The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-05

final. In any event, Il o'clock on Tues
day marks the limits of Skaters con-
cession, and if Santiago has not capt.
ulated at that hour, the great siege
guns, now brought to the front and in
position, aided by the batteries OF
lighter field pieces, will begin their
work of destruction.
General Skaters series of dispatches
are as follows:
The present need enforcing General
Shafter is no longer felt, now that the
Spanish fleet is out of the way. A
large number of men, however, are
already on their way. and others will
follow.
RAID ON SPANISH COAST.
The changed naval situation will
bring no abatement in the activity of
the authorities here in carrying the
war directly home to Spain. There is
renewed determination to get Commo-
dore Watson's eastern squadron away
at the earliest moment, for the double
purpose Of striking a blow at the coast
towns of Spain and of pursuing Ad-
miral Camara's fleet, which has halted
at the entrance of the Suez canal. Sec
rotary Long made the official statement
today that the fleet would sail at the
earliest possible moment, and although
he did not go into details as to its pur-
pose, it is well understood that it will
devote its attention to the Spanish
coast and to Camara. The destruction
of the Spanish fleet at Santiago relieves
Admiral Sampson from surveillance of
this squadron and he can readily spare
the ships intended for the attack on the
Spanish coast.
PROMOTION FOR SAMPSON.
1t has been Acting Admiral Sampson
frr. - 1
miral Sampson in fact as well as in
name, is the prevailing opinion in naval
circles as a result of the work accom-
plished by the admiral. Shortly after
the war broke out Captain Sampson
was made acting admiral in order to
give him rank befitting his high COM
mand, although his actual naval rank
was captain. By singular coincidence
his rank was advanced today to that of
commodore, owing to the retirement Of
Admiral Kirkland. In the event of his
now being made an admiral, it would
advance him over the ten commodores
making up the list of that grade, and
would place him just below that very
famous hero of the war, Admiral
Dewey. 1t is, of course, purely con-
jectural thus far. but it is a conjec-
ture which receives such common ac-
ceptSnce in naval quarters that it is
likely to be realized.
HOBSON'S RELEASE.
The release of Hobson and the other
heroes OF the Merrimac incident is like
ly to be another result of the events
transpiring today. It may now flme
about either by the surrender OF the
city. which would include the surren-
der of HObscn and otter American pris-
oners in the city, or else by the eX-
ri of EOhCor1 for n C'eY1-ar-o
or some other high ranking naval off,
ciaL Until TO-DAY the possibility of ex-
changing HobsCn was slight as this
government had no Spanish prisoners
of high rank to offer in his place Now,
however. they have one of the fore
most admirals of Spain, and among the
1.300 other naval prisoners there are
many officers Of distinguished rank. To
exchange a Spanish admiral for an
American naval constructor might
Seem strange under ordinary circum-
stances but it would be done without
any begrudging by the authorities here
and would be particularly appropriate,
in view of the action of Cervera. at the
time Hobson surrendered TO him.
a dispatch boat from the front stat
ed that there was likely to be some crit
icism because of the treatment Of for
eign military attaches here 1t was
stated by one of the highest officers in
the service that the foreign gentlemen
had received absolutely everything in
the way of accommodation, supplies,
rations. etc, given to our own officers
and men. What was most surprising
was that this protest should come at
when our men were fighting in
swamp and thicket under a blazing
sun, with a thousand dead or wounded,
and under the fire of an entrenched
enemy.
There is every disposition here to ex-
tend the most complete courtesy to
these gentlemen that is consistent with
the circumstances. There is no pur4
pose, however, to recognize them as a
superior set or to give them greater
attention in mounts, tents or attend
ance than our own officers and men
receive.