The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-07
SURRENDER Or SINK SHIPS.
NO CnANCE FoH ADMIRAL CERVE-
RA's FLEEr TO ESCAPE.

ImprisOns tIH Spanish F1eet-Cer-
vera's Positih Regarded as One OF
Almost Pitih OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ment of InAding Troops VIII Be
Greatly Accelerated by HObson's
Daring Fet.
New York, June 6.--By no possibility is
it conceded members of the war board,
will Admiral ervera's vessels in the har-
boz of sanfgo be able to reach the open
sec, even fifth the remains of the Merri-
mac remfed, task that is not az all
feasible 4 view of the heavy fire that
an eftor would be subjected to who
mEht dtempt to place sufficient dyna-
mic inthe wreck to remove it. SAYS the
WishhEton correspondent of the Tribune.
Tie htire Spanish squadron is now con-
Geo have been caught and closed
agint all possibilities of escape. and IN
les Admiral Cervera purposely DESTROYS
h slips, they are bound to ultimately fall
he the hands of the United States.
Admiral Cervera's position is regarded
one of almost pitifuI humiliation. and
is situation such that he will be forced
surrender without possibly having a
chance TO open fire on a single war yes
ell.
That he. his officers and entire force
viii be prisoners of the United States, in
me, seems certain.
With Santiago in possession of the
Jnited States, the crews of the Spanish
lips will become prisoners of war, and if
hey attempt TO escape from Santiago
hey would fall into the hands of the in
Irgents.
Opinions differ as to the chance of the
our powerful armored cruisers and tor
edo boat destroyers becoming the prop
city of the United States, but most naval
men assert with great positiveness that
4dmiral Cervera will never ALLOW his yes
ieis 10 be taken, and that if he finds no
other alternative open to avoid destruc-
ion or capture, he will sink them, as Con-
spuctor Hobson did the Merrimac.
With the channel closed. the last hope
a naval men for a fight between ships of
modern construction and fought under i'm
proved conditions disappears, and by all
St is generally conceded that with the war
efded the historians will have but one i'm
portant naval fight to record.
In sinking the Merrimac the programme
d" Admiral Sampson is for the first time
disclosed, and it proves beyond doubt that
Investigation made by him showed the ut
Ter impossibility of his taking the large
force of heavy battleships and cruisers
between the forts and over the submarine
mines in an attempt to reach and bring
into action the Spanish vessels.
Naval officials have no theories to adj
vance as to the reasons impeHing the
course followed by Admiral SAMPSON
other than that he concluded. after care,
1ul examination of the charts and unfa
Eoraple conditions, that it was inadvisable
" take battleships through channel
Vhere there was not one chance in ten
upat they could pass safely. The diff
culles that such an underta king would in
HolFe are shown by the charts, which in
n'cate but twenty-four feet of water at
one point in the channel, or about two
IHet less than would be necessary for the
Iowa and Massachusetts.
ADMIRAL Cervera's vessels draw less nv
two or three feet than the heaviest of the
american shlps, but even his vessels must
have had little water beneath their hot
toms to spare as they passed in. With all
Jances OF escape against him either bv
successfully removing the wreck and Sc
curing at least channel to the sea. a gen
Graz Ieelng exists among naval officers
mat some bold and almost equally daring
exploit as that of Constructor Hobson VIII
De attempted by the admiral rather than
20 submit to the resort of blowing IN his
own vessels without having had opportun-
ny OF firing a single proiectile at an
American vessel.
Whhe admitting that the destruction Of
ne collier in the harbor of Santiago places
r1nVrr VNg-s
Aauoh IN cuban waters officials of the
navy department are not prepared 10 issue
instructions to Admiral Sampson for the
Cr1achment of any of the ships from his
ufet until he has been heard from in de-
Now that the Spanish admiral is no
toll5ef TO be regarded as a dangerous fac
tor IN the transporting of large bodies of
loops by sea to Porto Rico and Santa
~ the war department is preparing to
l'he immediate steps for forwarding sew
epdl transports to both places and safe
eScoft is to be afforded them by the ships
now part of the blockadinar feet off
havana, with other vessels that are 10 be
r6ured from further duty at Santiago
Inc army is now relieved Of the neces-
spty Of waiting further on the navy to
pToVlde 1t necessary vessels to convoy the
merchant ships, and a large movement
u now expected to begin.
Constructor Hobson's action in oh
fFructing the channel so that possibility
A. escape by the Spanish fleet is now re-
Spote, removes all probabilities, the most
conservative officers agree, Of another
great sea fight between the American and
spanish forces. Until last Thursday both
Aomiral Sampson and Commodore Schley
are understood to have been of the oDin-
iph that the heavy batteships and ar
ipored cruisers, by exercise Of caution
ana under the guidance of skilled pilots
iFmIliar with the waters, could be taken
between the Notifications and up the har-
Dor but were convinced on representa-
pons made later that no battleship could
possibly get around the turn at the mar
rpWest point of the channel where there
was barely water enough for the lighter
vessels of the Spanish fleet
keluctautly, therefore, they abandoned
their original programme, and it was not
0ntl Admiral SIMPSONS message was re-
ceNed that the department knew what
steps bad been taken to hold tight the
spanish ships.
ADMIRAL SIMPSONS programme having
oeeh developed, the next course of proceed
ure executed by him is yet to be presented |
Wlthstanding the fact that the Merri- !
mac wreck prevents the passage Of shiDs