Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-06-02
MUCH UNCERTAINTY.
Naval Authorities in the Dark as to
Whether Cervera Is in Santiago.
Determination to Postpone Invading Cuba
and Porto Rico Until Positive InfOrma-
zion About the spanish Squadron Is
Received Theories ON Situation.

tiOn About the spanish Squadron Is
Recelved--TheOrlOs on Situation.
WASHINGTON, May 2S.-The military
situation, as at present determined
upon by those in authority, is to make
no further movement of troops, either
upon Porto Rico or Cuba until full and
definite information is received as to
the location of the Spanish squadron
and its possibilities as factor in the
aggressive movements of Spain. That
being the positive determination, there
is no present purpose to hurry forward
the troops now at the several points of
concentration, but the interval prior
to an aggressive forward movement
will be employed in seasoning the men.
Steps have been taken to secure
early information as to whether Ad-
miral Cervera's squadron is inside San
tiago harbor and whether the Ameri-
can squadron has such advantage of
position outside the harbor as to make
the escape of the Spaniards practically
impossible. For the last few days
army circles have shared the public
belief that the Spanish ships were
trapped in Santiago harbor, and that
has given impetus to arrangements
by which large bodies of troops
at Chickamauga and elsewhere
might be moved forward rapidly
to Tampa for embarkation. The
presence of 30 or more trans
ports in Florida waters added to the
conviction that movement on large
scale was about to occur All this has
been going on with the understanding
that Admiral Cervera's career as pos
sible menace in the rear of our troops
had been cut off by his being securely
held within Santiago harbor, but in
the absence of positive information on
this point, together with the certainty
that he can be held inside the harbor,
there is no purpose whatever on the
part of the war department to make
an aggressive forward movement on
Cuba or Porto Rico. This was stated
last night in the most positive manner
and from an authoritative source.
Unless the navy department succeeds
in securing some direct and official in
formation respecting the Spanish and
the American fleets within the next "a
hours through the aid of the West In
dian cables, it will resort to the use of
dispatch boats. 1t can be again
affirmed on the highest authority, and
Notwithstanding all rumors to the
contrary, that at the close of the day
the department had nothing more
than belief, founded on unofficial adj
vices, that the Spanish squadron was
lying in Santiago harbor and no news
as to Commodore Schley's whereabouts.
However, the majority of the officials
of the navy department entertain no
doubt that Cervera is within Santiago
harbor and that they have succeeded
in impressiDg this belief upon the
president and members of the cabinet.
The reports from the newspaper dis
patch boats as to the movements of
SIMPSONS and Schley's squadrons dur
ing the past week are very mystifying,
even to the naval officers here, and
one of them called attention to staLe-
ment coming from the West Indies to
the effect that IL war vessels were
seen for a short time off Cienfuegos
Wednesday. This he thought was
Schley's squadron, and in that case he
could scarcely have covered the dis
tance between Cienfuegos and Santi-
ago with a slow moving fleet of iron
clads in less than two days, in which
case Schley would be due off Santiago
some time yesterday.
1t was announced yesterday that
Holland, the inventor of the subma-
rine boat of that name, was expected
here to-day to discuss with Capt.
O'Neil, chief of ordnance, the FEAST
bility of using that novel craft in an
attack upon the Spanish squadron at
Santiago, if the vessels are still there.
THEORIES ON THE SITUATION.
WASHINGTON, May 2S-The last Off
cial report from the naval command
ers supposed to be on guard over the
Cervera squadron at Santiago de Cuba
is the subject of much comment here.
Among the most noteworthy theories
expressed by number of naval ex-
perts, who are thoroughly familiar
with the geographical situation, is the
belief that the Spanish admiral, if he
is at Santiago, is in position of con.
siderable advantage. These men say
that unless a great many warships
are kept in front of Santiago harbor,
the Spaniard can make his es-
cape without necessarily incur
ring the destruction of the squad
ron. Should the American ships
attempt to force their way
through the narrow inlet, they would
be certain of destruction by torpedoes,
one by one, as they could effect an en-
trance only in that order. The disad-
vantage to the American ships, aside
from this danger, lies in the fact that
they will be compelled to stand off at
least three miles to get the range of
heavy elevated batteries that com
mand the harbor, while the Spaniards
could direct a plunging fire from the
heights and the Spanish squadron
form for battle under the protection
of shore batteries. 1t would be COM