The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-06-16

Telling of Scouting Exploit-Counted ed
the vessels-The Cape Verde Squadron
All In Santiago Harbor.
Washington, June 15.-The last lin
gering doubt that may have existed as
to the presence of Cervera's fleet in
its entirely in Santiago harbor was
removed when Almiral SIMPSONS dis
patch reached the navy department
yesterday. Up to that time informa-
tion as to the number and character
of the vessels lying in the harbor,
shielded from observation in great
part by the hills at the entrance, had
been obtained through Cuban sources
supplemented by such glimrses as
could be obtained by naval officers from
the outside entrance.
Now, however, according to Leuten-
ant Blue, the ships have been actual
ly seen by an American officer, count
ed and inspected from such points of
vantage as were afforded by the high
hills surrounding the harbor.
The navy department has posted the
following bulletin
Mole st. Nicholas, June 13.-Lieuten-
ant Blue has returned after a detour
of seventy statute miles of observation
of the harbor of Santiago de Cuba.
He reports that the Spanish fleet is all
there.
The Spanish attacked vigorously the
camp at Guantanamo. An outpost of
four marines were killed and their bod
les mutilated barbarously Surgeon
Gibbs was killed.
(Signed) SAMPSON.
The officials here are full of praise
for Lieut. Blues achievement. Victor
Blue has long been known in the navy
as an enterDrising and daring young
officer, but 1t required a good deal of
sustained courage for him to go ashore
in hostile country and alone make
this reconnaissance.
He was, in the eye of military law,
nothing more nor less than a spy, and
had he been captured by the Spanards
he would have been tried by drum
head court martial and executed.
Considering the fact that the ma
rines' fight a Guantanamo last Satur-
day night was really the first engage
ment of the war on shore, Admiral
Sampson's reference to the affair in hir
dispatch posted yesterday was remark
ably brief.
Hence ii is inferred that perhaps too
much Importance has been attached to
dt by the public. The action OF Lieu !
tenant Colonel Huntington in remoY-
ing his men 10 q more secure point
than the exposed position occupied by
them ON Crest Heights, is taken hera
as an Indication that no offensive !
movers lt Is 10 he attempted b. the
Marine Corps, but that 1t will limit
its operations to the defence of a small
point in Guantanamo harbor, to pro-
tect the ooaling of our warships, and
perhaps to serve as cable station |
when the necessary operators and in
struments are secured from Cape Hay
tien, to enable Admiral Sampson TO re-
open the cut cable.
1t does not follow by any means tha.
the place seized and held by the ma
rines on Guantanamo bay is to be used
as the point of debarKation of the |
United States regular troops now on
their way to Cuba.
ON the contrary there is the best |
reason to believe that another point |
very much better adapted for a land |
ing has been selected. But this point |
also IS believed to be much healthier
than any point on the shores of Guam |
tanamo bay, where yellow fever is SAID |
to be epidemic.
The officials here were very reluc- |
tant to believe that the Spanish who |
fought the marines at Crest Heights |
have been guilty of the horrible bar |
barism of mutilatng the bodies of the |
soldiers. The first press reports, by |
some of the officers were supposed to |
be based upon the horrible wounds in |
fiicted under certain conditions of |
range by the steel-clad bullet of the |
Mauser rifles.
Admiral SIMPSONS report. however.
seems to remove all doubt on that |
point, for his surgeons undoubtedly |
would be able to distinguish between |
the effects of bullet and machete.