The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-06-30
NAVY IS WAITING.
Main Portion Of Sampson's Fleet Lies
Patiently In Front of MOrr0.
It h the Opinion Among Naval Experts
That the City Of santiago win BE
Burned BY the Spanish Troops
Before They Surrender.

OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June 25, via
Kingston, Jamaica, June 27.-While
the army advances the main portion
of the feet lies patiently in front of
Moro castle awaiting its opportunity.
Before the end of next week the fate
of Santiago and Adm. Cervera should
be decided.
BY that time it is believed. the Span
ish troops will have been forced back
upon the city and defeated in de-
cisive engagement. Simultaneously
the forts at the mouth of the harbor
should be captured. under cover of .
naval bombardment.
Three things will then be left to
Cervera-to surrender with mis- ships,
to surrender after destroying his ships,
or to make a dash out to sure destruc-
tion. He may forestall fate by maxi
ing an attempt to get out of the har-
Dor before the army accomplishes its
end. The first Spanish ship to appear
off MORO Castle would be sunk within
Is minutes. Nothing in Adm. Ger
vera's feet could survive the concen.
trated fire of all the battle ships in
the navy and three of the best cruis-
ers.
The general opinion among naval
exper is is that Santiago town will be
burned by the Spanish troops before
they surrender, that Adm. Cervera will
destroy his ships and that he will then
submit to, the enemy. If this supposi-
tion is correct the whole work should
be accomplished in q week. 1t is
hardly likely that the army can effect
its purpose without considerable loss,
although its superiority in numbers,
caliber and generalship insures an
ultimate sweeping victory.
There is every possibility that the
Spanish troops may surrender inde-
pendently of Adm. Cervera. If the
Spanish admiral should insist upon
thus prolonging the agony he would
be subjected to fire from his own
forts and the army siege guns If
these proved ineffective the harbor
mouth would be dragged, the mines
removed, Adm. SIMPSONS ships would
enter and Adm. Cervera would be fin
ished off.
When the Americans took Baiquiri
they found letter partly written in
the house of the Spanish commandant.
1t was addressed to the Spanish COM
mander at Santiago de Cuba, and had
the tone OF braggadocio. 1t read in
part as follows:
II am we'll fortified and prepared to
resist all the forces the American pigs
can bring against u.s."
Evidently at this point the American
transports appeared and the boasting
Spanish officer ran off. leaving the let
ter half written.
The Yankton arrived this morning
from Norfolk. Two thousand Cubans
were transported to-day from Accera-
deros to Altares. They were taken off
shore in pontoons under the SUPER
vision of Gen. Ludlow, of the en-
gineers. They belonged to Gen. Calix-
to Garcias force and transporting
them by water from the west to
the east side of Santiago saved sew
eral days. 1t also saves unnecessary
fighting. The Cubans will join the
army's van. All the convoy ships ex-
cept the battle ship Indiana, which is
off the harbor. are coaling at Guan-
tanamo.
This morning the Gloucester shelled
Spanish party that was working
at the railroad trestle east of Ell
MOrrO ~ -