Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-05-25
WAR RUMORS.
DEARTH OF SUBSTANTIAL NEWS
CONTINUES.
CONFLICTING REPORTS OF NAVAL
UESsING-DEWEY REINFORCED.
LATE WAR BULLETINS

WASHINGTON, May 25-Presldent Nc
kinley has called for 5000 more troops.
Secretary Alger says that the national
guards will not necessarily be called upon
to furnish the quota, but that men will
be enlisted without regard to their mill
tary organizations.
The navy department says that Ad-
miral Cervera and his Spanish squadron
are penned up in the harbor of Santiago.
This report is confirmed by an esso-
ciated press report from Hayti. Schley
is reported to be outside with his fleet.
JUPITER, Florida, May 25-The Oregon
arrived here at 1890 last night. She has
since sailed; destination unknown.
The past week has been the quietest as
to actual happenings, since the beginning
of the war, though the knowledge that
the Spanish fleet had reached Cuban
waters, and that the American vessels
were striving their utmost to force the
Spaniards to battle, have kept the public
on the tip-toe of excitement awaiting
news of the hopedfor meeting.
The government has succeeded admir-
ably in It's censorship of news of naval
and army movements, and absolutely no
reliable information of the present where
abouts of the American or Spanish fleets
exists. In the absence of official news,
inventive newspaper correspondents have
resorted to guess work, and hence the
abundance Of conflicting reports. Add
| to this the variety of "otficialn reports
| from Madrid, which are even more I'M
reliable than the newspaper inventions,
unless negatively considered and the
reason for SO much uncertainty and I'M
easiness among the reading public is
apparent.
The reports have ranged all the way
from the destruction of the Spanish fleet
to he departure of he same fleet for Ma
Mia by way Of Cadiz. One report says
the Spanish fleet is bottled up in santi-
ago; another that it lett Santiago the day
after its arrival and is bound for Mar
tinic.u e for coal.
What Is certain is that the Spanis h
! fleet arrived at Santiago last Thursday.
At that time large part, at least, of both
SIMPSONS and Schley's squadrons were
in he vicinity of Key West. 1t is prob
able that at hat time the fleets were re
formed, and it is not now known what
ships compose Admiral SIMPSONS squad
ron.
1t is presumed that ON the receipt Of
news OF Cevere's arrival at Santiago, the
American ships started for that point
one squadron going around the eastern
and the other around The western end OF
Cuba for the purpose of intercepting the
/ Spanish fleet if it should attempt to reach
either Havana or Cenfuegos.
Both these fleets haye had time to reach
Santiago, and if the Spanish fleet re-
manned there it is now most eflectualIy
bottled up.
Santiago is not strongly fortified, but
the hsrhor is surrounded By high hills
and cliffs which would shelter q fleet ana
make an attack from sea impracticable
The entrance is through a narrow chan
mel, and Two of our battleships or moni-
tors could bottle up the Spanish fleet.
But the same conditions which would
enable US TO bottle up the Spanish fleet
would prevent our fleet from entering the
harbor to attack the Spanish fleet. If,
therefore, the Spanish fleet is bottled up
in Santiago, it may be waiting game
still to starve them into fight.
The country back of Santiago Is in the
l rtl Of + he.
visions cut off from sea, the Spanish ad-
miral would soon find himself i'll sorry
plight. 1t is probable, too, that he would
soon be cut off from communication with
Spain or with Havana, as the United
States has already taken steps to cut the
cable.
There is growing belief that the Span
ish fleet is very hard pressed for coal, and
that its stay at Santiago, where it hopes to
be safe from attack, is more a matter of
necessity than of strategy.
Reports were received that when the
Span. y feet approached Santiago two
American Warships which had been en-
gagged in bombarding the forts, saw them
and escaped, A Spanish official report
says that on the same day two of our shil S
bombarded Guantanamo, a port near
Santiago.
These reports doubtless refer to the
attempt of the auxiliary cruiser st.
Louis" and the tug "Wampatuck" to cut
the cables at those places. See news
column.
INVASION OF CUBA.
Army plans for the invasion of Cuba
are still held in allegiance for decisive
naval battle. Army experts are almost
unanimous in the opinion that it would
be bad tactics to send an invading force
| into Cuba until the Spanish feet had
been disposed of or had left West Indian
waters.