The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-06-25
SIMPSONS CABLE
THE ADMIRAL IN CONSTANT
COMMUNICATION
Cutting Down the Time on the Tele-
grams one-Half-Only
Routine News

WASHINGTON, June N-Admiral Samp-
son is now in constant and practically i'm
mediate cable communication with the
Navy Department. Six dispatches were
received in rapid succession throughout the
early hours of this morning. the last one
bringing the situation up to II o'clock last
night. They showed that only half an hour
elapsed between the filing of the message
by the admiral and the receipt of it in
Washington, SO that the authorities are
now assured of being only half hour be-
hind the actual developments at the scene
Of action.
The only message bearing on the situation
was one in which Admiral Sampson said
that under a flag of truce he learned that
Hobson and his men were well and had been
removed from MORO Castle to the city of
Santiago, four miles distant. This lifted a
weight of anxiety as to the condition Of this
brave band of heroes, for since the recent
bombardment in which MORO suffered
somewhat there has been uncertainty about
whether Hobson and his men were dead or
alive, although 1t has never been seriously
believed the Spaniards would expose the
men to such dangers as to lead to their
death. The dispatch was further reassur-
ing in that 1t made clear that Admiral
SIMPSONS assault upon the harbor en-
trance, to which Moro is the main defense,
would not be crippled by having the fire
kept away from that fertilization in order
to protect Hobson- 1t leaves the result of
such an attack open to the usual conditions
of war and not to that unusual and cruel
device, which 1t was feared had been re-
sorted to, of preserving MORO by exposing
Hobson. This action, coupled with the re-
port of the surgeons that our dead marines
were not mutilated, conveys sense of re-
lief to the authorities here, as they feel that
the warfare about to eliminate in blood and
fighting will be at least mitigated by those
humane rules which govern the action Of
modern armies in the field.
The other dispatches of Admiral Samp-
son covered a multitude of details, which
have been deferred in the absence of quick
communication. They made acquisitions
for routine supplies of every description
and indicated needed repairs, mostly minor
in character, to the vessels Of the fleet. Not
a word was said as to any engagement by
the troops under General Shafter, and as
the Admiral Is in close communication with
General Shafter, naval officials regard this
failure of the admiral to mention any ac-
ton by the troops as conclusive in showing
no action took place yesterday, as was re-
ported by the Spaniards. During the fore
noon a dispatch came to General Greeley
Chief Signal Officer, from Lieut.. Col. Allen,
who is in charge of the Geographic COM
munication with the army. 1t was dated
at Playa del Este, and simply indicated
that he was making arrangements to extend
communication along the shore as far as
Aquidores, which is probably about six
teen miles farther to the westward than
Playa del Este. The dispatch made no
mention Of any battle or any change in the
situation, military or naval. From the
fact that COL Allen is working his line
westward to Aguadores, it is evident to the
military authorities that the field of land
action will be stretched considerable dis
lance along the shore, covering probobly
from five to fifteen miles. This will con-
stitute the base of supplies where the stores
will be kept, and with which the advancing
army at all times will keep up Its line of
communication, the first essential of an adj
vancing army being considered to be tina,
of keeping up its line of communication
with the base Of supplies.