The herald., 1898-07-01
TO CRUSH cERvERA
Talk About the Task Of Admiral
Sampson

NEW YORK, June 30.-A dispatch to the
Tribune from Washington says:
Advices are momentarily expected from
General Shafter or from Admiral Sampson
that Moro Castle and its neighboring bat
teries on the eastern side of the narrow en-
trance to Santiago harbor, including the
works at Estrella Point and Santa Catalina
have been occupied by the American forces
and that the Spaniards have been driven
from The Notifications on the west at La
Socapa. Cannones Point and Smith CayC.
Army and navy officers evince the liveliest
curiosity to secure news Of this achieve
ment and make no concealment that they
confidently expect 1t. Up to this time the
newspaper dispatches from the front have
invariably chronicled important movements
considerably in advance Of the official re-
ports and they were eagerly asked for by
officials on this account
Both army and navy officers here agree
with remarkable unanimity that the actual
occupat ion Of the unhealthy city of Santiago
possesses but few attractions from mil
itary point of view as Its position could be
easily shelled by the vessels of Cervera's
fleet. That fleet, however, is the sole OBJ
jective' of the combined American naval and
military operations around Santiago, and
its destruction having been impossible Of
attainment by Admiral Sampson acting
alone, the Fifth Army Corps was dis
patched to cooperate with him in eliminate
ing the four armored Spanish cruisers from
further consideration in the present war.
1t was impossible to send the American
naval vessels through the narrow entrance
of the channel on account Of the elaborate
outfit of mines which the Spaniards were
known to have established before Cervera's
squadron reached there. and it is reliably
reported that he has since made 1t impossi-
Bile for any offensive battleship to approach
the inner harbor, by planting an additional
effective system of submarine explosives
from the magazines of his own ships.
With the American land forces In pos
session of the shore batteries, however,
the wires which operate the mines could
be successfully cut and the American fleet
could promptly countermine the channel,
and, forcing an entrance to the deep water
of the bay, bring about such a conclusive
short-range battle with the squadron as
that of two months ago at Manila.
For some time American naval officers
have considered this plan the only one
that gave promise of effecting a solution
of the Santiago problem, and it is well
known that Admiral Sampson thoroughly
approved it as the speediest method of
destroying Cervera, although at the army's
tedious delay in getting away from Tampa
he permitted Hobson to try and sink the
Merrimac in the channel, having in con-
templatio the complete investment Of San
tiago by land and sea and the eventual
starving out of the Spanish forces afloat
and ashore. The certainty that the Merri-
mac now offers practically no obstacle to
the navigation of the channel is understood
to have led Admiral Sampson and Gen.
Shafter to agree upon immediate seizure
of the entrance forts with their control of
the mine fields, and unless some unforeseen
circumstance has arisen since Sunday 10
alter the plans it should have been carried
out by this time. The officials understood
that Admiral Sampson would open fire on
Moro and the other batteries yesterday
morning at daybreak and continuing fire
with all his vessels, including the Vesuvius,
until every Spaniard in the works was eth
err disabled or driven out. Yesterday morn
ing Gen. Shafter had q large part of his
corps, including all of his advance forces
on the hills. within two miles Of Moro and
everything was arranged so thatth castle
might be occupied within an hour after the
hcmbardment ceased. Perhaps this attack
was postponed. but at any rate, army
officers believe that it has already occurred
and for that reason do not worry about
the reported advance of Gen. Pando to
reinforce Santiago when the United States
forces have no use for that city.