New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-08
OPERATIONS OF THE FLEET
WORK OF ADMIRAL SIMPSONS WAR
SHIPS OFF SANTIAGO.

SHIPS OFF SANTIAGO.
on Santiago de Cuba, June 25.-The lack of
teIegraphic facilities in this vicinity has MILL
tated greatly against the full detailing OF opera
t,ons at this point by the American forces. The
expedition of the Merrmac. the three lombard
ments the landing OF marine force ut Guanta-
namo and the celebrity with which 1900 troops
with all their paraphernalia, have been landed,
form the great features Of note and the Merr-
mac expedition and the landing Of the marines
have about them the greatest halo or herolsm'
The absolute facts Of oil these weeks OF walt
ing are that among the naval forces or the
United States in the weeks of operations there
have been eight deaths. two OF which nave peen
from natural causes. and no casualties TO the
ships except the slight one to the Texas Eleven
injured complete the casualties. and TWO men
drowned and eight at this writing alleged 10
have been killed in skirmishes complete the
Army's loss while engaged in landing force or
1900 men only eight miles from the enemys
stronghold
No real test at this writing has been made OF
modern projectiles or modern armor no sea
battle has been fought. and the bombardmcnt or
the batteries and earthworks at Santiago has
been fruitess OF results. except the killing. II is
believed OF about three hundred Spaniards. No
authentic
received except that Commodore schley's slight
bombardment sank the Reipa Mercedes. and the
Texas dismounted the guns of the eastern bat
terry. Moro stands on its high hilltop un-
scathed by the shells because Of the order OF
Rear Admiral Sampson TO avoid destroying 1t.
in view Of the fact that the American prisoners
were supposed to be confined there The three
Commandments destroying effect on the earth
works batteries has never been so great that
they were not readily prepared for a second at
tack few days later.
But while all this is plain fact about the real
situation as viewed from the outside. 1t Is new
ertheless true that the American squadron under
Admiral Sampson has pressed toward the &C
complishment Of the object Of the war. while
Admiral Cervera and his fleet and General
Linares and his army have in the same period
refrigerated. Admiral Sampson and Commodore
Schley have both done everything that could
possibly within reason be done without need
lessly and fooshly exposing ships and men to
destruction. 1t is possible. however, that by tn
time this letter reaches the public eye the story
Of the war will have been edded to by a final
conflict In which Il is apparent that the Amerl-
cans must win.
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.
On May 81. with only three ships the Massa
chusetts as flagship. and the Iowa and the
New-Orleans. Commodore Schley. then alone.
decided to test the batteries shore. run
ming fire Of hour. in which not over thirty
shots Of large calibre fired from the three
ships. resulted In the discovery that the narrow
entrance well defended there being two
earthworks batteries TO the west and one to the
east in addition TO a mortar battery and sew
eral stone batteries directly In the mouth Of
the harbor. The big Spanish ships under COM
mand Of ADMIRAL Cervera formed a remarkable
inland defence for the harbor. and two torpedo
boats and rows Of mines made the harbor al
most impregnable The only thing to be done.
therefore. was to preserve a blockade that would
prevent Admiral Cervera from making his
escape and going to Porto Rico This was no
easy matter. because the Spanish vessels were
known to be faster than the American ships.
except the Brooklyn. and the biockading fleet
was small and without any small boats for
pickets.
On June Rear-Admral Sampson arrived with
his feet. which. joined to the squadron OF Com
modore Schley. made an impregnable barrier.
A consultation led to the belief that Admiral
Cervera not having ventured out In the two
nights when his chance of escape. with only
small biockad.ng squadron, greatest. would
not attempt to come out and meet this vastly
superior aggregation of vessels. and that the
alternative was either to starve him out. or.
with the aid OF the Army. drive him out or
compel him to destroy his ships before sur
render.
In this first encounter It was learned. after
communication with the insurgents, that the
Reina Mercedes. a partially dismantled and
altogether useless ship. was sunk
WAITING FOR THE TROOPS.
Then began the period Of waiting for the ar
rival Of the invading army that consumed two
weeks and put on the shoulders OF Admiral
Sampson the great responsibility Of preventing
the escape Of the fleet or the junction on shore
Of the various divisions Of the Spanish Army
known to be scattered on the eastern end OF the
island. AS If having premontion that the wait
Ing for the Army would be tedious and full Of
the greatest anxiety for the blockading feet.
Admiral Sampson and Lieutenant Hobson
planned. and the latter executed. the famous
coup which seemed To block effectually the exit
Of the feet. The details Of the Merrimac expe-
dition have already been described so accu-
rately and fully that 1t IL needless to relate the
thrilling Incidents Of that heroic. self-sacrifcing
act, but attention is called 20 it. owing 10 the
fact that from official sources has come the
statement that the vessel not sunk in the
place indicated and does not block the chan
mel.
Following the Merrimac incident Admiral
Sampson turned his energies toward isolating
the enemy from the outside world and provid
ing means whereby the American feet could
be kept intact in the vicinity and yet obtain coal
and provisions In the matter OF isolation two
plans formed and carried out. although
in one case with much vexatious difficulty. The
insurgents were communicated with and Gen
eral Garcia was asked 10 move his forces down
toward the southern coast so as to prevent a
junction Of the four thousand men at Mama
milo under General Pando with those Of Gen