The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-06-07

Washington, June GA brief bulle-
tin telling of Commodore Schley's
reconnaissance at Santiago on tuesday
was all the information the navy de-
partment had to contribute to the
press Yesterday. The bulletin went to
confirm the press dispatches which
told of the firing on the fortitlcatonS
at Santiago but which have Deen
so steadfastly discredited ever since
the first report 1t appears from the
bulletin given out that Commodore
Schley concentrated a pretty good fire
upon the Spanish defense, and 1T
seems probable that had he found con-
ditions more propitious than they
were he would have resolved the re-
connoisance into an assault in force.
The great natural strength OF the
Spanish position and the formidable
character of their batteries as lndl-
Gated by Commodore Schley have con-
frmed the naval officials in the be-
lief that they have been wise not to
direct any such reckless assault upon
the place in the absence Of proper
forces as has been advocated in some
quarters. The problem would be
simplifed were it known that there
were no
Mines in the Channel.
AS it is the problem presented has
enlisted the active interest of the army
engineers as we'll as of the naval Of
ficers here. 1t is the duty of the army
engineers in this country to lay just
such mines as are supposed to be i'll
place in Santiago harbor, and they
are curious to see how their brothers
in the navy propose to go about the
work of destroying them. A good deal
has been written in the text books
about countermining and many
theories have been brought forward to
show how this can be done. But on
the authority Of one Of our engineer
officers, these theories have never
been satisfactorily tested, and there is
no case on record of successful coun-
termining against modern improved
electrical mines. It remains to be seen
how Sampson is going to solve this
problem, whether by the use of the
Vesuvius with her dynamite projec-
tiles, by the aid of divers or by re-
sort to the old method of dragging for
the mines with small boats as in cable
cutting operations. The owners of the
posed to go to Santiago harbor and
Destroy the Spanish WarshipS,
have come forward with a request for
a practical test by the naval officers
of their craft. The navy department
was obliged to decline to entertain the
first proposition as it smacked of pri-
Watering and it was in violation of
international law. The principal OBJ
lection was that the boat could not be
in regular commission and in command
of a naval officer. Besides they con-
tended she had never been thoroughly
tested. Now the boats owners pro-
pose that a naval officer or officers be
designated to go down in the Holland
when she is commissioned. Notwith-
standing the rather positive statement
coming from Jamaica to the effect that
the second Spanish fleet from CadiZ
has crossed the Atlantic and is about
to join Cervera at Santiago, the of
ficers of the navy department refuse
to be frightened at what they declare
to be bugabOo. 1t appears that the
basis Of their confidence is tele-
graphic report of as late as yesterday
declaring that the Cadiz fleet is still at
Cadiz Moreover they know there is
not so many as sixteen warships in
that fleet.