The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-06-03
HE DID NOT WAIT.
Schley Represented as DISC
beying Orders.

port That Fourteen Warships Particl-
mated In the Bombardment--W Washing
ton In the Dark as to the Contest.
Washington, June Washington was
thrown into fever of excitement by the
reports of an engagement off Santiago
between Commodore Schley's squadron
and the Spanish Notifications and Ger
veras fleet, beginning at o'clock and
ending at 4, with nothing to indicate the
extent of the damage.
The news came from various unofficial
sources and with enough apparent de-
tail to give a semblance of truth. In
more or less exaggerated form it spread
throughout the city, and the military
and naval officials were soon besieged
for information.
Dispatches from Port-auPrince said
that IA American warships yesterday
bombarded the Notifications at Santa
go. and that it was believed that MORO,
Putna Gorda and La Zocafa suffered
badly.
AS the hours wore on and no con-
frmation was received, the belief be-
came general that no battle had been
fought. The state department received
no dispatches, although the American
consul at Kingston, Louis A. Dent, is
one of the promptest news transmit
tiers in the whole consular service. He
has seen considerable service as news
paper man, and does not allow any time
tn be lost in forwarding facts, although
as an official he does not aid in circulat-
tp : mere rumOrs. In addition to this the
officials at the navy department not only
were without news, but they discredited
the reports, saying that they had no ex-
peCtations that an engagement would
take place.
Commodore Schley's orders are to
merely hold Admiral Cervera bottled
up until the proposed military expedi-
ton is landed at Santiago. The cOndi-
lions are such that he would risk every
thing and gain little by an attempt to
force the harbor. In fact, the situation
at Santiago is almost exactly similar to
that which confronted the Japanese in
the recent war with China.
1t is of course probable that COmmo
dore Schley might have fired upon the
Notifications to test their character and
strength and to form an accurate judg-
ment of the force necessary to reduce
them. He may also have been fired upon
by the shore batteries and thus been
drawn into a conflict, or the Spanish fleet
may have sailed forth from it's retreat
and endeavored to escape. If an en-
gagement has occurred however it must
have been forced upon Commodore
Schley. 1t is positively known that he
was not to act aggressively until the
military reinforcements from Tampa had
reached him.
Definite information today confirmed
reports of the day previous. Porto Rico
will be invested by American forces, if
haste can accomplish that purpose be-
fore overtures for peace are made by the
Spanish government; and Santiago will
be occupied by a sufficient force. In
centive has been given the administra-
tons policy of occupation by the fortu-
nate events at Santiago and every effort
is to be employed to finish the trans
portation of the armies of occupation
before the beginning of the dreaded
season of cyclones.
On this account the present month
must be the period of operations. July
August, September and the first part
of October are the months in which the
sinister tropical cyclones rage in the
southern waters, menace to our ships.
as we'll as the thousands of men beirS
transported. 1t is the present plans t.
discontinue for that period as far as
possible all operations by sea requiring
transports.
1t is understood that San Juan will be
attacked by the combined fleets OF
Schley and Sampson. The three-hou1
bombardment of that port by Sampson
revealed the strength of the Notifications
at that port, and the fallacy Of making
any but an attack of the most determined
kind, that the Notifications may be
taken speedily and with minimum sacri-
fee of life and ships. Encouragement is
derived from the reliable reports re.
ceived by the administration to the eff.
feet that the Spaniards have made little
attempt to repair the ravages brought
on the works by the big guns of the Iowa
New York and other great vessels at the
time of that engagement.
Spanish Naval Reserve.
London, June IA Madrid cOrrespon
dent says: 1.-The reserve squadron nov
undergoing speed trials and gun drill
outside Cadiz harbor is composed of tn,
battleship Pelayor, S21 men; the armorec
cruiser Emperor Carlos V, Ash men; tn
cruiser Alfonso XII, 361 men; the auxil
larry cruisers Patricia and Rapido eacl
with IT'S men, and four torpedo boat de
stroyers, each with 120 men. Whel