The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-30
Spanish Account of the Operations
at Santiago.
AMERICANS WERE BRAVE
BUT $50 sPANIARDs HELD SAN
JUAN HILL,
And Ell Caney Was Defended For Ten
Hours By a Force of 52o-Why
Cervera Remained In the Harbor
American Movements Puzzled
the Spaniards-Enemy's Losses.

Washington, Nov 29-The bureau of
naval intelligence today issued another
of its war series, this time the battles
and capitulation of Santiago de Cuba,
by Lieutenant Jose Miller y Tejeiro the
second in command of the naval forces
of the province of Santiago de Cuba"
The chief of the intelligence bureau eX-
plains in an Introductory note that the
writer was an eyewitness of most of
the events that he describes, and from
his position had access to official infor
nation. The style is peculiarly inter
esting, free from bias and has an air of
authenticity, which will give the book
a place in history, though it is not an
official publication. The author began,
according to his own statement, to
keep an exact diary of events at San
tiago from the moment of the appear
ance there of Cervera's fleet, realizing,
as he says, that the vessels were to
have a most powerful influence on the
war.
The publication begins with a chap
ter entitled, THE Two Fleets" telling
Of the arrival of Cerveras squadron
on the 18th of May, and of the disap-
pointment of the people who expected
no less than eight battleships instead
of five. The picture he draws of the
conditions in the besieged city is quite
terrible, owing to the shortage of food
and supplies.
He speaks of the difficulties of coal
ing, and shows that the fleet was very
badly supplied. Concerning the opin-
ions as to why the fleet did not go out,
he refers to the great joy caused by its
arrival, and then says the ships in the
harbor were compelling the enemy to
sustain with superior forces the block
| ade, with all it's difficulties and dan
gers. 1t was not believed that the
American ships would expose them
selves to serious disaster or would
force any one of the ports which we're
being blockaded. The Spanish ships did
not have to give battle in order to OBJ
tain results, and he says that if pro-
visions had not been wanting in San
tiago and the Spanish fleet had re-
manned there, no one could tell to what
extremes Impotence and despair might
not have carried Admiral Sampson.
The movements of the American fleet
We're a puzzle to the Spaniards, as they
did not know why they remained on
watch all day and disappeared at
night. But it was supposed that the
Americans were afraid of the destroy
ers.
Speaking of the Merrimac, he says:
I'VE at Santiago have not succeeded in
ascertaining definitely-though it is
probably known in Spain from Ameri-
can newspapers, that are in the habit
| of publishing verything-what was the
real object that the Merrimac had in
view
He speaks of the destructive work of
the Vesuvius whenever the bombs fell
upon any point where there were works
| or guns. M
TRIBUTE TO AMERICANS.
Speaking of the battles of Ell Caney
and San Juan, he says the Americans,
it must be acknowledged, fought with
truly admirable courage and spirit.
While the battles were going on at Ell
Caney and San Juan, the enemy had
sent forces against the whole Spanish
line, for the purpose, no doubt Of har
assing and making the attack more
general The casualties of the Spanish
side are stated to be sixty officers and
53S men. He claimed that only $40 men
defended Ell Caney for ten hours, and
that $50 defended San Juan for four
hours.
He speaks of the lively bombardment
by sea and land on July g. and the sor-
tie Of the Spanish fleet on July g. He
/
miral as one of the greatest acts of
valor For some time the Spaniards
did not know whether the ships had
succeeded in making their escape, but
having been informed they had, there
was great rejoicing. 1t was at o'clock
that the pilot came in and informed
them that the Teresa, Oquendo and the
! destroyers had been lost.
The lieutenant gives considerable
! space to details of the naval battle,
most of which were taken from per-
! sons who We're saved from the Spanish
| ships The GOODNESS and courage of
Admiral Cervera is noted. The fire of
! the Spanish ships was said to have
been slow, While that of the American
+ ships was very brisk. In discussing
| the disaster, he says that the loss of
the fleet had been foretold by all it's
commanders. but public opinion in the
! island of Cuba required the presence of
the fleet in Cuban waters. The ships
| had not been cleaned, were short of
! coal, and not in good condition to
| fight. The fleet received definite orders
! from the captain general of Cuba to
| leave Santiago, in spite of Admiral
| Cervera's circumstances. He says the
! Spanish are proud of the disaster of
| Trafalgar, on account Of the heroism
| of the navy, but the battle of Santiago
is much more glorious
The total losses iE all the attacks on
Santiago are given as follows: Officers,
killed, 16: men killed, 1917 officers
wounded, SO: men wounded, $780, pris-
oners and missing, seven officers and
! 116 men,
THE NAVAL BATTLE
He closes the account of the naval
| battle of Santiago, saying:
! Il have never been able to under
! stand the reason why there was sent
to the island of Cuba a fleet that was
| in no manner able to cope with that
of the United States, and which. there
! fore, could in no wise prevent the
ships of the latter from blockading our
ports and controlling the sea; but, since
it was sent without its arrival being
able to prevent the loss of the island,
which was lost, as experience has
shown, from the very moment when
war was accepted, owing to the con-
| ditions prevailing there, then it should
have been prevented from being de-
J stroyed, as 1t was. without resulting in
any advantage whatever
1.-THE only way of gaining any adj
vantage would have been. in my opin-
| ion, taking advantage of the fact that
all the hostile ships were in Cuba, to
send few ships of great speed, more
or less well armed, to the commercial
ports OF the United States, and bonn
bard them. 1t is probable that the
American public opinion, especially of
those who did not participate in the
war, would have exacted the return Of
the ships, and then the ships of the
Spanish fleet could have left Santiago
in perfect safety, and a catastrophe
. would have been avoided which has
brought us no advantage At the same