The San Francisco call., 1898-05-26

NEW YORK, May 25.-The Wash ington correspondent of the Herald sends the following: Commodore Schley still holds the key to the naval sftua- tion in the West Indies. He has lock- ed up the Spanish squadron in the har- bor of Santiago de Cuba, and is under orders to make as impossible as cir cumstances will permit the escape of any of the enemy's fleet by destroying the enemy's Notifications, so that the blockade may be sustained.
 The examination of Santiago de Cuba, which has been made by the Ma val War Board, has convinced 1t that it is absolutely necessary for Commo- dore Schley to destroy the batteries protecting the channel so that he may institute and maintain a thorough blockade. It is not forgotten by the authorities that besides the four arm ored cruisers, Admiral Cervera has un- der his command two torpedo-boat de- stroyers. It is the peculiar work of such craft to sneak out at night under the cover of shore batteries and dis charge a torpedo at an enemy'S man. of-war. For the protection of the American ships it is necessary, there fore, for Commodore Schley to destroy the Notifications of Morro Castle and Cimones Point, situated on the oppo- site shores of the channel. These for tifications are on plateaus, whose sea- sides slope rapidly to the sea. Reports show that Santiago is defended only by half a dozen modern guns. the re- mainder being old smooth bores mount ed on masonry Qualifications. Some officers with whom 1 talked to-day Sug- gested that the Spaniards had masked batteries near the mouth of the chan nel, but did not care to expose their G-.s-.
 Rear Admiral Sampson, with a strong naval force, is lying off the north coast of Cuba, prepared to Lombard Havana the moment the military in vasion is commenced. Voluminous in- structions have been sent to Admiral Sampson in care of Commodore Remey at Key West. but their purport is a secret which the Naval War Board de- clines to share with any other than the President and Secretary Long.
 AS the Herald has stated, Secretary Long has distributed the naval ships which will be employed to convoy troop ships to Cuba, and upon their arrival at the point selected, they will assist the vessels equipped with heav- fer guns to pave the way for the disem- barkation of the troops.
 All that can be said with definiteness concerning the point selected as the landing place of the army is that it is in the immediate vicinity Of Havana. General Blancos military activity has caused him to stretch telegraph wires all along the coast, and this signal sys- tenn is expected to notify him at once of any attempt to land troops. It is there fore expected that if General Blanco learns the destination of the American army of invasion he will concentrate his troops at that point. The authori- ties have not neglected the perfection of their DrOPram01R- which oc,utar11- plates the drawing of General B1anco off on a false scent, and Admiral Sampson will be entrusted with the duty of carrying this into effect He will, of course, be charged with the pro- lection of troops while going ashore and furthermore, will be required to comm ence the bombardment of Havana as soon as the forward movement against that city by American troops commences.