Arizona republican., 1898-06-02
CERNER.A'S BLUNDER
Naval Experts Comments on
His Retreat to Santiago.
His Escape Now Deemed Impossible
Guarding Aeains. Night Sally
By the Enemy-Tofal!y Shut In

Washington, June 1.-The naval au-
thorities nave advanced another stage
in their calculations on the status of
Admiral Ceryera's fleet at Santiago de
Cuba They not only have good
reason &c believe that he is bottled up,
but as al officer expressed it today,
1.-The cork is in the bottle and it is
practically impossible for the feet 10
leave the harbor day Or night It is
felt thai this condition of the Span
ish fleet rs not only important from
the present strategic standpoint, but of
momentoaS concern to the entire flu
ture of the war. as the Gripping Of
this naval force-the most effective
that Spain possesses-will leave her
with such Scant naval resources as to
make q prolongation of the war I'M
probable.
Naval officers are now turning their
attention to inquiring whether it is
possible for him to get out of the har-
Dor. and that being inside, the career
of the Spanish fleet is at an end as far
as it constitutes menace against our
ships. This view is brought out by
the British comment that Ad-
miral Horribly, in 1885, escaped with
his entire fleet from a harbor, under
similar conditions. and that Admiral
Cervera will have no difficulty in max
ing his escape when he gets ready to
do SO. The naval view here is just
the contrary 1t is pointed out that
Admiral Horribly escaped from an open
bay, while Admiral Cervera must come
through a narrow channel, about 800
-,
searchlights will play constantly. 1t
is said that this is not mere opinion,
but that naval maneuVers were car
ried on at Key West and Tortugas
which furnish positive demonstration
that Admiral Cervera cannot come out
without being discovered. An officer
who was on board one of the Ameri-
can ships during the Tortugas move
ment says a sham night attack OF
torpedo boats was made upon the big
battleships and cruisers. The latter
were given no notice of the projected
attack, and there was no extra guard,
such as the American ships now main
tain. But every torpedo boat engaged
in the attack was discovered long be-
fore it was within striking distance
of the cruisers and battleships. One
of the attacking torpedo boats was SO
beWildered by the searchlights that it
nearly ran into a cruiser
The lesson drawn from that attack
was that d night sally by an enemy
was impossible, owing to the modern
methods of discovering an approach
1t had shown, also. that the attacking
feet could not get within range, al
though they had come within the
range of the guns on the ships at
tackled. 1t as said that these ma
neuvers at Tortugas and Key West
practically represent the situation be-
fore Santiago. If Cervera sent out
his torpedo boats as scouts they would
be detected before they could do dam
age and be destroyed by the small
guns of such small cruisers as the
Montgomery. The American ships
would have the advantage Of con-
centrating their entire fire upon ons
small passage about 800 feet wide
A night battle is quite unusual in
naval annals, but it has occurred The
Constitution fought the Revenge at
night, the engagement continuing Tor
six hours in the darkness, during
which time the mainmast OF the Con-
stellation was carried away and the
ship crippled. 1t is believed that If
SClfCla ~
he will choose the night for the move
ment.
On the other hand, naval officials
are discussing the means which the
American commander may adopt to
make exit impossible. In the block
ade of Charleston barges full of stones
were sunk at the channel entrance.
cutting off ingress and egress. A few
old hulks would serve the same pur-
pose in the present case. But there is
difficulty in getting such old craft, and
even if they were available, the sink
ing of a derelict at the proper point in
the channel would be attended with
great danger 1t would have to be
towed to position, subiecting those in
charge to the danger Of mines and tor
pedoes. There is also the fire from
Moro castle to be guarded against
1t is understood, however, that
MORO castle has no searchiights, so
that night operation Of the char
ecter indicated could be executed with
out the Spaniards being made aware OF
it. Taking everything into account,
naval officers feel that Admiral Ger
vera committed fatal blunder in GO
ing to Santiago ana permitting him
self to be shat il ~ United States
naval forces