Of Wednesday. An inter
cepted official report Of the Spanish mill
tary commandant indicates that his mill
tary resources are exhausted. His sol
diers are now on half rations. There are
supplies only for the remainder of June.
The commandant has already seized all
the private drug supplies, in order that
they might be bestowed to the use Of the
soldiers
The close Gordon maintained by the Gu
bans about Guantanamo is illustrated by
the fact that official Spanish communica-
tons, sent in duplicate by land and va
ter, have been intercepted and the Span
iSh messengers, in both cases, have been
shot by the Cubans while attempting to
pass the lines.
For the past three nights there has
been comparative quiet in the camp which
the marines hold on the crest Of the hill
near Guantanamo bay and over which
the American flag floats. At dusk volun-
teers from the warships 60 ashore and
camp near the hill, to be at hand in case
of an emergency, and the Cubans go far
out in the chapparal in order to prevent
the Spaniards from stealing a march on
the camp.
Gen. Perez, commanding the eastern
division of the insurgent army, called on
Capt. McCalla of the Marblehead yester-
day and reported that he had 5000 men,
of whom 1900 would reinforce the ma
rines in a few days Many bands Of in
surgents are now ga thered along the
coast, westward to Santiago de Cuba
The warships have done no firing since
Wednesdays bOmbardment of the forti-
ications Of the inner harbor and the town
of Caima nera.
Since the narrow escape of the Marble
head and Texas from destruction by tor
pedoes in the channel, greater precau-
tons have been observed. Both ships
struck contact mines without exploding
them. Zach mine contained forty pounds
of guncotton, sufficient to destroy any
vessel.
The bOmbardment in Guantanamo bay
was not so hot as at Santiago but it was
very heavy. The Spaniards fired only
five shots and then fed. Three shots
struck near the Marblehead, but none hit
her. The ships steamed within $500
yards of the fort before opening fire, and
then fired with deadly accuracy.
The Texas stopped in the narrow chan
mel in order to avoid grounding, but the
Marblehead steamed ahead and swung
around the south side of the harbor. Her
first shots went wild, but the little Suwa-
nee, which was following her. found the
range and sent shots straight into the
foundation of the fort, hurting bricks
and dust into the air. The Texas fin
lshed the business, two of her 12-inch
shells reducing the fort to a picturesque
and useless ruin.
The Marblehead then turned her atten-
ton to the barracks and breastworks
southwest of the harbor and speedily de-
moHshed them, sending the Spanish garri-
son flying for their lives.
AS the Spaniards ran down the main
land the st. Pauls 5-inch guns were
trained on them and several of the SOL
dlers were seen to fall. The number of
killed and wounded is not known.
The bomb8rdment lasted an hour and a
quarter and was for the purpose of pre-
venting a movement Of Spanish troops
from the town to the Notifications. The
insurgept forces which have been armed
and equipped by Capt. McCalla, not only
prove to be daring scouts, but turn out
to be brave fighters and good shots with
the Lee-Metford rifles. Our own men
are warm IN their praise and look for I'M
expectedly strong cooperate upon the
part of the Cuban army,