The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-10
COMMODORE SCHLEY'S WORK
WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE
SIMPSONS ARRIVAL.


at Santiago and Furthermore Pre-
sented a Map of the Harbor Showing
Positions of the Enemy's Ships.
Copyright 1898, The Associated Press)
Off Santiago de Cuba, Saturday,
June 4, via Kingston, jamaica, Monday,
June 6.-9 a. m.-Every effort is being
made to cut off Santiago de Cuba's
connection with the outside world, and
it is believed that within forty-eight
hours there will be practical accom-
plishment of the design. Since Sunday
last when Commodore Schley caught
Admiral Cervera's squadron trying to
quietly leave the harbor and headed
off the attempt, thus probably solving
the war problem, it has been the policy
to so surround the city and harbor that
no assistance either in supplying arms
or ammunition could reach there.
After driving the Spanish squadron
into a more protected position in the
harbor, by the bomhardment of fortifi-
cations, Commodore Schley opened
communications with the insurgents
eighteen miles from Santiago to the
east. They were urged to obtain,
if possible, the names and number of
the vessels inside the harbor, as the
contour of the land at the entrance
made 1t impossible to accurately deter
mine by view from the American
fleet just how many vessels of the
Spanish squadron were there. On FRI
day afternoon Lieutenant Sharp of the
Vixen went to the place of rendezvous
and received from the insurgents a
map of the harbor, showing the entire
Cape Verde fleet with the exception of
the destroyer Terror inside and close up
to the city under the protection of the
guns mounted on the battery at the
northern extremity of the harbor. The
ships there, according to this chart, are
the Cristobal Colon, the Vizcaya, the
Almirante Oquendo, the Maria Teresa
and the Reina Mercedes, destroyed by
the American warships since this dis
patch was written), all cruisers of the
first class and heavily armed, together
with three torpedo boats. The definite-
ness of this information gave Commo-
dore Schley great satisfaction.
Just how long Santiago can stand be-
sieging is a matter of conjecture. Three
weeks ago it was claimed at Santiago
that the food in the city was very poor
! and that it was already very scant.
The country about the city is unpro-
ductive and mountainous and the in
surgent camps are so close that there
| is little or no communication between
the city and its environs. The rail
way service Is not carried to a dis
tance much beyond ten miles from the
town. Since Sunday last, when Ger
vera's squadron was bottled up by the
| flying squadron under Commodore
| Schley, nothing has gone in and the
auxiliary cruiser st. Paul captured
| 4,500 tons of coal consigned to the port.
| 1t Is thoroughly believed that only a
short time will be needed to bring San
| tiago to a starvation basis. One inn
portant fact was learned to-day by the
insurgents on shore. There are not 20
| 900 soldiers, as has been stated in this
| part of the province Of Santiago de
Cuba, but only about 5000. Even these
are badly fed and much disheartened.
| On Sunday morning the fleet lay out
side the harbor, quiet, tmmobile look
| ing lot of innocents. read to fight at a
moments notice, AT 1o:30 a tug boat
| bearing a flag of truce was seen by the
lookout on the Iowa to be steaming
| down the entrance Captain Evans,
| commander of the battleship, started
out to meet the tug, instructing the Of
| ficer in charge to 60 as near as possi-
| BILE to the mouth of the harbor so as to
see whether the Merrimac's hull was
successfully blocking the harbor en-
| trance. The boat got close enough to
observe that the Spanish tug had to go
| into shallow water and around the
wreck before she could get out. When
she emerged, the Spanish officer on
board said the Spaniards had seen
what they believed to be flag of truce
on the Iowa and had come to answer.
They were politely informed that they
had been deceived by the awning over
the lookout in the foretop and that the
American fleet had no occasion to send
flags of truce. The Spanish tug then
returned to the harhor
| Attention was called to-day to a fic-
titious story to the effect that the aux
iIary cruiser st. Paul with Captain
| Sigsbee on board had first located Ger
vera's fleet here. There is no founda-
ton for such yarn. The scouts did
not arrive off Santiago until twelve
hours after Commodore Schley and his
squadron arrived.
! THE TERMS OF PEACE
/