The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-05-25
CERVERA IS
CAUGHT.
Must Now Show What He and His
Men Are Made Of
! AND NE WILL Do The SAME.
The Story Can Only be a Repetition Of
: the Manila Battle and All Are
Anxious That II May
be Told Soon.
MORE RUMORS OF BATTLE.

Washington, May 25.-The Spanish feet
under Admiral Cervera Is almost certain
~ bottled up In the harbor of Santiago d.
Cuba without likelihood Of escape. A meri-
can ships guard the narrow entrance t,
the harbor. Definite information, it Is DO.
lieved, to that effect was received at III,
Navy Department yesterday, and viii e
for reasons of their own, the officials will
not make positive statement on the sub
ject, they practically admit that Cervert
has been caught.
"You may quote me as saying that We
suppose the Spanish fleet is at Santiago, u
was Secretary: Longs guarded remark.
The official bulletins were very conserya-
tive and not at all general iu terms.
All day yesterday rumors wers persist.
emit that an action had occurred in the
/. Windward Passage. Nobody in authority
at the Navy Department would make an
official denial Of these or say whether any
News had come Of fight between the
American and Spanish squadrons.
All this time the officers in the conf.
dence OF the Secretary of the Navy knew
that no engagement had taken place but
they were under strict orders O furnish no
information to the newspapers. Their
knowledge was not based GU any direct
advices from Sampson, Sch!cy or other
commander, or from any United States
Consul in the West Indies, but they were
satisfied that Cervera had not left the Gu
ban port and that Sampson or Schley had
OF encountered him.
Meanwhile, where are Sampson and
Schleyp Hints are given that no naval
engagement has taken place, because tie
American fleet, whose exact position is
known here is not likely to encounter tho
enemy, but these hints may have been
based only on the rumors that the report
ed engagement occurred in the Windwarl
passage
1t was noticed that the official bulletin
Of the Bureau of Navigation yesterday
referred only to tho statement that tho
rumored encounter was located In the
Windward Passage, and did not contain u
general denial From this, and other
things, it Is apparent that neither Sampson
nor socbley is in tho waterway between
Cuba and Havti and w,s not thnro on
Monday.
The inferopca IN ba dr,,v, fro,, Elm
guarded remarks of otIicinls wos II A. M
squadron had been sent to Santiago by
that route or else had uas,ed through il
before fine lime when tho eny.co,,,,,, ,,,,
supposed to have occurred
The feeling in naval circl,s avian IN ,no
inner teri. is 50 con6d,nt th,t ,hera j..
no reason to doubt that the ,uuadrons or
Sampson or -chley, or Of bath. ara bIocK.
adiug the entrance to SANTIAGO Bov
N ,uoLy hero, outside Of II certain few
connected win .Ae administration, has
knowledge of when American ships start.
cd presumably from the neighHorho,d of
KY West, Cver the 800 mills Journey to the
p0lt Cervtra has self cted as rendezvous
for the fleet, but there i, ample ground for
the belief that Schley left not later than
Friday and if his destination was SAINT.
ago he must bo there by this time.
4 Secretary Long has received AN official
despatch announcing the arrival of the
battleship Oregon in Jupiter Inlet, Flo.
Her safe arrival in the inlet was reported
Immediately to the President.
q A despatch from Hong koag says that
the rebels are organizing an attack upon
Maniia and battle Is expected soon. The
Ia ,,,h,o,, ,.,, v. Wv 'u''', Val
~, o,at o'p'I''u ~ 1nu''ii'a' De"-
the fire of the A mericop shi,s
Port An princa Nav o. rho
n ,evails here of nm argo,c,ror+aH .nnI
AGO b.tween th, A,rcr,c,ron ,ho 49,
ish fleet, Ills so,a Tint tho S.,ui.h I"l,
two vesseI. which yo,o srnl,
Jupi;er Fla Nav o,-Tha o,o,,o
rived hare lo.t nic,}t a. ,nq,
A ulSDutCI boat from tho Ir,rro., ;.h