The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-29
SURE CERvERA is AT SANTIAGO
GOVERNMENT AGAIN CONFIDENT
HE HAS NOT ESCAPED.

Navy Department Receives Late Adj
vices which Convince officials
That the Fear That the Cape Verde
sbiDs Are Bottled Up-ScOuting
Vessel Harvard Reported at King
sion With Dispatches for the Gov
ernment-CyclOnic storm One OF
the Possibilities Now to BE Feared.
washington, May 2S.-The navy depart
ment received Information to-day, which,
for the first time, relieved officials of the
anxiety and doubt they have felt for the
last few days, and satisfied them on two
vital points-first, that the American feet
under Commodore Schey was outside San
tiago harbor, and, second that Admiral
Cerveras fleet was inside the harbor.
This information came from private
sources. which naval officials regard as
thoroughly reliable.
Il is from the same source that gave the
navy department the first information, al
most a week ago, that the Spanish squad
ron was inside of Santiago harbor.
This source of information has proved
itself reliable thus far, and for that rea-
son the news received to-day was accept
ed as conclusive. It did not come from any
naval or state department officials.
There is little doubt, however, that it
will be supplemented by advices from
Commodore Schley, if, indeed, such ad-
vices are not already here, though up to
the close of office hours the navy depart
ment had not bulletined anything from
Commodore schley.
The officials were in a state of expectan-
cy, having learned from the press dis
patches from Kingston that the scouting
vessel Harvard was there with reports for
the department.
Secretary Long went to the review at
Camp Alger during the afternoon, and in
his absence, no information was made
public.
Relying on the private advices, govern
ment officials feel that the entire military
situation is simplifed and the powers of
mischief by the Spanish feet are at an
end. one distinguished officer remarked
that as a result of the information re-
ceived he felt ten years younger since yes
terday. He had been seriously apprehen-
sive that the Spanish fleet had succeeded
in getting away, but the information Of to-
day relieved his mind on that point. He
said that Commodore Schley could now
spare several Of the ships from his squad
ron to permit them to join in offensive
demonstrations elsewhere. All Commodore
Schley needs, it is pointed out, is small
force to watch the entrance of Santiago
harbor. Two battleships and two cruisers
would be ample for this service as such
a force would largely overmatch the four
armored cruisers in the Spanish squadron.
In this way Admiral Cervera's fleet can be
pocketed without keeping a large number
of American ships out of active service at
other needed points.
In calculating upon keeping the Span
iards penned up in this fashion the off,
cials have taken into account the possi-
bility of the dispersion of the American
blockading feet by one of the tropical cy-
clones that are almost due at this sea-
son. The American fleet in such cases
would be obliged to cut and run for some
neutral port, or to make its way by force
into one of the Cuban ports for shelter.
In either case there might be an oppor-
tunity for the Spanish fleet to make its es-
cape providing the commanding officers
are willing to take the desperate chance
OF going out in weather heavy enough to
compel the big American ironclads to seek
shelter. unless we block the harbor by
scutthng barges in the channel. On her
way to this country the ViZcaya passed
through some very severe weather, almost
approaching the cyclonic. and proved that
vessels of her class are able to withstand
such storms with perfect safety.
During the day the navy department
posted bulletin giving reassuring advices
from Admiral Dewey.
This was the only specific bit of infor-
nation given out during office hours.
1t was a day replete with rumors, some
of them of a very sensational nature, but
the various reports of sanguinary battles
failed of verificatIon, and ultimately prov
ed to he groundless, so far as the reports
reaching here disclosed.
SEEN OFF SANTO DOMINGO.