The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-12-01

Santiago at all hazards, assuming that
the Spanish vessels were in that Dor,
This order further directed that the col
lier Sterling should be used to obstruct
the channel leading into the harbor and
that In the meantime the utmost care
should be exercised that none OF the
Spanish vessels in that port be allowed
20 escape. Admiral Sampson arrived at
Key West on May Is ard cabied Com
modore Schley. advising him that the
New Orleans would meet him Of San
tiaso on May 20 with important dis
patches and further emphasizing the
Importance OF immediate communica-
ton with persons ashore in order to
ascertain definitely whether or not Ger.
vera's squadron was In the port OF San.
tiago.
"Commodore Schley left Cienfuegos on
the evening OF the 25th and al $50 p. m.
on the 2Gth reached a point 20 miles or
more to the southwark and eastward OF
Santiago. where the squadron stopped
while repairs were made to the collier
Merrimac. At 80 p. IN. he signaled to
the squadron: Destination Key West.
via south side OF Cuba and Yucatan
channel. as soon as collier is ready.
Speed nine knots About p. IN. the
squadron got under way and. after
steaming to the westward until IL 20
p. m, stopped to make repsirs to the
Yale.
Orders Carried by the Harvard.
"On the morning OF the 9th the Har-
ward. from Mole st. Nicholas. delivered
to Commodore Schley the following dis
patch:
Proceed a once and inform Schley and
also the senior officer off Sa pfi3 pa
as follows: All departments information
indicates Spanish division is still at San
tiago. The department looks to you to
ascertain facts and that the enemy, IL
therein, does not leave without a decisive
action Cubans familiar with Santiago
say that there are landing Ilaces five or
six nautical miles west from the mouth of
harbOr and that there insurgents probably
will be found and not the Spanish. From
the surrounding heights can see every
vessel in port. AS soon as ascertained no.
tify the department whether enemy is
| there. Could not squadron and also the
Harvard coal from Merrimac leeward off
| Cape Cruz. Gonaives channel or Mole.
Haiti? The department will send coal i'm
media tely to Mole. Report without delay
| situation at Santiago de Cuba.
"At II a. m, two hours after receiving
this dispatch from the department. Com
| modore Schley signaled to the squad
| ron: Can you fetch into the port Of Key
West with coal remaining? Reply by
| signal At noon the Harvard left, car
rying his reply to the departments dis
patch, as follows:
| "Merrimac's engines disabled; is heavy;
| am obliged to have towed to Key West;
| have been unable absolutely to coal the
| Texas. Marblehead. Vixen and Brooklyn
| from collier, all owing to very rough sea
| bad weather since leaving Key West. The
| Brooklyn alone has more than sufficient
| coal to proceed to Key West; cannot re-
| main off Santiago present state squadron
| coal account. Impossible to coal leeward
| Cape Cruz in the summer. all owing to
| southwesterly winds. Much to be regret
| ted, cannot obey orders of department
| Have striven earnestly; forced to proceed
| for coal to Key West by way of Yucatar
passage Cannot ascertain anything re-
| specting enemy positive. Very difficult tc
| tow collier to get cable to hold.
| Later in the day, the squadron mean
time having again moved westward, the
| signal Stop was made to the flying
squadron, after which the Texas anC
| Marblehead went alongside the Merri-
| mac and coaled. The squadron was al
| that time distant about 40 miles to the
| southwark and westward of Santiago.
'"The flying squadron remained here
until 1:12 p. m. of the 2Sth, when sigma
| was made to return in the direction o.
Santiago. This course was kept until {
little after dark, when the squadron
stopped for the night about ten mile:
to the southwark of Santiago with ths
| Marblehead scouting two miles inside
the squadron.
Cervera's Fleet Located.
'"Early on the morning of the 29th {
Spanish man-of-war, the Cristobal Co
lon was seen lying at anchor inside thu
harbor entrance, and later SECOND
man-of-war and two smaller vessels. A
10 g. M Commodore Schley cabled tina
Cervera's squadron was at Santiago. o.
the morning of the 31st. with the Mas
sachusetts. Iowa and New Orleans. h
exchanged fire with the ships inside tn
harbor and the forts at a range of abou
1000 yards.
"On June l Admiral Sampson arrived
off Santiago and found Commodor
Schley's squadron in column to tn
westward of the mouth of the harbor
Immediately upon the concentration o
these two forces at Santiago a close an
| efficient blockade was established, Ad
miral Sampson in command. The har
| Dor was closely guarded day and nigh
| by our ships in a semicircle. Powerfu
| 69dTcn1lSulS were lHIOWH upOA IT'S Gil
trance during the dark. A plan of at
tack, by which our vessels were to clos
in at once upon any of the enemy's com
ing out was provided for in standing or
ders. On June an attempt was mad
to close the harbor by sinking across 1t
entrance the collier Merrimac. This at
tempt, though unsuccessful in its objec
was daringly executed"
After an account of the bombardmen
Of Moro castle and the Santiago shor
batteries at Santiago, the secretar
says:
"On July 1, in accordance with re
quest from General Shafter of June 81
. the forts at Aguadores were lombard
!, , ed and a demonstration made agains
! | the forts at the entrance of the harbO
which were heavily bombarded, espe
| cially the Punta Gorda battery, by tn
Oregon and Indiana.
Sampson and Shafter.
, "a report OF this bombardment wa
sent to General Shafter, and Admire
| Sampson stated that it was impossibl
to force an entrance to the harbor ur
| til the channel could be cleared of mine
which could only be done after the fort
| at the entrance of the harbor were tax
, en- by our troops.
General Shafter replied that 1t wa
not possible to say when he could TAX
the batteries at the harbor's mouth an
. urged that an effort be immediatel
{ made by the navy to force an entranc
: Admiral Sampson wrote to Gener:
e Shafter that the forts which had bee
bombarded by the squadron could NJ
Inconvenience the army in capturing tt
city, as they could not fire except I
i seaward: that, as the channel to til
+ harbor was strewn with Observable
! mines, an effort to force an entrane