The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-05-31
IN SANTIAGO BAY.
Commodore schIey Sends Information
of Cervera's Whereabouts.
The Admiral is COOped Up and Schley Has
Seen and Recognized the Spanish Yes
seIs-American Ships Guard the
Mouth of the Harbor.

partment has just received at 1880
o'clock this (Monday) morning a dis
patch from Commodore Schley stating
that the Spanish fleet is in the
bay of Santiago De Cuba and that he
has seen and recognized the vessels.
While the naval officials have been
morally certain for several days that
Cervera's squadron was in the
harbor of Santiago, the official
announcement from Commodore
Schley was received by the
officers on duty at the department mt
with intense satisfaction. Assurance
is now doubly sure that the Spanish
fleet is bottled up and that the cork is
in the bottle.
1t is not believed that Adm Cervera
will attempt to escape from the pre-
dicament in which he now finds him
self as such a course would surely re-
suit in the destruction of his vessels
and the loss of many lives precious to
Spain. The suggestion is made
however, that the Spaniards may blow
up his ships rather than have them fall
into the hands of Schley, as they GER
tainly will if they remain in the har-
Dor.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 3O.-The
United States auxiliary cruiser, for
merly the American line steamer New
York, arrived here Saturday morning
after having left the American fleet at
noon Friday.
Twelve American war ships are ow
outside the harbor of Santiago De Cuba
and Adm. Cervera and the Spanish
fleet are almost certainly inside But
nothing certain is known as to the
communication which Commodore
Schley has had with the shore, or as to
the number of Spanish fighting YES
sells which are bottled up in the har-
Dor Of Santiago De Cuba.
1t is to be presumed that the Harvard
has important dispatches for the naval
authorities at Washington.
KEY WEST, Fla, May est is now
almost certain that Commodore Schley
has the Spanish feet bottled UP in the
harbor of Santiago De Cuba. There is
so little doubt about this that the naval
campaign is proceeding upon the as
sumption that Adm. Cervera is incapa-
BILE of doing any harm. Within a few
days the exact conditions at
Santiago De Cuba will be known
without a shadow of doubt.
In spite of assertions to the contrary.
Commodore Schley was not absolutely
sure of his game when he last commu-
nicated with Rr. Adm. Sampson. and
the commodore will not take active
steps to block up the entrance of San
tiago harbor until he is perfectly GER
tain that Adm. Cervera'S ships are in
side.
However, he may have done this al
ready, as Commodore Schley's last COM
munication, forwarded on Thursday.
only reached Rear Adm. Sampson Fri
day. The commodore stayed three
days at Cienfuegos. He signaled to
his ships: Il believe the Spanish fleet
is in the harbor." On this belief a
message was sent to the American
admiral. The details of how Com
mOdore Schley found out that he
was mistaken are not yet known. At
any rate, acting on the admiral's in
structions, the commodore then moved
east, arriving outside Santiago De
Cuba Wednesday morning, May %.
The topography of Cienfuegos and
Santiago De Cuba is almost identical.
Both harbOrs are about six miles long,
with narrow entrances about 800 yards
wide md protected by high land.
whole fleet could lie in the harbor
of either place and be invisible from
the outside. After his experience at
Cienfuegos. it is probable that Com
modOre Schley was very conservative
in deciding whether or not he had
caught Adm. Cervera. From the tone
of his dispatches it is evident that the
commodore soon gained much second
hand and external evidence which
pointed to Adm. Cerveras presence in
the inner harbor. The evidence
was apparently strong enough to
make the commodore feel certain the
object of his trip had been accom-
plished, but in view of his previous ex-
perienee, he would not risk a decisive |
statment until after ascertaining the |
fact for himself. Before this dispatch |
is published it is likely that Comlno- |
dore Schley has sent some vessel into |
the entrance of the harbor of Santiago |
De Cuba, or has obtained from reli-
able source ashore information as to !
the exact number and the names of |
the Spanish war ships sheltered by the
hills about that place. Contrary to the
generally expressed opinion, the har-
Dor Of Santiago De Cuba is poorly
protected.
The Cruiser Columbia in a Collision