The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-06-03
SANTIAGO SHELLED.
Advices from Hayti State That
Schley Cannonaded the Batteries.
IS DlSCREDlTED At WASHINGTON.
United States Naval Onicials Declare That
Commodore schIey Would Not Force
His Way into the Harbor Be
cause of the Danger

OAIE HAY ITEM lls Juut hu-
vices received from Havana say that,
since two o'clock yesterday afternoon,
the American fleet at Santiago de Cuba
has been cannonading the batteries off
Moro castle, La Zecapa and Punta
Gorda. At the same time. it is added,
the American ships have been engaged
with the Spanish warships. The firing
was extremely heavy. At 1895 p. m.
the cannonading became less heavy
against the Notifications, but was more
accumulated in the locality where the
fleets were engaged.
Private messages intimate that there
has been a severe fight between the
American feet and the outer fortifica-
tions and the Spanish feet. The fight
lasted the greater part of yesterday
afternoon. The advantage appears to
have been with the Americans.
Moro castle is at the entrance of
the harbor of Santiago de Cuba; La
Zecapa, also shown on the maps as
Lazecapa castle, is short distance in
side the harbor entrance, and Punta
Gorda is situated on point well in
side the harbor of Santiago de Cuba,
indicating that the American fleet has
entered the harbor, according to the
Havana advices, and has engaged the
Spanish fleet in those waters.
According to advices from Spanish
source, IA American warships and two
torpedo boats were engaged in the
combat at Santiago. A very careful
fire was directed against the batteries
of Moro castle until 3:45 p. M, when
discharges of cannon began to be
heard at sea off the port. These dis
charges continued until four o'clock,
then entirely ceased. From the Span
ish account it is impossible to Judge
as to the exact merits of the en-
counter
REPORT DIsCREDTrED AT WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON, June Naval officials
absolutely discredit the news from
Cape Haytien to the effect that Com
modore Schley forced the entrance to
Santiago bay and engaged the Spanish
fleet in the harbor. While no official
advices have been received from Schley
since the battle is reported to have oc.
Cured, naval officials declare with
positiveness that ii is not only improb-
able, but, in the circumstances, almost
| impossible, that an attempt should
have been made by the American COM
mander to force an entrance to the
bay.
The latest official advices received
from Commodore Schley were con-
tanned in a cablegram which came late
yesterday afternoon and in that the
commodore gives no indication OF an
intention to try TO enter the harbor of
Santiago. While the contents of the
dispatch were not made public, the
bulletin issued upon it by the navy
department indicates that Commodore
Schley is still endeavoring to deter
mine just what Spanish vessels are in
the harbor. The bulletin follows:
Commodore Schley's feet has sighted
another vessel of the Vizcaya class in
Santiago harbor."
The naval officials declare that
Schley would not force his way.into
the harbor, in view of the great diff
culties of navigation which would
have to be surmounted in the effort
The entrance to the harbor is a chan
mel nearly three-quarters of a mile
long and at one point only about l0C
yaruS Wlue Wnlle Ine cndnnel mas
plenty of water to float the ships it is
tortuous and at places dangerous. Al
one point it twists sharply to the left
as a vessel enters, and naval officers
say that it might become necessary a
some stages of the tide for a warshil
to come almost, if not quite, to a full
stop as she made the turn. Shore bat
teries line both sides of the channe
and vessel running it would afford /
target that even Spanish gunner
--.'l1 not fail -