Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-31
mbeelins Re.,ister'
CHARLES n. TANEY, GENERAL MANAGER
BOTTLED UP TIGHT.

After much surmiSe and conjecture
as to his whereabouts Cervera has been
finally located and it is now definitely
known that he is tightly bottled UP IN
Santiago harbor with Commodore
Sohley playing the part of cork. Whetn-
or Ceryera ran in there to avoid an en-
counter with Sampson or Schley or be-
cause the supply of coal was running
short and the coal docks OF all natlor-
aIities in the West Indies were closed
against him by neutrality declarations
is immaterial, except that no material
addition to his fuel supply can be op-
tanned at Santiago de Cuba unless pre-
vious statements concerning the STOCK
there were misleading. The main point
is that Cervera is trapped at last
Cervera has chosen place that is al
most impregnable to attack by land or
sea. But it is also true dhat once inside
this harbor it is almost Impossible 70
get out in the face of blockadlng
SQUADRON. The entrance to the harbor
is narrow, not more than 100 yards at
the narrCwest passage, is Defended by
several forts and thoroughly protected
by mines An attacking squadron would
have to enter in single file. run the
gauntlet of the mines and batteries and
at the inner end of the passage each
ship would be subjected to the concen-
trated fire of the Spanish squadron.
Inside this narrow gateway is a mag
nificent harbor spacious and deep
enough to accommodate all the shipping
of the island. Well up the harbor is the
fortified town and back of the town the
cliffs of the Sierra Maestro separate
the harbor from the interior. They are
several thousand feet high and have
proven an effectual rampant against at
tack by the insurgents. Thus it would
be extremely troublesome for an at
lacking force CT United States troops
to descend On the city from the rear
while squadron was fighting itc way
in from the front.
become disadvantages when an attempt
is made to escape. Cervera's squadron
would have TO emerge in single file and
each ship in turn would have to en-
counter in turn the whole American
squadron at the entrance. And If the
insurgents are nearly as strong as they
are represented to be in the eastern part
OF the island the escape of the Spanish
garrison over the mountains at the back
would be no less difficult. II is Gained
that a very few ships could keep Ger
vera securely bottled UP in Santiago
harbor until he was starved into s'lr-
rendering or could destroy the ships Of
his squadron che at a time if he at
tempted to escape.
Thus Cervera and his ships are as
useless as if they were at the bottom
of the sea, while the bulk of our squad
rons are at liberty to devote themselves
to the work of bombarding Havana and
making landing places for the American
army of invasion, and the good news
now Is that The long loo,-ed for order
"On to Cuba" has at last been given,
Thus the most serious struggle of
the war is close at hand. The navy has
done practically all the fighting up to
date and after the ships effect landing
for the troops the rest must be done by
the army and if that branch of the SER
vice does as we'll as its sister branch
the Stars and Stripes will soon be
proudly floating over the troubled island
and the war will practically be at an
end