Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-03
To Develop the Position Of the
Enemy.
THE RESULT WAS QUITE SATISFACTORY
Unofficial Reports to the Navy
Department.
THE VESSELS AT SANTIAGO

| The Navy Department has received an
| official report from Commodore Schley re-
Garding his recent attack on the fortihca-
tions at the entrance to Santiago harbor.
Commodore Schley says that his attack
was made for the purpose of developing the
enemys position, to locate their batteries,
| &c In that respect it was, he says, en-
tirely successful, and he accomplished
what he set out to do. None of his vessels
vas touched by the enemys volIeys and
| there were casualties or mishaps on his
vessels. He says, in addition. that he has
| no reasonable doubt that Cerveras fleet is
/ inside the harbor of Santiago.
| On the whole the official advices rather
minimize the press reports regarding the
engagement at Santiago, but confirm the
| main statement that there was a general
| exchange Of shots between the ships and
| the shore batteries.
Unofficial Advices.
| The authorities here are also in possess
| sion of information, not official. but from
| sources which have proved reliable in the
past, giving general confirmation to the re-
ports of an engagement at Santiago Tues
| day. The information did not come from
| naval or consular officers. 1t did not go in
| " simply tIidt an action nati
| occurred, and that no serious damage had
resulted on either side
From the same reliable but unofficial
sources the authorities also learned that
| five Spanish ships were inside of Santiago
harbor and had been there from the first.
| This repeated similar information from the
| same quarter, and was accepted as conclu-
| sive in locating five of the Spanish ships
| within the harbor. 1t disposed of the re-
| pert coming from Paris that the Spanish
| ships had made their escape, and were now
safely outside of Santiago harbor.
AT the same time it raised a somewhat
uncomfortable doubt as to the whereabouts
| of one of the two remaining ships of AG
| miral Cervera' S fleet.
There We're seven ships when the squad
| ron reached Martinique. The small de-
| stroye- Terror remained at Martinique for
| a time, and has since then disappeared.
With five of the slips inside Santiago har-
| bor there still remains one ship besides
| the Terror to be accounted for The infor-
| nation reaching the authorities may be
! erroneous in limiting the number of Span
| ish ships in Santiago harbor to five. The
| oil servations of Commodore Schley and OF
| the press dispatch boats made from a
| distance of two or three miles at sea ami
are necessarily inccnclusive as to whether
| there are five six Spanish ships inside
| the harhor. For this reason the reliable
| Unofficial reports reaching the authorities
| here have an additional value.
A Reconnaissance In Force
1t is evident to the offcia, mind that
| Tuesdays demonstration by the squadron
| was nothing more than a reconnaissance in
force. In view of the fact that the Span
| iards are known to have made considerable
additions to the defenses OF Santiago since
the outbreak of the war It would become
| absolutely necessary for a naval command
| CT, before entering upon general engage
| ment. to take steps to learn for himself
and byond question just what defenses he
must overcome to succeed in his attack
| Otherwise the whole plan Of the engage
ment, carefully drawn in advance, might be
suddenly overthrown in the midst of the
| attack by the unexpected fire from some
heavy battery whose whereabouts were I'M
known in advance to the attacking force.
| Delay i'm Attack.
| The naval officers today are giving out
| the impression that the attack on Santiago
| is to be deferred until the troops arrive
| from Florida. If this be so, then nothing
| can be expected in the way of an engage
nent for some days to come, for it was
| stated al the War Department today that
| no troops have yet boarded the transports,
/ and several days will be required to make
the passage from Tampa to Santiago.
| Information has reached the War De-
| partment that two companies of the en-
| gneer battalion from Willets Point, n. Y,
which have been at Tampa, have left that
| place for Key West. All their implements,
tools and working paraphernalia. inciud-
| ing a pontoon train, are at the latter
| place, and the engineers go to put them
| in shape for immediate use in the Cuban
q! invasion. Other than this movement the
officials say that up to this time there
have been no departures of United States
troops from Tampa in addition to those
! sent to Key West some time ago.
| It was probable, however, said an Off
| cial today, that some of the troops might
| go on the transports to Tampa today and
proceed to Key West. Undoubtedly the
| departure of the engineers from Tampa
| forms the basis of the statements made
| that troops were being sent out on the in
| vading expedition.
| The Vessels in the Channel.
| The attention of naval officers has been
| attracted to the positions in the harbor
occupied by the Spanish flagship Cristobal
| Colon and the hulk Reina Mercedes. Lying
| in the narrowest part of the channel, the
! ships. when in danger of capture, might be
| scuttled, and thus absolutely prevent the
entrance of the American ships. While
this would also prevent the egress of the
| Spanish vessels, it would tend to make the
reduction Of Santiago an extremely diff
| cult task, and one requiring a long time
| for the Spanish ironclads lying in the har-
Dor could be counted upon easily to repel
any attack coming from the land side until
such time as the troops managed to secure
| the support of heavy artillery.
| REVENUE BILL IN THE HOUSE