The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-07-09
D MAKE VICTORY CERTAIN
The Bombardment of the City Of
Santiago Postponed at the
Presidents Request.
The ARMY AND NAVY TO- ACT IN CONCERT.
There Is Plenty of Water to Enter the
HarbOr, and Little Account Will be
Taken of the Mines-Praise for Schley
Terrible Fire to Which Santiago VIII
he Subjected.

Terrible Fire to Which Santiago VIII
be Subjected.
WASHINGTON, July 6.-As a result of
the cabinet meeting yesterday instruc-
lions were sent by the president to Adj
miral Sampson and Gen. Shafter to
confer together concerning a joint plan
of attack upon the city. Upon the out
come of this conference depends the
line of action for the immediate future.
For the present the land bombardment
by Gen. Skaters forces has been de-
ferred, as the situation has so COM
pletely changed by the humiliation of
the Spanish fleet that it is manifestly
the part of wisdom for this land bonn
bardment to await the cooperation
and support of a bombardment from
Admiral SIMPSONS fleet.
Gen. Skaters Demand.
Gen. Skaters demand for the sur
render of Santiago on pain of bonn
bardment was made at $50 o'clock Sum
day morning. An hour later Admiral
Cervera made his suicidal dash from
the harbor, resulting in a complete
transformation of the navaland military
conditions. Instead of amenacing the
Spanish heet within the harbur, the
way has been cleared, save for the shore
batteries, for the entrance of the Amer
lean fleet up to the very wharves of
the city.
To Make the Blow DOubly Decisive.
With this material change wrought,
it vas obvious to the authorities here
that the blow first intended to be de-
livered by Gen. Shafter alone would
be doubly effective and decisive if the
two forces could be brought together
and strike simultaneously from land
and sea. 1t is for this reason that the
conference was held between the Amer
lean general and the American admiral.
Up to the close of Office hours yester-
day 10 word had come either to tho
war or navy departments, so far as vas
disclosed, as TO what determination
had been reached at the conference.
At the same time, it is the clear ex-
pectation of the authorities here that
the conference will result in a deter
mination by the admiral to take his
fleet through the narrow neck of the
harbor, making his way past the shore
batteries and Notifications and take
position before the city for a lombard
ment.
The Presidents Desire.
There is reason to believe that the
instructions sent to Admiral Sampson
at least conveyed the desire, if not the
instructions, that he enter the harbor.
But it is said that the admiral and the
general continue to be the supreme
officials in authority and that, being
on the scene fully alive to all the con-
d%itiOns- their judgment will be taken
Is final in the course to be adopted.
Plenty of Water to Enter the Harbor.
There is said to be no obstacle, so
far as navigation is concerned, to the
entrance by the American fleet. The
Cristobal Colon, which cleared the
Merrimac and got out of the harbor
Sunday, drew % feet 3 inches, which
is within seven inches of the draft of
the battleships Iowa, Indiana, Massa-
ehusetts and Oregon, and is greater
than the draft of the battieship Texas.
Moreover, the navy department has
known for the last ten days that the
neck of the channel was open, despite
the sinking OF the Merrimac, and that
there was a clear seaway of vel
fathoms, through which any ship in
our navy could sail. This removes all
difficulty, except from submarine
mines, or from the shore batteries.
Generous Praise For Commodore schley.
The humiliation of the Spanish fleet
continues to be an absorbing topic
among naval officials, and they are
giving most generous praise to Com
modore Schley for the notable manner
in which he directed the fight, when
the immediate command fell to his lot.
The co~mmodore's friends have long
predicted that if he secured
an opportunity he would render
a good account of the fighting
ability of the American navy, and they
are glad this opportunity was, afforded.
1t is one more, and perhaps the greatest,
achievement in a long line with which
Commodore Schley's name has been
associated; others, including the relief
of the Greedy arctic expedition and the
COuiDlduu VI ILc DdlIluuOFc dL tdlpdE-
raise when wal was imminent.
The Terrible Fire to Which Santiago WIZ
Be Subjected.
No less than 292 heavy guns would
be trained from the American feet,
and at the same time the big siege
guns which it is expected have been
brought to the front of Skaters line
would rain down a torrent of steel
from that quarter. The siege guns
throw shells of 135 pounds. Aside from
them there are four Morton howitzers
and a large number of smaller howit-
zers. These are in the heavy artillery,
while the light artillery embraces a
great number of guns of 81 caliber.
Combined, this fire from land and sea
would be terrible in its effect.