Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-05-28
INCAPABLE OF HARM
Naval Campaign Proceeding on As
sumption That Spanish Fleet is
Efectually Bottled Up.
SAMPSON is NOT WORRIED
Navy Notified That Army is Ready to Move
Two Newspaper Correspondents Re-
leased by spaniards in Exchange
for Prisoners.

Copyright by Associated Press.-Ke,
West, May est is almost certain tina
Commodore Schley has the Spanish flee
bottled up in the harbor of Santiago d,
Cuba.
There is so little doubt about it tha
the naval campaign is proceeding or
the assumption that Admiral Cervera il
incapable of doing any harm. Within
u few days the exact conditions at San.
tiagO de Cuba will be known without a
shadow of doubt In spite Of assertions
to the contrary, Commodore Schley was
not absolutely sure of his game, when
he last communicated with Rear Ad-
miral Sampson; and the commodore will
not take active steps to block up the
entrance to Santiago harbor until he is
perfectly certain that Admiral Ceryera s
ships are inside.
However. he may have done this al
ready The commodore stayed three
days at Cienfuegos and signalled his
ships. II believe the Spanish feet is in
the harbor.
On this belief, message was sent to
the American admiral. The details of
how Commodore Schley found out he
was mistaken are not yet unknown.
At any rate the commodore then moved
east, arriving outside of Santiago de
Cuba Wednesday morning, May 25. The
topography of Cienfungos and Santiago
de Cuba is almost identical. Both the
harbors are about six miles long, with
narrow entrances only about 400 yards
wide, protected by high land A feet
could lie IN the harbor at either place
and be invisible from the outside.
Before this dispatch is published, it is
likely Commodore Schley has sent some
vessel into the entrance of the harbor
at Santiago de Cuba and obtained from
some reliable source ashore information
as to the exact number and names of the
Spanish warships.
Contrary to the generally expressed
opinion the Santiago de Cuba harbor Is
poorly protected. Like Havana and San
Jdan it has a Moro castle, which is
even better target than those at Ha-
vana and San Juan. The only danger
to be feared is from the mines laid in
the channel at Santiago de Cuba since
the war was declared, but countermining
would probably render these mines
harmless, should 1t prove desirable for
Commodore Schley's ships to enter the
harbor. Such step. however, is un-
likely.
Admiral Sampson Not Worried.
Rumors of the sailing of the second
Spanish squadron did not worry Rear.
Admiral Sampson In the slightest. His
feelings we're aptiy expressed recently
when he said, Il am perfectly satisfied
we have bagged those fellows" (refer-
ring to Cervera's fieet). For the second
time since war was declared the ad-
miral has been notified that the army is
ready to move. This is good news to
all the naval officers, among whom in
action has temporarily produced much
natural irritation. All appearances
point to the passing away of this feeling
and hearty active cooperation between
the army and navy may be anticipated.
Exchange of Prisoners.
The United States gunboat Woodbury.
has arrived here, bringing Hayden Jones
and Charles Thrall, the newspaper cor
respondents captured by the Spaniards
in Cuba, and exchanged for Lieutenant
Colonel Cortijo, Surgeon Major Julian
Ind two Spanish servants, captured by
The United States on the prize steamer
Argonauta. The transfer of the pris-
oners took place off the shore of Ha-
vana yesterday.