The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-24
THE STORY.


ards, and chiefly at night. Then follows
the kilograms from Schley, showing
that he recognized the enemy in the
port and from Secretary Long to
Schley.
The admiral said he felt much con-
cerned as to the delivery of these or
ders, and sent a duplicate by the Hawk,
with an additional memorandum. The
admiral suggested that if the informa-
ton did not reach Commodore Schley
before daylight Of May 20. he asked the
real direction he should take as much
as possible. He adds: Follow the
Spanish squadron, whichever direction
they take
The admiral then off Havana gives
copies of orders of battle which were
to be followed in the event that Ger
vera left Santiago on the approach of
Schleys fleet from Cienfuegos and at
tempted to cruise around the coast to
Havana, in which case the Havana
squadron would attempt to intercept
him by going east about 200 miles be-
yond the junction of Santaron and
| Nicholas channels. Strict orders were
given for screening all lights and to
see that none We're accidentally shown
! The squadron was to cruise generally
| to the eastward in the day and west
ward during the night. In one of his
| dispatches the admiral complains that
his movements were greatly hampered
| by monitors constituting the prlnclpal
force under his command
| On May %, as shown by the report
| Commodore Schley expressed the belief
\ that the Spaniards were at Cienfuegos.
| On the 9th the admiral sent word to
Schley, directing him to proceed with
| all possible speed to Santiago, because
| of information received that the Span
iards We're there.
At the same time orders were sent
| to have the collier Sterling dispatched
| to Santiago, with an expression of Opin-
ion that the commodore should use it
| to obstruct the channel at its narrow
est part leading into the harbor. The
| details of the plan were left to the
commodore's judgment, as he (Samp-
SOM had "the utmost confidence in his
ability to carry this plan to a success
! full conclusion, and earnestly wished
him good luck"
In one dispatch the secretary said it
would be discreditable to the navy if
| the presence of the Spanish fleet were
not ascertained Immediately. The COM
modores dispatch evidently had not
been received at the department when
| the secretary's kilograms were sent.
Meantime Admiral Sampson had made
| arrangements to proceed to Santiago
with a number of his vessels. He ar
rived there June /. Then follows a his
Etorical resume Of the doings of the fleet
while off Santiago, of the bombardment
of the forts, of the taking of the lower
bay at Guantanamo by the Marble
head and the Yankee, copies of memo
randa regarding the method of block
aiding, kilograms bearing on the pro-
posed army movement to Santiago, etc,
practically all of which is told in Off
| cial kilograms.
/ On June the admiral urged upon the
department, as he has previously done,
/ IL 81 Of Ila frnn
| for Santiago, the difficulty of blockad-
ing the Spanish ships daily increasing.
| On June 10 dispatch showed that the
| army expedition was temporarily
stopped because of reported observa-
ton of additional Spanish vessels in
American waters.
In a memorandum dated June Is the
admiral says: 1.-THE eommander-in-
chief desires again to call the attention
of commanding officers to the positions
| occupied by the blockading fleet and
especially during the daytime, and 1t is
now directed that all ships keep within
distance of the entrance to Santiago
of four miles, and this distance must
not be exceeded.
IF the vessel is coaling or is other
wise restricted in her movements, she
must nevertheless keep within this dis
lance.
IF at any time the flagship makes
signal which is not visible to any yes
| sell such vessel must at once approach
the flagship or repeating vessel to a
| point where she can read the signal
Disregard of the directions which
| have already been given on this head
| has led to endless confusion. Many
times during the day the fleet is so
scattered that it would be perfectly
possible for the enemy to come out
of the harbor and meet with very lit
tie opposition. The commander-in- chief
hopes that strict attention will be CIV
en- this order"
The admiral reproduces the order of
| battle incidental to the landing of Shat
| ter's army corps, June %, when ships
were sent to shell the beaches to cover
the landing of men. In this order the
| following occurs:
! 1.-THE attention of commanding off
! GERS of all vessels engaged in blockad-
! ing Santiago de Cuba is earnestly called
| to necessity of the utmost vigilance
| from this time forward, both as to
maintaining stations and readiness for
action and as to keeping a close watch
upon the harbor mouth. If the Spanish
admiral ever intends to attempt to es-
cape, that attempt will be made soon"
The admiral here remarks that the
most trouble would be experienced in
| landing on account of the wandering
proclivi'ties of some Of the transports
The progress of Decentralization was
rendered somewhat difficult by heavy
sea, the heaviest during the three
weeks he had been stationed there
owing to a stiff blow off the coast of
jamaica 1t appears that according to
a dispatch to Secretary Long, dated
June 26, the channel at Santiago not
having been INSTRUCTED By the sinking
of the Merrimac, Admiral Sampson was
preparing torpedo attack to hasten
IL ,ie.1, sale
although he regretted resorting to this
method because of its difficulties and
small chance of success. He would not
| do this, he says, were the present force
to be Kept there, as it then insured
capture which he believed would ter
inmate the war. The above telegram
was sent, the admiral explains, With
reference to the proposed detachment of
some of our heavy ships for service
| abroad (the proposed expedition to the
Spanish COAST. A dispatch from Secre-
| tary Long shows that this expedition
was to consist of the Iowa, Oregon, New
ark Yosemite, Yankee and Dixie, and
they were to go to Azores for orders en-
route to Tangiers, Morocco. The golfers
were to join the fleet at the Azores.
On June 30 the admiral received a
| communication from Maj. Gen. Shafter,
announcing that ne expected to attack
! Santiago the following morning, and
asking that he (Sampson) lombard the
! forts at Aguadores in support of a regi-
i ment of infantry. and make such dem
| onstrations as ne thought proper at the
| harbors mouth SO as to keep as many
! of the enemy there as possible. This
request was complied with, and on July
! list Gen. Shafter asked that the admiral
keep up his fight on the Santiago water
front.
| on July the following was received
from Gen. Sha +: Terrible fight yes
terday, but my ne is now strongly in
trenched about Shree-fourths of a mile
| p.,1.., to,.-,, hiro 5flaf Won 1aoolra af