Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-05-27
DONS' FLEET AT BAY.
ADMIRAL CEVERA AT LAST CORNERED
IN SANTIAGO HARBOR.

4 Verde fleet is in the harbOr OF santiago
de Cuba on the extreme southeast coast
of that island. With the certainty that
Cevera has not left Santiago, naval Off
GERS are wondering why he allowed him
self to be caught in a trap, for he has
no chance of escape according to the
best views obtalnable. The opinion is
almost general that at least one of his
armored cruisers was in such condition
when the fleet arrived there that she
could not be repaired in time to depart
before the American ships appeared.
This theory comedies with the informa-
ton which came to the navy department
that two of Cevera's ships had "gone
lame" an extremely likely condition on
such a long voyage as that of the Cape
Verde fleet. There was probably plenty
of coal at Santiago, and the armored
cruisers and destroyers had plenty of
opportunity to fill their bunkers since
last Thursday. 1t is therefore probable
> that lack of repairing facilities and not
lack of coal forced the Spanish admiral
to remain.
Those who know Admiral Sampson are
confident that he will not wait for the
enemy's force to come out of the harbor,
nor take the slow but sure means of COM
pelling submission by blockading Santi-
ago against supply vessels. They are
positive in their own minds that if the
Spanish ships cannot be reached by the
proiectiles from Simpsons big guns the
American admiral will take his vessels
into the harbor of Santiago and force the
enemy to give battle, Just as Dewey did
at Manila. The difficulties attending
such an engagement will be greater,
however, than those which confronted
(, the intrepid commander of the Asiatic
squadron. For 5000 yards the entrance
to Santiago harDOr is extremely narrow
and protected by strong forts. No bet
ter place for laying submarine mines and
torpedoes could be found. Naval officers
think that Sampson will first reduce the
outer line of forts and then attempt to
countermne the harbor entrance.
1t is probable that he will have the
assistance of the dynamite cruiser Nesu-
vius in the work of exploding the tor
pedos and mines. With her pneumatic
guns the Vesuvius can throw a great
mass of powerful explosives into the
channel where the mines are supposed to
be and thus destroy their usefulness.
Sampson has the reputation of being a
cool, clear-headed, daring officer, who
knows the power of explosives and the
penetrating ability of modern projectiles
better than any man in the navy. He is
fearless enough to take his ships through
the narrow entrance channel into the
broader bay of Santiago, and everybody
who knows him believes that he will
waste no time in forcing Cevera from his
hiding place.
The ease with which the st. Louis and
the Wampatuck, with guns of no greater
size than sX-pOunders, slenced the bat
& teries at Santiago on last Wednesday
when they cut the telegraphic cable
there, might indicate that the port i;
poorly defended. This, however, is no
true. The information In possession o.
the navy department shows that modern
Notifications have been erected and will
be capable of making considerable resist
s' ance to the American ships. These bat
teries did not fire on the st. Louis anC
Wampatuck, probably because it wa
not considered wise to expose their loca
ton.
Another Call for Volunteers.
Washington, May 25-The event of tn
day in the war situation was the issu
ance of proclamation by the presiden
calling for 5000 more volunteers. |
added new and stirring phase to tn
Iethargic conditions which have prevail
ed of late and came with almost start
ling unexpectedness even to many of tn
H.. In f6o Frha nrnn1o M
alton means not only the assembling of
large force of troops, but also the ap
pointment of a number of majOr-geneI
ais, brigadier generals, colonies and sta
and field officers for the organization o
this additional force of $4,000 men in
to army corps, divisions, brigades an
regiments. The reasons leading up t
the call naturally were sources of muc
coniectCIe, as it was at first felt that tn
possibility of foreign complications wa
factor in bringing about this ne'
move. 1t speedily developed, however
that the call was not due to any latent c
serious emergency, but rather in tn
line of getting together a large body {
men to be drilled and seasoned, and
constitute a sort of second reserve to
drawn upon later. Secretary Alger sta
ed that the determination to issue IL
call had not been reached till late yeste
day. The merits of it have been ca
vassed more or less for some weeks, bl
it was not until few hours before Il
call itself appeared that the move vi
finally decided upon.
Coming thus unexpectedly, the W
department had made no preparatio
for executing the call, and 1t will
some days before the details are work
out as to the quotas from each state, t
calls to the respective governors
states, the mastering points and the &c
eral points of concentration.
All that is settled thus far is that
enlistmt nts are to be thrown open, mu