The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-10
SANTIAGO IS DOOMED
Every Effort Is BEING Made to
Isolate the City.
.SCHLEy SECURES MAP OF HARB0R
Which Shows that Five of Ccryera's
Ships Are Still There.
THE GARRISON MUST STARNE.
There Are Only 5000 Instead of co.
900 Spanish Troops There and
Food Is Insufficient.
THE GARRISON MUST STARNE.

(Copyrighed. 1898, by Associated Press)
| of Santiago de Cuba. June 4, via King
ston. Jamaica. June 6. 0 a. m Every ef-
| fort Is being made to cut of Santiago de
| Cuhas connection with the outside world,
and 1t is believed that within fortyeght
hours this will be practically accomplished
After driving the Spanish fee, into q
more protected position in the harbor by
the bomhnrdment of Tuesday. Commodore
| Schley opened communication with the iu-
surgonts eighteen miles from Santiago 10
the cast They were urged to obtain the
| harbor and givo the information to Com
modore schley.
On Friday afternoon the captain of the
Vixen went to the place OF rendezvous and
received map OF the hnrbor showing the
Cane Verde fleet. He made a close in
spection Of the harbor. The ships there,
according to this chart, are the Cristobal
Colon, tho Viacaya. the Almirante Oquendo,
the Maria Teresa and tho Relna Mercedes
destroyed by the American warshps since
this dispatch was writtenD, all cruisers Of
the first class.
This information gave Admiral Sampson
and Commodore Schley much satisfaction.
Just how long Santiago can stand being
blockaded is now the question. The coun-
try about the city is unproductve and
mountainous and the insurgent camps are
so close that there IL little or no COM
municaton between the city and its en-
yirons. The railway service Is not carried
to dsance--not more than ten miles
from town.
II is thoroughly believed that only short
time VIII be needed to bring Santiago 10 h
starvation basis. Naturally the Meet has a
supply perhaps for two months, but the
Spanish soldiers can not be sustained on
this. This important fact was learned
today from the insurgents on shore, with
whom communication has been opened up.
There are not 10000 soldiers, as has been
stated, in this part of the province Of
SAINT aso de Cuba, but only about 5000
Even these are badly fed and much dis
hoartened. 1t had been tho intention to
send The cruiser Marblehcad and the cable
steamer east TO Guantanamo to cut the oa =
BILE at that point, word having been brought
| that the Spanish flee. ovideItly WAS In
| communication with Madrid. The ships
we're to leave at midnight, but subsequent
| order delayed the matter
| In the meantime the Spaniards seemed to
| be proiiting by the delay. Important work
| is being prosecuted on the earthworks and
new guns are being mounted.
On Sunday morning the fleet lay outside
| the harbor ready TO fight AT a moment
| notice. At 10 80 a tugboat bearing a flag
of truce was seen by the lookout OF the
Iowa Grasping the situation. Bob Evans
commander OF the Iowa. started out in a
beat to meet the tug, at the same time in
| structing the officer in charge to 20 as
| close as possible to the mouth Of the harboy
| as he could and see II the hull of the sunk
en- Morrimac was successful in blockadinP
| the harhor entrance. The boat succeeded
| In getting near enough to observe rnat .hc
Spanish tug had to go into shallow water
and around the wreck before she could get
| out.
| When she emerged the Spanish officer on
board after an exchange OF compliments
said the Spaniards had seen what they be-
| lieved TO be flag of truce on the Iowa
and had come to answer 1t. They were po.
| litcly informed that they had been de
ceyod and that the American fleet had nc
| occasion TO show flag OF truce.
! The Spanish tug then returned to the
hnttor.