The record-union., 1898-06-05
describe the affair as a brilliant Span

ish victory.
1t is authoritatively announced here
that the Spanish Government has re-
ceived further dispatches regarding
the alleged victory of the Spaniards at
Santiago de Cuba, but that they will
not be published until they have been
conveyed to the Queen Regent. In
the meanwhile the report has crcu-
lated that the Spaniards have captured
numerous Americans"
The Minister of Marine. Captain Au-
non, went to the palace at noon to-
day and read to the Queen Regent an
official dispatch on the subject of the
recent fight at Santiago de Cuba, the
text of which is as follows:
"At o'clock on Friday morning one
of the enemy's large cruisers and an
auxiliary cruiser attempted to force
an entrance into the harbor of Santi-
ago de Cuba They surprised the scouts
guarding the entrance, but not the ar
tillery of Moro. The guns of the
cruiser Reina Mercedes, which had
been placed in the Socapa fort, a tor
pedo- boat destroyer and torpedo
boat opened fire on the enemy The
American cruiser Merrimac was sunk
by our vessels and torpedoes, and the
large American cruiser was repulsed
at the entrance of the channel.
THE Reina Mercedes captured one
Lieutenant and seven sailors of the
Merimac. The fate of the rest of the
crew is not known
The official dispatch adds that twenty
American ships are before Santiago de
Cuba.
The Queen Regent. it is announced
here, has ordered that a message of
congratulation be telegraphed to the
defenders of Santiago de Cuba.
The Minister of Marine later in the
day said that the wreck of the Merri
mae would not interfere with naviga
ton at the entrance of the harbor, and
he added that the coal on board the
Merrimac could be recovered and used
by the Spaniards.
In the Chamber of Deputies to-day
Senior Silvela, the Conservative leader,
congratulated the Government on the
good news from Santiago de Cuba"
and Senior Salmeron, the Republican
leader, proposed that the congratula-
tions of the House be sent to the Span
ish naval and military leaders in Cuba.
The motion was carried.
SPANISH DYNAMITE THE SUNK
EN- COLLIER
PORT AU PRINCE, June 4.-(Copy-
right, 1898, by the Associated Press.)-
Further news received here from Santi-
ago de Cuba confirms the reports that
the bombardment of that place began
al 3 o'clock yesterday morning. After
the action the Spaniards blew up with
dynamite the sunken collier Merrimac,
and have since been at work clearing
the channel, SO as to, in all probability,
permit Admiral Cervera's fleet to put
out to sea, should the CadiZ squadron
under Admiral Camara arrive in Cuban
waters to relieve the blockaded ships.
In the meanwhile dispatches from
Santiago de Cuba say the Spaniards
pay tribute to the audacity of the
Americans in so cleverly attempting
to blockade the channel According to
the Spaniards, it would be foolishness
on the part of the Americans to at
tempt to force the harbor entrance,
which is described as being long and
narrow and thoroughly mined, SEEM
ingly forming an insurmountable bar
rier.
There are a great number of insur-
gents in the vicinity of Santiago de
Cuba, probably waiting for some deci-
sive action on the part of the American
fleet, which will undoubtedly be the
signal for a land attack upon the town.