Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-06-10
THE WAY PREPARED
Coast Of Eastern Cuba May Be
Safely Invested By Land
and Sea.
WORK OF AMERICAN FLEETS
Landing Places Held by Warships Joint
Attack by Army and Navy Will Force
Surrender of Spanish Forces in
Santiago de Cuba.

On board the Associated Press dis
patch boat Wanda, off Santiago, Jun,
9, via Kingston, Jamaica, June TO-
The navy awaits the army. The fight
ing ships of Rear Admiral Sampson ant
Commodore Schley have battered dowr
the coast defenses in southern Cuba an6
sealed up Admiral Cevera's fleet in the
harbor of Santiago de Cuba by sinking
the collier Merrimac in the channel at
its entrance, which the guns of the fleet
| cover. Boats running under the shad-
ows of Ell MORO have cut the Haytien
cable and now hold 35 miles of the coast
east of Santiago de Cuba, including
Guantanamo harbor. Under cover of the
guns of the fleet eastern Cuba may be
safely invested by land and sea. Admiral
Cervera's fleet annihlated and the PROV
ince. town and harbor seized and held
after short campaign.
The harbor ats Guantanamo is fine
basis for land and sea operations. The
harbor is capacious and has 40 feet of
water. The land approaches are not so
precipitons;as at Santiago, the low living
hills can be easily reached with the
trains OF siege guns, and there are level
roads to Santiago de Cuba 33 miles dis
tant, where a few mountain batteries,
beyond the reach of the fleet will be
taken to all eminence commanding the
city and Spanish ships. Guantanamo is
an important place. 1t has six miles of
water harbor and will be of great value
to the United States navy and army as a
supply station, coaling depot and cable
terminus. The Spaniards have but a
slight defense. Their batteries were
silenced Tuesday by the Marblehead in
few minutes firing, at distance of 1000
yards. The small Spanish gunboat ran
away.
The Oregon. Marbehead and Yankee
hold the harbor, waiting the landing of
marines. The navy's work has been
done well; day and night the ships have
patrolled the city and miles of coast
within easy gun range of the Shore
The officers and men are ever ready and
impatiently say: "What more can be
done? We have opened the way Where
Is the army of invasion?"
The answer seems near at hand.
The Marbehead returned to Guanta-
namo Wednesday, taking Captain Good
rell, Of the marines, to survey the land
Ing places. This morning the New Or
leans and Porter were close inshore off
Oaiquiri, east of Santiago. where there
are extensive iron works. A large iron
pier offers an excellent landing place.
Possibly, one detachment or the army
will land there, second force may
land west of Ell Moro, and third body
may land at Guantanamo. 1t is believed
the city can be captured within few
days and that Admiral Cervera will be
compelled to fight,
The destruction of the shore batteries
makes possible their occupation by
troops, giving the American fleet an
opportunity to enter the harbor, remove
the mines at the entrance and effect
joint blow by the army and navy, in
volving the surrender of the Spanish
troops in the eastern provinces, now
practically all concentrated at Santiago
de Cuba. The surrender or destruction
OF Admiral Cervera's fine ships would
necessarily have an important, if not a
controlling, bearing in closing the war.