The herald., 1898-06-11

initiated and the entire province and it's
| towns and harbors seized and held after
| a short campaign.
| The harbor of Guantanamo Is a fine
basis 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 reached with
| trains of siege guns, and there are level
| roads to Santiago, thirty-three miles dis
| tant, where few mountain batteries be-
| yond 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
| harbor and will be of great value to the
| United States navy and army as a sup
| ply station, coaling depot and cable term
| mus. The Spaniards have but slight de-
| fense. Their batteries were silenced on
Tuesday by the Marblehead in a few
| minutes, ranging at 1000 yards. small
| Spanish gunboat ran away.
The Oregon, Marblehead and Yankee
hold the harbor, waiting to land marines.
| The navy's work has done well-day and
night 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 be
done? We have opened the way. Where
| is the army of invasion?"
| The answer seems near at hand.
| The Marblehead returned to Guantanamo
on Wednesday, taking Captain Goodsell Of
the marines to survey landing places.
| This morning the New Orleans and Por-
ter were close in shore off Daiquiri, west of
| Santiago, where there are extensive iron
| works. A large iron pier offers an excellent
| landing place. Possibly one detachment of
| the army will land there, and force its way
west of Ell 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 COM
PEELED to fight.
The destruction of the shore batteries
now makes possible their occupation by
| troops, giving the American fleet an oppor-
| tunity to enter the harbor and remove the
mines at the entrance and effect a joint
blow at 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
yera's fine ships, would necessarily have
an important, if not controlling bearing in
| closing the war.
| 1t is with this view that such close watch
is maintained to prevent the escape of the
| Spanish ships and necessarily the presence
F., of the soldiers is required to prevent the de-
feat of the work thus far accomplished by
the navy.
The Damage Done
| NEW YORK, June 1O.-A special to the
Herald from Santiago de Cuba Wednesday,
| via Kingston Wednesday, says:
| Rear Admiral Sampson says he is conf
| dent that in addition to the great damage
| done to the forts and earthworks at the
entrance to Santiago harbor more than one
half the Spanish guns were actually dis
mantled. Perhaps even this estimate may
| be found too low when the full effect of that
| terrible rain of shell becomes fully known.
| 1t has been learned that during the bonn
bardment on Monday the Dolphin wrecked
railroad train with shell from one of her
| guns. The train was filled with Spanish
troops, and it is known that many of them
| were killed.
An Official Bulletin
. WASHINGTON June 10.-The Navy .
| . Department today posted the follow Q
| . ing bulletin: .
Q ION June 9TH Admiral Sampson .
| . ordered the Marblehead, Commander .
| . McCalla, and the Yankee, Commander .
| . Brownson, to take possession of the .
| . outer Bay of Guantanamo. These ves- .
Q sells entered that harbor at daylight on .
| the 7th, driving a Spanish gunboat
Q into the inner harbor, and took possess Q
. sion of the lower bay, which is now .
| . held by the Marblehead. .
News by Cable
MADRID, June 10, p.m.-The Spanish
| Foreign Minister says the cable to Santiago
| de Cuba has nnr been cut. He adds that ne
received dispatches from there this morn
| ing.
No More Coming
| PORT AU PRINCE, June 10, a.m.-
Cable communication with Santiago de