Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-05-27

hurled upon it by the unerr.ng marks
men of our feet. Up to the present time
/ Admiral Cervera has apparently not de-
/ Cided which fate he viii choose.
1t may be asked why he was not in
stantly attacked. 1t is not an easy
/ thing to force him to give battle.
The entrance to the harhor, less than
/ one-quarter of a mile wide, with a cEar.-
mel crooked and only 500 feet broad,
! makes it impossible practically for
/ Sampson to go into the harbor after Ger
/ vera. CerVera holds the ngress to the
/ harbor as completely as Sampson holds
| the egress from it.
| The bOldness of the coast here pre-
| vents either squadron from seeing the
/ other: consequently they cannot shoot
at each other with any measure of aC-
| curacy To be sure the guns of the
| battleshps, or of the monitors, if any
are there. might he elevated SO as to cast
! heavy shells over the cliffs, allowing
| them to fall in the vicinity of the ships
| or the city.
1t would be all chance work. of course,
and if the shells became too uncom-
| Portable Cervera might be forced to come
out and fight. In that case it would
mean certain destruction for him a
! sufficient United States fleet has already
gathered about the entrance OF the har-
Dor to sink CerVera's ships as they ap-
peared in view.
Notwithstanding the undeniable for
mdability of Cervera $ four cruisers and
his smaller but very dangerous destroy
| ers, it rs now believed by naval men that
he is practically poWerlosS because of
supposed inability of Cervera to secure
a new supply of coal. Although num-
| erous reports of the coaing of the squad
ron We're circulated, it is not believed
that the Spanish admiral secured coal
enough at Martinique and Curacao to
anywhere near fill his almost depleted
bunkers.
In fact, at Curacao he was allowed to
take only two ships into the harbor, and
the amount of coal taken on board there
was not more than sufficient to carry
the squadron to Santiago Spanish re-
ports allege that there was plenty of
coal at Santiago, but naval men say
that this is not SO With empty bunk
ers the Spanish admiral is certainly in
an almost helpless condition. Under
these circumstances his running into a
harbor like Santiago, which possesses
almost impregnabe natural defenses, is
not difficult to understand. CerVera's
only hope then is for aid from Spain in
the shape of the Cadiz squadron. If it
should cross the ocean, and should join
with Cervera, the Spaniards would have
a very respectable force. They would
be able to make big resistance. But
the trouble is that SIMPSONS fleet would
he able to intercept the Cadiz squadron
and destroy it before Cervera would
know anything about it.
If Cervera's fleet is in Santiago and
Schley is patrolling the entrance to the
harbor, no battle should be expected for
while yet Sampson could not risk anv
of his ships into the harbor, for the ter
rble torpedo boat destroyers would he
in their element. and then. if ever. they
would get in their deadly work. A well
directed torpedo would mean the de-
struction of our biggest ships. Admiral
Sampson will therefore be obliged to take
up his position off the harbor and wait.
There is evidence, circumstantial. If is
true. but nevertheless entitled to some
weight. to show that Admiral Sampson
is now off Havana. The dispatches
which were sent him yesterday from the
navy department went to Key West and