The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-29
EXTENSION Of
THE BLOCKADE
1t Reaches From Cape Fran
ces to Cape Cruz
SOUTHERN CUBA SEALED
THE PORT OF san JUAN ALSO
BLOCKADED.
FIVE HUNDRED MILES OF COAST COVERED
Atlantic Coast Patrol has Been Abandoned, as
The Only Available Warships Ct the tnemy
are Thousands Of Miles Distant.


Washington, June 2S.-The President
has issued proclamation extending the
blockade of Cuba to the southern coast
from Cane Frances to Cape Cruz, incIu-
siyo. and also blackading San Juan,
Porto Rico.
The proclamation is as follows:
Whereas. for the reasons set forth in
nv proclamation of April -, 1898,
blockade of ports on the southern coast
o. Cuba from Cardenas to Bahia, Hon
no inclusive, and of the port of ClenIue-
COS on the south coast of Cuba was de-
clared to have been instituted, ana
Whereas, it has become desirable TO
nvteud the blockade to other southern
ports. ,,. ,,-,-.uI,,.
President of the United States. do here
Inv declare and proclaim that, i'll addl-
ton to the blockade Of the ports specl-
fed in nv proclamation of April -,
1898. the United States of America has
instituted and will maintain an effective
blockade of all of the ports on the south
coast of Cuba from Cape Frances 10
Cane Cruz inclusive and also OF the
mort of San Juan in the Island of Porto
Rico.
Neutral vessels lying in any of the ports
ia which the blockade is, by the present
proclamation extended, will be allowed
thirty DAYS to issue therefrom with car
go.
In witness whereof, etc.
(SigneO WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
President of the United States of
America. June 81, 1893, by the Presi-
dent. J. Il. Moore, Acting Secretary Of
State.
The assumption by the government OF
the, formidable task of blOckading about
five hundred miles of Cuban coast line III
a.,ition to the sections already block
AIDED increases the extent of the blockade
fully four-fold it having been confined
heretofore to Il stretch of little more
than one hundred miles on the north ana
the single port of Cienfuegos on the south
coast of the island. The demands upon
the navy in the way Of ships to patron
the coast however, will not be nearly so
heavy in proportion to the territory to
he covered as in the case of the INITIAL
blockade for the reason that the new
blOckaded coast line lies entirely within
the great blight on the south Cuban
coast, in which the wafer is generally
very shallow and the ports are few into
whica vessel of any draft could enter.
The most important of these ports are
Manzanllo. Trinidad and TunaS. West
of Trinidad is Cienfuegos which is al
ready blOckaded effectively. From that
point westward for nearly l4O miles
there is no point to be hlockaded until
Batabano is reached. This port is dis
tant only about forty miles from Hn-
vana by rail and is believed to have
been the principal source of food supplies
for the Spanish capital. For $50 miles
west of this, clear over to Cape Frances,
the western edge of the blockaded terri
tory. there are no ports for deep vessels
of any considerable draft and even if
there were the country in the interior,
pinar del Rio is in the hands Of the in
surgents and supplies could not be sent
through to Havana. The purpose of eX
tending the blockade westward to Cape
Frances, was to command the channel
between the west side of the Isle of
Pines and Cape Frances, and thus rem
der much easier the task of the blockad-
ing vessels.
There has been no running of the block
AIDE. Notwithstanding the Spanish stories
to the contrary, all of the ships that
have entered Cuban ports with supplies
have done so ut places not within the
blockade such rs Batanamo and Man
Zanilo.
These vessels for the additional block
AIDE will be supplied almost entirely from
the patrol fleet, which under Commodore
howell. has been guarding the North
Atlantic coast from Maine to South
Carolina.
This service has been abandoned be-
cause the only available Spanish war
salps are with Admiral Camard, thous-
ands of miles away from the nearest
point on ne Atlantic coast. The vessels
are already on their way southwark.
having been reinforced by several of
the new torpedo boats which are pdrticu-
larly adapted because of their light draft
for blockade duty in the shallow waters
living behind the Isle of Pines and Cuba.
The blockade Of San Juan proclaimed
today is i'm reality already in effect, hav-
ing heen initiated by Capt. Sigsbee last
wpel, when he turned back from that
mort n British steamer laden with sup
niles The difficulty of maintaining the
blockade ut this port. in the face of the
Snonish forts and three Spanish war
vessels in the harbor would be consdera
hle had not Capt. Sigsbee by disabling
the only formidable one of these vessels
made the task easier. As it is the char
motor Of vessels required to maintain the
hIockode at San Juan necessarily must
ha of type superior to the ships re-
nn;red for the blockade on the southern
Coast of Cuba. Probably some such
,.osaoI oc the Detroit or the Montgomery |
-, ,aionpd to the task.
# IS said at the Navy Department that
If is tbe present intention to start Com
modorp Watson's Eastern squadron
from Santiago This. however, is sub
iact to Admiral SIMPSONS report upon
the condition of the vessels selected and
t,eir needs in the matter of supplies and
continent for the long voyage ahead of