Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-06-02
SIXTEEN VESSELS COUNTED

KINGSTON, Jamaica. juno IA
dispatch from Port Antonio, says:
The British second class cruiser Inde-
fatigable returned from Santiago de
Cuba, yesterday. The cruiser had
been ordered to Santiago to assist the
wounded In tho expected naval battle
From the bridge of the Ihdefatigable
sixteen ships were counted through
binoculars In Santiago Bay. This is
supposed to be the full strength of Ger
added. The Indefatigable is under
orders to again proceed to Santiago, bat
is waiting fer more surgeons.
SAMPSON TAKES COMMAND.
NEW YORK, June "A dispatch to
the Herald. from Washington. says:
Rear Admiral sampson arrived off
Santiago de Cuba and relieved Com
medore Schley in command of the en-
tire force of vessels operating against
Santiago de Cuba and the Spanish
fleet, assigning the commodore to
command the division comprising the
snips formerly attached to the Flying
Squadron.
STRENGTH OF OUR FLEET.
Fifteen warships are at Sampsen's
disposal, to pit against six men of war
flying the Spanish flag They include
the first class battleships Iowa, Oregon,
Massachusetts,; second class battleship
Texas; armored cruisers New York.
Brooklyn; protected cruisers New Or
leans, MarbIehead, Minneapolis; gun
boat Nashville; torpe 10 boat destroyer
Scorpion; dynamite cruiser Vesuvius !;
torpedo boat Porter; ausiliary cruisers
Harvard and Yale, and auxiliary gun
boat Eagle. With such force block
aiding Santiago de Cuba naval experts,
who heretofore contended that Ad-
miral Cervera had fighting chance to
escape, now concede his position as
absolutely hopeless.
GOVERNMENT PROGRAM.
Sampson, before he left Key West.
was notified Of the program adopted by
the government to send troops to
assist the naval vessels to capture or
destroy the fleet, and there Is no reason
to eleve that the officials have given
Sampson any further discretion than
was accorded Commodore Schley.
LAND FORCES UNDER soHAFTER.
1t is confidently expscred that q mill
tary expedition under General Schafter
will invest Santiago de Cuba and at
tack Admiral Csrveras fleet from the
land, early next week. There Is a
streng probability tina. the army has
already left American soil and is fairly
on its way to the point of debsrkation,
near Santiago de Cuba.
PLENTY OF NoTs.
NEW YORK, Juno "A dispatch to
tho World, from Washington, says:
Ever siRce the Administration got the
news that Cervera was bottled and
corked at Santiago, large land and
sea expedition to destroy OF capture his
feet AID occupy Santiago, has been
i planning. Schley, with sufficient but
not powerful squadron, was stationed
at Santiago, with orders substantially
these:
| Not to try to take Santiago or reduce
the Notifications; not to engage Cervera
if he should try to escape until he was
clear of assistance from the guns of
the forts; not to let him escape or let
supplies or re-inforcements get in from
the sea; not to let the Spsniards make
! any repairs or additions to their for
, tifications at the mouth of the harbor
BUT HE GOT IN HIS WORK.
On Tuesday tho Spaniards at San
, tiago began to repair and strengthen
the fortifications on Morillo Point, to
/ the right of the entrance Of the harbor.
Schlsy at ence prepared to stop the
work as his orders clearly permitted him
! to do When Moro Castle was in ruins
! and abandoned, when the last gun in
: the batteries near 1t was silenced ,Schley
gave he signal to draw of. He had
done exactly what he came for.
TOO LATE TO BE USEFUL.
: MADRID, June 2-The Havana cor
1 respondent of Iniparcidt cables tha
q Admiral Cervera was not at Santiag,
o de Cuba. on Tuesday. The Cristoba
(. Colon was the only vessel there, of tn,
squadron, the correspondent declares
and she was repairing boilers. TIL,
: lighting lasted less than an hour, tn
= American feet theu Withdrawing.
b LONDON, June Q. The Spanish Am
9 bassador here contends that the Cristo
y bal Colon is the only important SPANS
\ warship at Santiago de Cuba.
:. OLD BUT INTERESTING.
Is With United States fleet, of Santa
B. go de Cuba. May 90, via PORT ANTc
y MO, Jamaica, June 2--Four week
" after the victory of Rear Admirs
re Dewey at Manila, Commodore Schle,
b In command of the Flying Squadron
10 had his shrewdness and pertinacity n
,e warded by finding the Spanish fieet |
D. the harbor Of Santiago de Cuba. Fc
ten days hs had, In the face Of conflict