The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-06
THE WAY IS CLEAR.
Nothing Remains to Prevent Invasion
of Cuba and Porto Rico.

New York, June 6.-By no possibility
it is conceded by members of the war
board will Admiral Cervera's vessels in
the harbor of Santiago be able to reach
open sea, even with the remains of the
Merrimac removed, a task that is not
at all feasible, in view of the heavy fire
that an operator would be subjected to
who might attempt to place sufficient
dynamite in the wreck to remove it,
says the Washington correspondent of
the Tribune. The entire Spanish squad
ron is now conceded to have been
of escape; and unless CerVera purpose
ly destroys his ships they are bound
ultimately to fall into the hands of the
United States.
Cervera's position is regarded as one
of almost pitifuI humiliation, and his
situation such that he will be forced to
surrender without possibly having a
chance to open fire on a single vessel.
That he, his officers and entire force
will be made prisoners of the United
States in time seems certain. With
Santiago in the possession of the Unit
ed States the crew of Spanish ships will
become prisoners of war and if they at
tempted to escape from Santiago they
would fall into the hands of the insur-
gents.
Opinions differ as to the chance of the
four powerful armored cruisers and tor
pedo boat destrOyers becoming the
property of the United States, but most
ness that Cervera will never allow his
vessels to be taken, and that when he
finds no alternative open to avoid de-
struction or capture he Will sink them,
as Constructor HObsOn did the Merri-
mac. With the channel closed the last
hope of naval men for a fight between
ships of modern construction and
fought under improved conditions dis
appears, and by all it is generally con-
ceded that with the war ended histori-
ans will have but one important naval
fight to record.
In sinking the Merrimac, the program
of Admiral Sampson is for the first
time disclosed, and it proves beyond
doubt the investigation made by him
showed the utter imposs1b1lfty of his
taking the large force of heavy battle
ships and cruisers between the forts
and over the submarine mines in an at
tempt to reach and bring into action the
Spanish vessels. Naval officials have
no theories to advance as to the reasons
impelling the course followed by Samp-
son other than that he concluded, after
careful examination of the charts and
unfaVorable conditions that it was in
advisable to take batteries through a
channel where there was not one
chance in ten that they could pass safe
ly. The difficulties that such an I'M
dertaklng would involve are shown by
the charts, which indicate but "a feet
of water in one point of the channel, or
about two feet less than would be nee
essary for the Iowa and Massachusetts
three feet than the heaviest of the
American ships, but even his vessels
must have had little water beneath
their bottoms to spare as they passed
in. With all char ces of escape against
him by successfully removing the
wreck and securing at least a channel
to the sea, general feeling exists
among naval officers that some bold ard
almost equally daring exploit as that
of Constructor Hobson will be attempt
ed by the admiral rather than to sub
init to the resort of blowing up his own
vessels without having had opportunity
of firing a single projectile at an Amer
lean vessel.
While admitting that the destruction
OF the collier in the harbor Of Santiago
places an entirely new phase upon the
naval situation in Cuban waters, Of
fcials of the navy department are not
prepared to issue instructions to Ad-
miral Sampson for the detachment of
I main section of his fleet until he has
oeen heard from in detail Now that
the Spanish admiral is no longer to be