The news & observer., 1898-06-11
EASY TO SEIZE CUBA
TIE NAVY HAS DONE IT'S WORK
WELL.
GOOD LANDING PLACES FOR TROOPS
Destruction Of Shore Batteries Makes Possible
Occupation by Our Troops Joint
Blow of Army and Navy
Nav End War.
May End War.

Copyright by the Associated Press)
On board the Associated Dispatch
Boat Wanda, off Santiago de Cuba, June
.. 4 p. M, via Kingston, jamaica, June
10.-1:4O Il. m.--The navy awaits the
army.
The fighting ships of Rear Admiral
Sampson and Commodore Schley have
battered down the coast defences Of
southern Cuba, and have sealed up Ad-
mira Cerveras fleet in the harbor Of
Santiago de Cuba. by sinking the collier
Merrimac in the channel at it's entrance
which the guns of the fleet cover un.-
ceaSingly. Scout boats, running under
the shadows of El MORO. have cut the
Haytien cable, and now hold - miles
of the coast east of Santiago de CuDa.
including Guantanamo harhor. Under
the cover Of the guns of the fleet Eastern
Cuba may be safely invested by land
and sea. Admiral Cervera's fleet ami
lated and the entire province and its
towns and harbors seized and held after
a short campaign.
The harbor of Guantanamo is fine
harbor is capacious. ana has forty feet
of water. The land approaches are not
so PERCEPTIONS as ut Santiago de Cuba /;
the low lying hills can be easily crossed
with trains Of siege guns. and there are
level reads to Santiago thirty-three miles
distant where few mountain batteries.
beyond the reach of the fleet. will be
taken 10 an eminence commanding the
city and the Spanish ships.
Guantanamo is an important place. 1t
has six miles Of water harbor and will
be of great value to the United States
as n navy and army supply station, coal
ing depot and cable terminus.
The Spaniards made but slight defence
Their batteries were silenced on Tues
day by the Marblehead in a few minutess
firing mt 1000 yards. A small Spanish
gunboat ran away.
The Oregon. Marblehead and Yankee
hold the harbor, waiting to land ma
rines.
The navy's work has been done we'll
This morning the New York, New Or
leans and Porter were close in shore.
off Daiquir, east of Santiago, where
there are extensive iron works A
large iron pier offers an excellent land
ing place Possibly, one detachment Of
the army will land there, another force
may land west of IEl MORO, and third
body OF troops may land at Guantanamo.
1t is believed the city can be captured
within few days, and that Admiral
Cervera will be compelled to fight
The destruction of the shore batteries
now makes possible their occupation by
troops, giving the American fleet an OPP
portunity to enter the harbor, remove
the mines at the entrance and effect Il
joint blow of the army and navy involy-
ing the surrender of the Spanish troops
in the eastern provinces, now practically
all concentrated ut Santiago dc Cuba;
and the surrender or destruction of Ad-
miral Cervera's fine ships would ncces-
sarily have IN important, il not con-
trolling bearing in closing the war.
1t is in this view that such close
watch is maintained to prevent the cs-
cape of the Spanish ships, aud neces-
sarily the presence of the soldiers is re-
quired to prevent the defeat Of the
work thus far accomplished hy the navy.