The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-14
copyright by Associated Press.)

being made to cut off Santiago de Gu
ba's connection with the outside world
and it is believed within ~forty-eight
hours there will be a practical accom-
plishment of the design.
Since Sunday last, when Commodore
Schley found Admiral Cervera's fleet
trying to quietly leave the harbor and
headed off the attempt, thus probably
solving the war problem, it has been
the policy to SO surround the city and
harbor that no assistance, either in
supplying arms or ammunition could
reach there.
After driving the Spanish fleet into
n more protected position in the har-
Dor, by the bombardment Of Tuesday,
Commodore Schley opened communi-
cation with the insurgents eighteen
miles from Santiago to the east. They
were urged to obtain, if possible, the
names and number of the vessels of
the fleet inside the harbOr, as the con
tour of the land at the entrance made
it impossible to accurately determine
"a view from the American fleet just
how many vessels of the Spanish
squadron were there.
THE WARSHIPS IN SANTIAGO
HARBOR.
On Friday afternoon, Lieutenant
Sharp, of the Vixen, went to the place
of rendezvous and received from the
insurgents a map of the harbor, show
ing the entire Cape Verde fleet, with
the exception of the destroyer Terror,
paiI nrl 1IA-1. -
the protection of the guns mounted
On BlancO battery at the northern ex-
tremity of the harbOr The ships
there, according to this chart, are the
CristObal Colon, the Vizcaya, the AL
mirante Oquendo, the Maria Teresa
and the Iteina Mercedes destroyed by
the American warships since this dis
patch was Written) all cruisers Of the
first-class and heavily armed, togeth-
er with three torpedo boats. The def
niteness of this information naturally
gave Commodore Schley great salts
faction. Although he had known that
several ships of the enemy were there,
he was not certain that some others
had not succeeded in getting away or
had not been sent in another direction.
EFFORTS TO CUT CABLES.
With Admiral Simpsons arrival on
Wednesday the blockade was much
strengthened and the plans to starve
out the city, it's troops and the enc
my's fleet, were pushed vigorously. A
cable boat was sent to find and cut
the cables communicating from Santi-
80 to Jamaica and Hayti, cables
which it had been alleged had been
cut by the auxiliary cruiser st. Louis.
The boat was put to work, but up to
today had not found the cable for
which Ghn N-n rpIin~ r,o xIOl
by the battleships Massachusetts and
Texas she Worken on Friday morning
within two miles of formidable forth
hcatiOns on shore, and, strange to
say, without any attempt of the Span
iSh gunners to hit them, although in
the early morning the big guns were
fired viciOusly at Commodore Schley's
flagship.
Just how long Santiago can stand
besieginE is a matter of conjecture.
Three weeks ago it was claimed at ia
m,sica that food in Santiago was very
poor and that it. was also very scant.
The country about the city is unpro-
ductiVe and mountainous, and the in
Surgent camps are so close that there
is little or no communication between
the city and it's environs. The rail-
way service is not carried to a dis
lance much beyond ten miles from the
CliCe Suludy last, WHeI Ger
Vera'S squadron vas bottled up, the
flying squadron under Commodore
SChley. nothing has gone in, and the
auxiliary cruiser st. Paul captured
about 1000 tons of coal consigned to
the port. It is thoroughly believed
that only a short time will be needed
to bring Santiago to a starvation basis.
Naturally, the feet has a supply, per-
haps for two months, but the Spanish
soldiery cannot be sustained on this.
FEW TROOPS AT SANTIAGO.
One important fact was learned to-
day from the insurgents on shore with
whom communication has been opened
up: There are not 20, 900 soldiers, as
has been stated. in this part of the
province Of Santiago de Cuba. but
only about 5000. Even these are badly
fed and much disheartened. 1t had
been the intention to send the cruiser
Marblehead M the cable steamer
east to Guantanamo to cut the cable
at that point. word having been
brought that the Spanish fleet evil
IDENTIFY was in communication with
Madrid. The ships were to leave at
midnight, but a subsequent order de-
layed the matter. In the meantime.
the Spanish seemed to be profting
greatly by the delay. Active work is
being prosecuted on the
and new guns are being mounted. On
Sunday morning the fleet lay outside
the harbor. a quiet, immobile looking
lot of innocents, ready to fight at a
moments notice.
A FLAG OF TRUCE.
At 1890 o'clock a tug oat bearing a
flag of truce was seen by the lookout
on the Iowa to be steaming down the
entrance. Grasping the situation i'm
mediately, Captain Bob Evans, COM
mander Of the battleship, started out
in a BOAT to meet the tug, at the same
time i~nstrucing the officer in charge
to go as close as possible to the mouth
of the harbor, so as to see where the
Merrimac was sunk, and if her hull
was. successfully blockading the har-
Dor entrance. The boat succeeded in
getting near enough to observe hat