Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-10
Navy Practically in Control Of South
, Coast of Cuba.
BASE ESTABLISHED at GUANTANAMO
Simpsons Fleet Has Done a
q ~
Splendid Work.
ARMY WILL LOW
Copyright, 1903. by Associated Press,

Copyright, 1905 by Associated Prcss.i
On Board the Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Wanda, OFF Santiago de Cuba. June
y, via Kingston, Jamaica, June 10.-The
navy awaits the army.
The fighting ships of Rear Admiral Samp-
son and Commodore Schiey have battered
down the coast defenses of south Cuba and
have sealed up Admiral Cervera's fleet in
Santiago harbor by sinking the collier Mer-
rlmac in the channel at its entrance, which
the guns of the feet cover increasingly.
Scout boats. running under the shadows
of Ell MORO. have cut the Haitien cable,
and now hold thirty-five miles of the coast
east of Santiago de Cuba, including Guam
tanamo harbor.
Under the cover of the guns of the fleet
eastern Cuba may be safely invested by
land and sea, Admiral Cervera's fleet an
initiated and the entire province and its
towns and harbors seized and held after a
short campaign.
Guantanamo Fine Base.
The harbor of Guantanamo is a fine base
for land and sea operations. The harbor Is
capacious and has forty feet of water. The
land approaches are not so precipitous as
at Santiago de Cuba. The low-lying hills
can be easily crossed with trains of siege
guns. and there are level roads to Santiago,
thirty miles distant, where few mountain
batteries, beyond the reach Of the fleet,
will be taken to an eminence commanding
the city and the Spanish ships.
Guantanamo is an important place. 1t
has six miles of water barber, and will he
of great value 10 the United States as a
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 firing
at 1900 yards. A small Spanish gunboat
ran away.
The Oregon, Marblehead and Yankee
hold the harbor waiting TO land marines.
Nays Work Well Done.
The navy's work has been done well.
Daily and nightly ships patrol the thirty
miles of coast, within easy gun range of
the shore. The officers and men are ever
ready. and impatent say:
What more can we do? We have opened
the way. Where is the army of invasion, -
The answer seems near at hand.
The Ma -'blehead returned to Guantanamo
on Wednesday, taking Captain Goodrich,
of the marines, to survey landing places.
This morning the New York. New Or
leans and Porter were close in shore off
Daicuiri, east of Santiago. where there are
extensive iron works. large iron pier
offers excellent landing place. Posi-
bly, one detachment of the army will land
there, another force may land west of
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.
May Now he Occupied.
The destruction of the shore batteries
now makes possible their occupation ty
troops, giving the American fleet an OPP
rortunty to enter the harbor, remove the
nines 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 con-
centrated at Santiago de Cuba, and the
surrender or destruction of Admiral Ger
veras fine ships would necessarily have an
important. If not controlling bearing 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 pres
ence of the soldiers is required to prevent
the defeat of the work thus far accom-
plished by the navy.