The times., 1898-06-12
IND0RSED BY THE NAVY.
The Times Account of the Caiman'
era Affair Officially Sanctioned

The Navy Department, at 6:39 O'CLOCK
last night. issued as an official bulletin
the dispatch published in The Times yes
terday afternoon from the regular war
cable service of this paper, describing the
landing of marines at Caimanera, Guam
tanamo, and the raising OF the American
flag over Caimanera fort.
The Navy Department telephoned all
the newspaper offices az $50 that an i'm
portant bulletin was 10 be issued There
was a quick response and in few min
utes there were a large number of news
paper men at work on the dispatch. There
was much comment Oh the freedom Of
the writer of the dispatch and on his
entire absence of departmental dryness.
The extract from The Times builetined
by the Navy Department is as follows:
The following reliable information has
just been received, via Haiti:
The first landing in force by Americans
on Cuban soil was effected here this az
ternoon.
This dispatch is written on the ruins Of
the Spanish blockhOuse beneath the Stars
and Stripes
Five minutes ago. at ten minutes past
2 O'Clock, 10 be exact. Color Sergeant
Richard Silvey. of Company c. First Bat
talon OF Marines. of Brooklyn, y. l.,
raised the American flag above the sun
smoldering logs of the fort
As its folds caught the breeze, $50 men
from the troopship Panther laid their
picks. shovels and tent poles aside 10 lft
their caps and join in mighty shout
These 600 men are swarmins from the
beach 10 the blockhOuSe on top or MI!
$50 feet high just above The small fishing
70
marked the entrance 10 Guantanamo har-
Dor.
These houses are now mass Of smoke
and flames.
As the marines landed the torch was
applied to them. at the direction of their
officers. who are taking this and all
other precautions to prevent yellow fever
from breaking out among the men
In the harbor lay the cruisers Marble
head. Yankee and Yosemite, the battle
ship Oregon, the torpedo boat Porter, the
Dolphin. Vixen and Panther and a collier
The landing was effected without the
necessity of shelling the place, as the
way had been paved by the Yankee and
Marblehead on Tuesday. when Spanish
sunboat was put 10 flight and the block
house bombarded. The Oregon and Dol
phin joined the Marblehead and vixen
here.
About noon the Panther, with 800 sail
ors and marines on board, arrived under
the escort of the Yankee and the Yosem-
fte All of the vessels cast anchor in the
open harbor The small boats of the Pan
ther were at once lowered and the task
of landing the marines with tents ana sup
plies began Immediately.
without ceremony the frightened Span
iards had fled at the first sight OF the
American warships to the village.
70 tha haphnr
Headquarters of the pilots.
Like all Cuban harbors, this one is tor
tuous and long.
Guantanamo is fifteen miles inland and
only the pilots homes, the cable station
and the biockhouse are at the entrance.
These houses the marines found desert
ed
The shells from the Yankee and the
Marblehead had demolished the cable sta
ton One solid shot had cut the wires on
the side of the building and another had
smashed the dry batteries and their in
strumentS.
This landing is for the establishment of
A naval base for the fleet. especially as a
coaling station 1t is no place for land
ing troops to operate against Santiago,
but will be used as rendezvous for the
feet.
The following paragraph issued by the
department was not in The Times dis
patch:
George Coffin, Journal artist, discov-
cred a large batch of official kilograms
signed by Ramon. Varnandes, Lis, Aguirre
and other Spanish officers, dealing with
the strength of the Notifications and plans
for the movements of Spanish troops.
These will be turned over to Admiral
Sampson. The landing of the marines
was characterized ID by great enthusiasm"