The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-27
sPANIARDs APT TO BURN SANTIAGO
Cervera Likely to Sink His Ships Be
fore the Surrender.

fore the Surrender.
Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.
Off Santiago de Cuba June Is, by Asso-
ciated Press Dispatch Boat, Kingston, ia
maica, June 26, 6 p. m.-While the army
advances the main portion of the fleet lies
patiently in front Of Moro Castle, await
ing its opportunity
Before the end of the week the fate of
Santiago and Admiral Cervera should be
decided.
By that time it is believed the Spanish
troops will have been forced back upon
the city and defeated in a decisive engage
ment.
simultaneously the forts at the mouth
of the harbor should be captured, under
cover of a naval bombardment.
Three things will then be left to Ger
vera-to surrender with his ships, to sur
render after destroying his ships, or to
make a dash out to sure destruction. He
may forestall fate by making an attempt
to get out of the harbor before the army
accomplishes its end.
The first Spanish ship to appear off Nor
70 Castle would be sunk within fifteen
minutes. Nothing in Admiral Cervera' s
fleet could survive the concentrated fire
of all the battleships in the navy and
three of the best cruisers.
The general opinion among naval ex-
perts is that Santiago town will be burn
ed by the Spanish troops before they sur
render; that Admiral Cervera will destroy
his ships, and that he will then submit
to the enemy.
IL this suppostion is correct, the whole
work should be accomplished in a week.
1t is hardly likely that the army can eff
feet its purpose without considerable loss,
although it's superiority in numbers, cali
Der and generalship insures an ultimate
sweeping victory.
There is every possibility that the Span
ish troops may surrender Independently of
Admiral Cervera.
If the Spanish admiral should insist up
on thus prolonging the agony, he would
be subjected to a fire from his own forts
and the army siege guns.
If these proved ineffective the harbor
mouth would be dragged, the mines re-
moved Admiral SIMPSONS ships would
enter and Admiral Cervera would be fin
ished off.
When the Americans took Baiquiri they
found a letter partly written in the house
of the Spanish commandment 1t was ad-
dressed TO the Spanish commander at
Santiago de Cuba, and had the tone of
braggadocio 1t read, in part, as follows
81 am we'll fortified and prepared to resist
all the forces the American pigs can bring
against US"
Evidently at this point the American
transports appeared and the boasting Span
ish officer ran off, leaving the letter half
written.
The Yankton arrived this morning from
Norfolk Two thousand Cubans were
transported to-day from Acceraderos to
Altares They were taken off shore in
pontoons. under the supervision of Gen.
Ludlow of the engineers.
They belong to Gen. Calixto Garcia S
force and transporting them by water
from the west to the east side of San
tiago saved several days. 1t also saves
unnecessary fighting. The Cubans will
join the army's van. All the convoy ships
except the battleship Indiana, which is
off the harbor, are cOaling at Guantanamo
The Hornet has gone on blockading du-
ty on the south coast.
This morning the Gloucester shelled a
Spanish party that was working at the
railroad trestle east of El MORO.