Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-13
MINES TO Be REMOVED
implements Of Destruction
to be Exploded.
OBSTACLE TO COMMERCE
why the Spanish, Commander at san,inRo
e"''A'es 10 Surrender. SoOvertures
Yet Made to This Govern.
ment for Peace.
(Ry Telegraph.)

When public business closed for ~ -,
that the flag of truce set in the Spanish
INES at Santiago at O'Clock YESTERDAY
afternoon was still flying and thar ma
EQUATIONS continued looking to a sur
render The basis for these nepotia
cons naturally could not be very broad
IN view OF tue injunction the President
1a.u uhon General Shafter to accent
.othiilg less than unconditional surren-
ue'' p"t II Is supposed that time NAV
pe consumed through the indulgence or
e'eherai Shatter in allowing the Span
lsh commander to communicates NV %,
oIc with Captain General Hlanco in fra
effort to obtain his assent to the s,,r-
render General Toral undoubted1v
'','S osiofe ms eyes the vindictiye
a1 n"sH neapea upon the unfortunate
NaEal Commander Cervcra for surren
uerlnE at all. so that he probably vii,
ne bound by the direction of Rlanco in
ms own case. 1t is not eeneral,v
known that in response To the rnan1v
ana pathetic report by cable to Blanco
announcing The. loss of ms squadron.
terFeiii received 4 most harsh and IN
sympathetic reply. but sucn is the cas-.
Sl;lnco's purpose in this way has been
TO disSu;ide other Spanish commanders
military and naval from surrenderinr
Under any conditions. and in the case
OF Ior;il is appears that he has made
I strong impression. Nevertheless con
q ~
uaEo, though many officers fear that
.ne nest viii be found empty and the
plruS iloWn when the American troons
make their entry into the town. Still
should this be the case 1t may be fairly
e'altned that the prime object of the
'lo,enlent OIL santiago. namely. the
destruction OF the Spanish squadron
having been achieved the campaign as
Il whole has been successful. IK
Inc most important result Of the cab
met deliberations today was an order
60 remove the mines which guard all
me coast ports. This will be done by
exploding them. Many military men
were opposed to yielding to the pres
sure Oh the commercial interests and
some or them are predicting that not
re" or the communities which have
neen SO earnest in their demand for
the removals Q = -rnines will be franti-
cally clamoring lois,s-,--~-Aection at the
ISry first rumor of the presence of a
coast 7G7& 80
The order Of renewal. it Is sa4u. is to
appiy to Localities where lie 4 II, tcrasra
or commerce demand the same Ins
cases where it Is safe an effort will be
mace TO remove the mines Instead OF
exploding them. Wherever there ia
any doubt they will be exploded The
ACTON OF the sea in some instances
causes the dynamite in the iron ellipso-
lual vessels to ooZe through the screw,
threads where the plug is inserted and
uhless the greatest care is taken the
removal of the plug may caustan explo-
sion. 1t will be some, DAYS before artn-
al work of removing or exploding the
mines can be put in operation and the
question as to what the interests OF
commerce demand will be left to the
discretion OF the engineer officers hay-
ing jurisdiction over the various dis
tElCtS of the ted St.,t
carrying into effect the decision of the
cabinet Will be sent to them Immediate.
~ Great care Will be exercised by
these officers. While the mines proper
are to he removed all the incidental at
1achments necessary to their installa-
tion and operation will be retained
such as the classmates. anchors, the ca
Die connections and the >switch boxes.
so mat II 1t is necessary to replace the
mines 1t may be done on the shortest
notice.
Before war began our government
accumulated a stock Of coal at ST.
Inomas. West Indies. Most of it was
ashore, but thousand tons were on a.
schooner lying in the harbor. Twice
since war broke out the United States
has awaited themselves Of this coal
once to supply the Minneapolis and
once the Montgomery. but as each was
bound for the nearest home port and
there it was fairly assumed there had
been no breach of neutrality. However
1t appears that there is now a disposi-
ton exhibited by the Danish authori-
ties to prevent the United States SHIPS
from using this coal and as there Is no
question Of their right to lay down such
a rule the coal itself probably will be
let alone. Fortunately there is no par
ucular need for it. as there are other
means of coalihg q fleet now In use.
The incident is one which will be used
as strong argument for the establish
ment of coaling stations in various
parts of the globe for the benefit Of the
United States navy. t
Although the statement has been re-
peated day after day that no over
lures have yet been made to cur gov
eminent for peace, it may bear repe-
tition once more in view of the express
denial given at the State Department
to so much of the stories emanatine
from European sources as seek to Gre
ate the impression that the United
States government or any of its rep
rsentatives 50 FAR has made move in
this direction. The fact is today as it
has been: The nrst overtures in the
direction Of peace must come from
Spain, directly or indirectly.