Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-04

the Spaniards did not have in place the
complicated and delicate mechanism neces-
sary to handle automobile or fish torpedoes
The ship was either sunk by her own crew
or blown up by a fixed mine.
No News Mt the Department.
Mr. Allen, acting secretary of the navy,
in the absence of Mr.. Long. said at u
o'clock that not a word had been received
today by the department as to the sinking
of the Merrimac or any other feature of
the situation at Santiago, up to that hour.
Long Cipher Telegram.
A long cipher telegram was received at
the Navy Department this afternoon from
Admiral Sampson, presumably in regard to
the sinking of the coiHer Merrimac in the
harbor of Santiago.
1t was surrounded with the usual secrecy
and mystery. and will not be made public
until this evening, even in case it is con-
clUded to follow that course.
AS already indicated, It is believed to re-
late to the expedition of the Merrimac
which resulted in cutting off the escape of
the Spanish fleet from the harbor of San
tiago.
Inguiring After Ensign Blakely.
Ensign j. r. Y. Blakely, who is thought
car gerous mission at Santiago, is nephew
o. Mr.. John Russell Young, superintendent
o. the Congressional Library, and Repre-
sentative Young of Pennsylvania. The lat
ter called at the Navy Department today
t. make inquiries as to the safety of the
young officer. and was informed that he
department had 10 official information of
the sinking of the Merrimac in the harbor
of Santiago. The department was equally
uEinformed as TO what officers or men
were on the vessel, in case it took part In
the perilous expedition mentioned III the
press dispatches. Consequently the officials
were unable to inform Mr.. Young whether
or not Ensign Blakely was on the Merri-
mac at the time of her sinking in the San
tiago channel
Commander Miller of the Merrimac.
Commander Miller of the Merrimac is
from Representative Dockery's district in
Missouri. His home Is at Liberty, Mo.
where a number of his family live. Mr.
Dockery says that Commander Miller is Il
man of exceptional courage. capable of the
most daring action. and that ne feels sure
that if daring volunteer service was re-
quired Miller went with his vessel He is
the sort of man to volunteer for such serv-
ice and to execute his commission with
courage and skill Mr.. Dockery has sent
dispatches to Commander Miller's brother,
who is a physician in Missouri
Mr.. Dockery says there are two other
officers from the town of Liberty with the
fleet before Santiago. One is Lieut.. ]. A.
Doherty and the other is Engineer Gate
wood S. Lincoln. who is a nephew of Mr.
Dockery, on board the New Orleans.
Spanish Version of the Affair.
MADRID, June 4.-The version of the
sinking of the Merrimac which has reached
the minister of marine here, Captain Au-
non, from Santiago, is as follows:
"A Spanish vessel in front of Santiago
has sunk an American auxiliary cruiser.
All the members of the crew of the latter
have been imprisoned. The rest of the
enemys squadron Immediately retired"
1t IS officially announced mere that the
Spanish government has received further
dispatches regarding the alleged victory of
the Spdnards a Santiago de Cuba, but that
they will not be published until they have
been communicated to the queen regent.
In the meanwhile. the report has circu-
lated that the Spaniards have captured
''numerous Americans