The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-10
SURROUND SANTIAGO.
Schley's Plan to Gut Off Connection
With the Outside World. ~,
AIDED BY THE INSURGENTS.
Tho Latter Declare There Are Only
Six Thousand Spanish Soldiers at
Santiago, and These Are Badly Fed
and Much Disheartened,

| 1hS DtCiuEe lHCTt tATe ohIy
Six Thousand Spanish Soldiers at
| Santiago, and These Are Badly Fed
and Much Disheartened.
| Kingston, Jamaica, June 1O-A dis
| patch boat which arrived here yester-
! day brought the story of Commodore
| Schley's intention to cut off Santiago's
Connection with the outside world The
report was written last Monday, the
vessel bringing the dispatches having
been delayed. The report says:
Every effort is being made to cut off
Santiago de Cuba's connection with the
outside world. Since Sunday last, when
Commodore Schey fought Admiral
Cerveras fleet trying to quietly leave
| the harbor, and headed off the attempt,
thus probably solving the war problem,
| 1t has been the policy to SO surround the
city and harbor that no assistance,
| either in supplying arms or ammuni-
| tion. could reach there.
After driving the Spanish fleet into
| more protected position in the harbor,
| by the bombardment of Tuesday Com
modore Schley opened communication
with the insurgents, 18 miles from San
tiago. to the east. They were urged to
| obtain, II possible. the names and num-
| Der of vessels Of the fleet inside the
| harbor, as the contour of the land at
| the entrance made 1t impossible to ac-
| curately determine by view from the
| American fleet just how many vessels
Of the Spanish squadron were there.
On Friday afternoon Lieutenant
Charm pf fbn Viyan want tn thh nlana
| of rendezvous and received from the
insurgents map of the harbor, show
ing the entire Cape Verde fleet. The
ships there, according to the chart,
are the Cristobal Colon, the Vizcaya,
the Almirante Oquendo. the Maria
Teresa and the Reina Mercedes (de.
stroyed by the American warships
! since this dispatch was written), all
| cruisers of the first class, and heavily
armed. together with three torpedo
| boats.
With Admiral SIMPSONS arrival on
| Wednesday the blockade was much
| strengthened, and although the plans
| to starve out the city, its troops and
| the enemy's fleet were pushed vigorous
| ly, a naval boat was sent to find and
cut the cables communicating from
! Santiago to Jamaica and Hayti cables
| which it had been alleged had been
cut by the auxiliary cruiser st. Louis.
The boat was put to work, but up to
Monday had not found the cable for
which she was searching. Guarded by
the battleshps Massachusetts and
Texas. she worked on Friday morning
within two miles of formidable fortifica-
tions OH shore. and strange to say with
out any attempt of the Spanish gun
ners to hit them, although in the early
morning the big guns We're fired vi
ciously at Commodore Schley's flagship
Just how long Santiago can stand
besieging is a matter of conjecture.
Three weeks ago it was claimed at
Jamaica that the food in Santiago was
very poor, and that it was also very
scant. The country about the city is
unprOductive and mountainous, and
the insurgent camps are so close that
there is little or no communication be-
tween the city and its environs. The
railway service is not carried to dis
tance much beyond ten miles from the
town.
Since Ccrvera's squadron was bottled
Schley nothing has gone in. and the
auxiliary cruiser St. Paul captured
about 1900 tons of coal consigned to the
port. 1t is thoroughly believed that
only a short time will be needed II
bring Santiago to starving basis.
Naturally the Spanish fleet has sup
ply, perhaps for two months, but the
Spanish soldicry cannot be sustained on
this.
One important fact was learned from
the insurgents on shore with whom
communication has been onened up.
There are not 10000 Spanish soldiers as
has been stated. in this part of the
province Of Santiago de Cuba, but only
about 60OO. Even these are badly fed
and much disheartened.