The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-06
DEFENSE OF SANTIAGO
SpaniardS Prepared to Make Tough
Resistance.
THE MERRIMAC AFFAIR
GREAT REJOICING AT SANTIAGO
AND MADRID.
Spaniards Claim They Sunk the Yes
sel-Does Not Block the Channel
Completely and Can Be Easily
misunderstanding Their Regu-
lars at Santiago.
Telephone 1876.
P. o. Box GIT.

London, June 6.-The Madrid CORES
pendent of the Standard says: IAN
account received from Santiago of de-
fensive preparations, denotes that the
sharp lookout day and night for any
movements by the Americans contin-
ues. Detachments of 1000 regulars and
5000 volunteers, composing the garrison
at Santiago, under General Linares,
have been sent to the MORO and Pun
ia Gorda batteries. Both works have
been greatly strengthened and are pro-
vided with krupp and Hontoria guns,
while La Socapa is armed with guns
taken from the Reina Mercedes.
AT the time Of the attack by the
Americans, La Socapa guns were serv-
ed by sailors from the ship. while she
was anchored in a position to sweep
the entrace to the harbor.
The Spanish staff had connected
with the shore works several lines of
submarine torpedoes. The torpedo boat
destroyers Pluton and Terror (Furor),
with steam I'D. We're on the watch;
several steam launches had been de-
tailed as scouts in the navigable chan
mel and outside the entrance of the bay
and the Almirante Oquendo and the
Cristobal Colon were ready to support
the forts. the former flying the pen
nant of the admiral.
Between 3 and 4 o'clock in the
morning the scouts noticed two vessels
rapidly advancing toward the mouth
of the channel. The fort about the
same time opened up, just as the Mer-
rimac was we'll inside the passage. The
Spanish officers, having allowed her
to pass the first submarine mine de-
Tense unmolested, gave the signal to
the land batteries. the marine battery
nd do <rTx q r76
launches to fire on the Merrimac, which
was sunk, without completely blocking
the channel, just as Admiral Cervera
appeared on the scene with the Amir
ante Oquendo. The cruisers boats
saved the Americans. Meanwhile the
other American vessel, supposed TO be
the battleship Iowa, hastily retired.
The Spaniards suffered no loss or
material damage. The impression in
naval circles at Madrid is that the
Americans merely wanted TO sink the
Merrimac in the narrow part of the
channel in order to block the egreSs of
the Spanish fleet, but it is argued that
the wreck can be easily dynamited as
soon as Admiral Cervera considers 1t
unr ecessary TO keep it there as check
to any attempt of the Americans TO
force the passage.
THE affair is said to have caused
much enthusiasm at Santiago. where
several thousand regulars under Gen.
eral Luco are expected, having sue
ceeded in crossing the riye err Cauto at
the beginning of the war. They are
now advancing by forced marches in
spite of the rains.
ION the whole, a tough resistance will
be made in case, as is fully expected,
the Americans renew the attack.
When the result Of the Merrimac
affair was known in Madrid, the
money market became animated, while
in political and financial circles curl
ously conflicting Impressions prevailed,
some fancying that the successive fail
ures of the Americans might have the
result of making the United States ia
vorable to peace. Financiers, on the
other hand, are divided between pa
triotic satisfaction and the feeling that
the drift of the war means its prolon-
cation and pecuniary sacrifices detri-
mental to Spanish credit. Most of the
newspapers attach Importance to the
affair since it was shown that the
Spanish forces are not only alert, but
well able to hold the enemy in check