Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-02

collier within view of the forts and
warships of Spain.
on the Texas, Capt. Phillips went
through with the days routine bust
!, ness, including church services, at
which the men with a refreshing di-
RICHNESS Of suggestion sang, pull for
the Shore"
1t was perfectly evident from the
position Of the Spanish warships on
Sunday morning that they had either
Just entered the harbor, having learned
of the supposed final departure of the
American squadron, or had been in
hiding w the bay, which Is about 8
miles long, and had run down to get
out early Sunday morning. In any
case 1t was excellent proof of the per-
fection Of Commodore Schley's tactics,
ana showed that after weeks of weary
following of clues furnished by STRAIT
tegic boards, in seven days q had
succeeded in hOttling up the Spanish
! meet In one of its own hurbors
Less than two days before, two sup
posediy Cuban pilots sent from Jamaica
ny the government, had informed the
I commodore on the deck of the Brooklyn
That no vessels of the size of warships
could so into the harbor, and after this
| information had been politely received
the pilots were sent back to Kingston,
although they desired to be landed in
, Cuba.
The latest maps of the harbor show
a narrow but deep channel fairly well
| protected and supposed to be mined
| me narrow neck Is not wide enough to
! allow more than one ship at a time
to pass up. and the batteries, unless re-
| duced, would be very destructive.
| There are three batteries outside and
| three small ones inside and between
the entrance place and the city proper,
| the distance Is very nearly three miles
up the bay, measuring from Moro
| Castle.
The latest information In the posses.
| sion of the government showed that at
the narrowed point entrance there are
| three lines of electrically worked mines,
| thirty in all.
Besides these three are two new bat
teres Just opposite MORO, forming
| with the latter, a dangerous cross-fire
| Just inside this are two batteries on the
east shore, Estrella and Catelina.
Cayosaith. about half mile up the bay
and about In the center where the mar
| row entrance widens out has batteries
of modern guns, as has also the Blanco
battery Just near the city of Santiago
itself.
About two miles west of Moro. in
shore, is the Case battery, and there
are also supposed to be some mines
| near Cayosaith. The armament of the
various batteries ia supposed TO be as
follows, not including the new earth
works. behind which there are modern
guns:
Morro-Four modern guns and ten IS
and "A Founders.
Blanco-Nine smooth bore is and "a
FOUNDERS of little account and two
small mortars.
The Estrella Battery-Ten smooth
bore guns.
Cayosaith-Several small guns.
The forts are mainly OF brick and
stone, constructed n Gentry ago, al
though there are evidences of new
earthworks being thrown up.
The only view into the harbor for
any distance is from the south A
the flagship passed along, Lieut.. Sears
noted the Spanish cruiser Reina Mer-
cedes, which has been partly dsman-
tied, lay in the harbor, perhaps ! 500
yards inside of Moro Castle.
To the westward and further inside
was the Spanish first class armored
| cruiser Almlrante Oquendo, lying un-
der the guns of Cayosaith, and to the
east of the stlrboard battery, looking
down upon the narrow channel, was
the Cristobol Colon, with room only for
one ship at time to pass.
1t Will be thus seen that it will be
| suicidal to attempt to force an entrance
into the harbor at least until the bat
teres are reduced, and that will con-
sumo lot of ammunition,
At the same time. taking II for grant
ed that the remainder of the Spanish
fleet, with four cruisers and two tor
pedo boats is still further up the har-
Dor, it means that the warships OF
Spain are effectunlly bottled up 80 that
they can do no harm.
Sunday at sunset found the squadron
in battle line outside Santiago, the
Brooklyn on the east of the line, the
| Massachusetts next to her the Iowa
| west OF the Massachusetts and next
to the Texas, which was on the eX.
IRENE left, while the Marblehead and
| the Vixen secuted inshore.
To leave Santiago the Spanish ships
would have to pass this seemingly i'm.
pregnable barrier.
Monday, May 30.--The American fleet
this morning retained its position of
Santiago and no attempt was made
during the night or morning on the
part of the Spanish fleet to get out OF
the harhor.
The United States cruiser New Or.
leans arrived this afternoon and Joined
the squadron and the collier Sterling
also came along.