Morris tribune., 1898-06-29
Part of This, However, Has No
HarbOrs For Boats of Much
Size.
Captain HOWell's Fleet, Hereto
fore Doing Atlantic Coast
Patrol Duty,
Will Assume Most Of This Work.
Sigsbee's Defeat of the
Terror.

WASHINGTON, June 29.-By procla'
nation Tuesday the president gave
notice of the intention of the govern
ment to assume the formidable task OF
blockading about 500 miles of Cuban
coast line, in addition to the sections
already blockaded. This increases the
extent of the blockade fully fOurfold,
it having been confined heretofore to a
stretch of little more than 100 miles on
the north and the single port of Glen
3uegos on the south coast of the island
The demands on the part of the navy
department. in the way of ships to
patrol the coast will not be nearly so
heavy as was the initial block ade, for
the reason that the coast line lies
nearly wholly within the great blight
on the South Cuban coast, on which
the water is very generally shallow
and the ports are few into which a yes.
sell Of any draught could enter. The
most important of these ports are Man
zanillo, Trinidad and Tunas.
Abe Blockade Zine.
West of Trinidad is Cienfuegos,
which is already blocked effectively.
From that point westward for nearly
140 miles there is no port to be block
AIDED until Batabano is reached.
This port is distant only about 40
miles from Havana by rail and is be-
heved to be the prin cipal source of food
supplies for the Span ish capital. For
100 miles west of this, clear over to
Cape Frances, the western edge of the
blockaded terri tory there are no ports
for any vessels Of considerable draught,
and if there were the country in the
interior, Pinar del Rio, is in the hands
of the insurgents and supplies could
not be sent through to. Havana. The
purpose Of extending the blockade
westward to Cape Frances was to COM
mand the channel between the west
side of the Isle of Pines and Cane
Frances and thus render much easier
the task Of the blockading vessels.
HOweIps snuadrOn to Be Used.
The vessels for the additional block
ade service will be supplied almost en-
tirely from the patrol feet which under
Commodore Howell has been guarding
the North Atlantic coast from Maine
to North Carolina.
This service has been abandoned, be-
cause the only available Spanish war
ships are Admiral Camara's, thousands
Of miles away from the nearest point
on the Atlantic coast. The vessels are
already on their way southwark, hav-
ing been reinforced by several of the
torpedo boats, which are especially
adapted by their light draught for
blockade duty on the shallow waters
lying behind the Isle of Pines and
Cuba.
San Juan Already BIockaded.
The blockade of San Juan is in
reality already in effect, having been
initiated by Captain Sigsbee last week.
The difficulty of maintaining block.
ade at this port, in the face of the
Spanish forts and three Spanish war
vessels in the harbor, would be consld-
cradle, had not Captain Sigsbee, by
disabling the most formidable one of
these vessels, made the task easier.
Probably some such vessel as the De.
troit or the Montgomery will be as.
signed to the task.
In defeating the Terror, Captain
6igsbee has rendered most important
service to our navy, and, indeed, to all
navies. He has not only deprived
Simpsons feet of apprehension of an
attack in the rear some dark night by
this vicious little boat, but he has dem
onstrated that an auxiliary cruiser is
amply able to take care of herself
against a torpedo gunboat, showing
that the offensive power OF this Graf {
has been very much overrated and that
by an unarmored cruiser, armed with
only 6-inch guns, the torpedo gunboats
are not feared, at least not in daylight.
The Spanish Squadron.
It is said at the navy department
that 1t Is the present intention to start
Commodore Watson's eastern SQUAD
Eon from Santiago. This, however, is
subject to Admiral SIMPSONS report
upon the condition of the vessels Sc.
lected, and their needs in the matter
Of supplies and equipment for the long
voyage ahead of them. If they need
no more than can be supplied from
Simpsons feet, they will start accord
ing to orders from Santiago, but if
further supplies and equipments are
needed, or if the vessels must be cleaned |
first, then they probably will be sent
north to Hampton Roads. Meanwhile
there is no mistaking the earnestness
OF the navy department in preparing
this squadron for the European service