New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-30
MORRO'S CAPTURE EXPECTED
ARMY AND NAVY OFFICERS EAGERLY
AWAITING NEWS OF THE FALL
OF THE BATTERIES.
inv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]

Washington. June 29-Advices are momenta-
rily expected from General Smarter OF from Az
rniral Sampson that MORO Castle ana l's he'sh
horinp batteries on the eastern side Of the mar
.o,y entrance TO Santiago Harbor. including the
works at Fstrea Point and Santa Cataiiha'
have been occupied by the American forces ana
that the Spanlards have been driven from 'he
rortihcations on the west at La Socapa' Canones
Point and Smith cay
Army and Navy officers evinced the lveilest
cur,ositv to-day to secure news OF this achieve
mont and made no conceament that they cohn-
IDENTIFY expected IT, Up 10 this time the news
naper dispatches from the front have lnVarlaoly
chronlcled important movements considerably
in advance OF the official reports. and they were
eagerly asked for by officials to-day on ths ac-
count The only dispatches received from Al
,oiral SAMPSON or General Shafter up to late
bour Tonight were dated two days ago, whle
rrass dlspatchos were but little over t"eNe
hours old.
SANTIAGO A VULNERABLE POINT.
Roth Army and Navy officers here agree with
ra,oarkable unanlmity that the actual occupa-
,ion ~ the unhealthy city OF Santiago possesses
fo,,, attractions from military point OF view, as
,,s nosition could easily be shelled by the YES
so,s y, Admiral Cervera's feet That fleet now
o,.sr is the sole objective OF the combined Amer
icar naval and military operations arouns SAN
,iago and It's destruction having been imposSi-
Ma ~ attainment hy Admiral Sampson acting
aio,,. the Fifth Army Corps was dispatched 70
,l-orarate with him in eliminating the FOUR ar
rnored spanish cruisers from further considera-
tlon in the present war It was impossiole 70
send the American naval vessels through the
narrow entrance channel on account or the eIao-
crate outfit OF mines which the Spaniards were
known to have established before Cervera
SQUADRON reached there and it IS reliably re-
ported that he has since made II impossiole Ior
anv offensive battle-shp 10 approach the inner
harbor by planting additional effective sys-
tenn of submarine explosives from the magazines
Of his own ships.
IMPORTANCE OF DESTROYING THE MlNEo'
With the American land forces in possession
% the shore batteries. however the wires which
operate the mines could be speedily cut and the
American fleet could promptly countermine the
channel and forcing entrance to the deep
water in the interior Of the bay bring apou'
such conclusive short-range battle with the
squadron as that Of two months ago at Manila
For some time American naval officers have
considered this plan the only one that gave any
promise Of eMecting a solution of the Santiago
+ prohlem. and It Is well known that Admiral
+ cor,nson thoroughly approved II as the speediest
+ method OF destroying Cervera. although AT the
time Of the Arlny's tedious delay In getting
away from Tampa he permitted Hobson 10 try
70 sink the Merrimac IN the channel having IN
I contemplation the complete investment or san
/ tiago by land and sea and the eventual starving
ont Of the spanish forces aloat and ashore
The certainty that the Merrimac now offers
practically no obstacle 10 the navigation OF the
! channel is understood TO nave led Admiral
SAMPSON and General Shafter TO agree upon
the Immediate seizure Of the entrance forts, Wit
their control OF the mine fields and unless some
/ unforeseen circumstance has arisen since sun
dav to alter the plans. IT should have been car
rIed out by this time
officials understood that Admiral Sampson
would open fire on MORO and the other bat
tories Yesterday morning az daybreak and con
Time firing With all his vessels including th'
Vesuvius until every Spaniard in the work.
was either disabled or driven out Yesterday
morning General Shafter had a large par
Of hts corps including all his advance forces, OF
tho hills within two miles Of MORO, ana every
thing was arranged so that the castle might d.
occupied within an hour after the bomoard
ment ceased Perhaps this attack was posi-
poned until to-day but al any rate Army OF
dcers believe that Il has already occurred an'
for that reason do lot worry about the reported
advance OF General Pando to reinforce Santiago
,,.bep the United States forces have no use 10
that city.