The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-06

Washington. July 5.-As 4 result OF
the cabinet meeting today, instructions
were sent by the president to Admiral
Sampson and General Shafter TO confer
together concerning a joint plan of at
tack upon the city. Upon the outcome
of this conference depends the line of
action forthe immediate future For
the present, the land bombardment by
General Skaters forces has been de-
ferred. as the situation has so complete
ly changed by The anninilation of the
Spanish fleet that it is manifestly the
part of wisdom for this land lombard
ment to await the cooperation and
support of a bombardment from Adj
mira1 SIMPSONS fleet. General Shat
ter's demand for the surrender of San
tiaSo, on the pain of bOmbardment,
was made at $50 Sunday morning An
hour later Admiral Cervera made his
suicidal dash from the harbor, result
ing in a complete transformation of
the naval and military conditions. In
stead Of a menacing Spanish fleet with
N the harbor the way has been clear
ID, save for the shore batteries, for
he entrance of the American fleet up
to the very wharves Of the city.
With this material change wrought
it was obvious to the authorities here
delivered by General Sohafter alone
would be doubly effective and decisive
if the two forces could be brought to-
gether and strike simultaneously from
the land and sea
It is for this reason that the confer
ence was held between the American
general and the admiral.
Up to the close of office hours today
no word had come either to the war or
navy departments, so far as was dis
closed, as to what determination had
been reached at the conference. At the
same time, it is the clear expectation of
the authorities that the conference viii
result in a. determination by the ad-
miral to take his fleet through the mar
row neck OF the harbor. making his
way past the shere batteries and for
tificatiOns ana take position before the
city for Commandment
There is reason to believe that the
instructions sent to Admiral Sampson
at least conveyed the desire, if not the
instructions that he enter the harbor
But it is said that the admiral and
the general continue to be the supreme
officials in authority and that, being on
the scene fully alive to all the condi-
TORS, their judgment viii be taken as
final in the course adopted.
NO OBSTACLE NOW.
There is said to be 70 obstacle, so far
as navigation is concerned, to the en-
trance Cf the harbor by the American
fleet The Crist0bal Colon, which clear
ed the Merrimac and got out OF the
harbor SUNDAY. drew g feet inches,
which is within inches OF The draught
of the battleships Iowa, Indiana, Mas
sachUsetts and Oregon, and is greater
than the Graught of the battleship Tex
as. Moreover, the navy department has
known for the last ten days that the
neck OF the channel was open. despite /
the sinking OF the MeTrimac. and that
there was q clear sea. way of seven !
fathoms, through which any ship in our
navy could sail. This removes all diff I
Guilty. except from submarine mines, or
from the shore batteries. As to the .
mines, little account is taken of them /
since the Spanish fleet passed over
them. The Spanish are in the habit .
of using contact mines. so that there
is little likelihood of there being mines /
operated by electric connection with .
the shore The forts end batteries have
been badly weakened by the constant
fire Of the feet for many weeks past,
and, while still a factor, they are
greatly disabled
TERRIFIC COMMANDMENT.
Once up to the city, the fleet and