Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-11
NAVY AWAITS ARMY.
rnE WAY Foa INVASION WELL
OPENED AT SANTIAGO.
The city First Named Can De Cap
turcd In a Few Days, and cervera
De Compelled 60 Fight or Sur
render.

Copyright. 1888. by the Associated Press
on BOARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DISPATCH-BoAT WANDA. OFF SAN
TIAGO, June 3, r. NJ, Via KINGSTON
JAMAICA, June 10. 40 A. M.-The navy
awaits the army. The fighting ships OF
Rear-Admirai Sampson aud Commodore
Schsey have battered down the coast de-
fences OF Southern Cuba and have sealed
UP Admiral Cefvera's feet ia the harbor
OF Santiago dc Cuba by sinking the collier
Merrimac Ia the channel az It's entrance.
which the guns OF the feet cover I'M
ceasingly.
Scout-boats. running under the shadows
OF El Morro. have cut the Haitien cable,
and now hold thirty-nve miles OF the
coast east Of Santiago de Cuba, including
Guantanamo harbor
Under the cover OF the guns of the feet,
Eastern cuba may be safely invested by
lard and sea, Admiral Cervera's feet au-
initiated, and the entire province and its
towns and harbor seized and held after
n short campaign.
The harbor OF Guantanamo is 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-lYng hills can be easily crossed
with trains OF siege-guns, and there are
level roads to Santiago. thirty-threo
miles distant. whore "a few mountain bat
teTies. beyond the reach OF the fleet, will
be takeu TO an eminence commanding the
city and the Spanish ships.
GUANTANAMO IMPORTANT.
Guantanamo is an important place. 1t
has six miles OF water harbor and would
be OF great value TO the United States as
a navy and army supply station, coaling
depot, and cable terminus.
The Spaniards made but slight defence.
Their batteries were silenced on Tuesday
by the Marblehead. in a few minutes
firing, at 400 yards. small Spanish
gunboat ran away. The Oregon, Marble
head. and Yankee hold the harbor, wait
ing to land marines.
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 impatiently say: what more |
can we do? We have opened the way. |
Where is the army of invasion?"
The answer seems near az hand. The |
Marblehead returned to Guantanamo, |
taking Captain Goodsell, of the marines, /
10 survey landing-placeg.
This morning the New York, New Or
leans. and Porter were close in shore off
Daiquiri, east OF Santiago, where there
are extensive iron-works. A large iron
pier offers an excellent landing-place.
Possibly, one detachment Of the army
viii land there; another force may land
west of I'll MORO, and third body OF
troops may land at Guantanamo.
1t is believed the city can be captured
within a few days, and that Admiral Ger
vera will be compelled TO fight
SAMPSON WILL ENTER HARBOR.
The destruction of the shore batteries
now makes impossible their occupation
by troops. giving the American fleet an
TO enter the harbor remove
the mines at the entrance, and effect q
joint blow of the army and navy, in
vOlving the surrender of the Spanish
troops in the eastern provinces, now prac-
tcally all concentrated at Santiago de
Cuba. and the surrender or destruction Of
Admiral Cervera's fine ships would neces-
sarlly have an important, If not con-
trolling, bearing on closing the war.
IL is with this view that such a close |
watch is maintained to prevent the es-
,ape Of Spanish ships. and necessarily |
he presence OF the soldiers is required to
prevent the defeat Of the work thus far
by the navy.