The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-06-17
AWAITS THE ARMY.
Admiral Sampson Can Do Nothing
More Until the Invading
Forces Arrive.

On Board the Associated Press Dis.
patch Boat Wanda, off Santiago de Cuba,
june 8, 4 p. M. via Kingston, Jamaica,
June 10. TAO a. M 1.-THE navy awaits
the army. The fighting ships of Rear.
Admiral Sampson and Commodore SchIey
have battered down the coast defenses of
Southern Cuba and have sealed ND Ad-
miral Ceryera's fleet in the harbor Of San
tlago de Cuba by sinking the collier Mer-
r,mac IN the channel at it's entrance, which
Scoutboats, running under the shadows OF
FL MORO, have cut the Haytien cable
and now hold thirty-hye miles of the coast
east of Santiago de Cuba, including Guam.
tanam0 harbOr. Under the cover Of the
guns of the feet Eastern Cnba may be
safely invested by land and sea, Admiral
Ceryera's feet annihilated and the entire
province and its towns and harbors seized
and held after short campaign
The harb0r of Guantanamo is a fine
basis for land and sea operations. The
harbor is capacious and has forty feet OF
water. The land approaches are not SO
preclpitous as at Santiago de Cuba. The
ioW-lying hills can be easily crossed with
trains OF siege guns and there are level
roads to Santiago, thirty-three miles dis
tant, where few mountain batteries, be-
yond the reach of the feet, will be taken
TO an eminence commanding the city and
the Spanish ships.
Guantanamo is an important place. It
has six miles of water harbor and will
be OF great value to the United States as
g navy and army supply station, coaling
depot and cable terminus
The Spaniards made but slight defense.
Their batteries were silenced on Tuesday
by the Marblehead in few minutes fir
ing at 1000 yards. A small Spanish gun
boat ran away. The Oregon, Marble
head and Yankee hold the harbor, waiting
to land marines.
The navy's work has been done well.
Day and night ships patrol the thirty
miles of coast, within easy gun range Of
the shore. The officers ana men are ever
ready, and impatiently say: "What
more can we do? We have opened the
way. Where is the army of inyasion!'
Ine answer scenes near at hand.
line Marblehead returned to Guanta-
namo on Wednesday, taking Capt Good
places.
This morning the New York, the New
0rlea ms and Porter were close in shore off
Balqulrl, east of Santiago, where there
are extensive ironworks. A large iron
per offers an excellent landing place.
POSSIBLY one detachment of the army will
land there, another force may land west
VI ~ Mofro ana third body of troops
may land at Guantanamo. 1t is believed
the city can be captured within a 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 op-
portunlty to enter the harbor, remove the
mines at the entrance and effect a Joint
blow OF the army and navy, involving the
surrender of the Spanish troops in the
Eastern provinces, now practically all
concentrated at Santiago de Cuba, and
the surrender or destruction of Admiral
Cervera's fine ships would necessarily
have an important, if not controlling bear
ing in closing the war.
1t is in this view that such a close
watch is maintained to prevent the escape
of the Spanish ships and, necessarily. the
presence of the soldiers is required to pre-
vent the defeat of the work thus far ac-
complished by the navy.