Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-15

Washington, June 14.-The navy
department to-day posted the fol-
lowing bulletin:
Mole, St. Nicholas, June 13.
Lieut. Blue has just returned af-
ter detour of seventy statute miles
of observation of the harbor of
Santiago de Cuba. He reports the
Spanish fleet is all there.
The Spanish attacked vigorously
the camp at Guantanamo. An out
post of four marines were killed
and their bodies mutilated barbar-
ously. Surgeon Gibbs was killed.
SAMPSON.
The three marines killed had
joined the company when it was or
ganized early in the war. Sergt.
Charles Hampton Smith was born
at Westminster, Md, 81 years ago.
His next of kin is his sister, Miss
Coral G. Smith, of Smallwood, Md.
Private William Dumphy is ma
tive of Gloucester, Mass, % years
old. His next of kin is an aunt,
Mrs. Mcdonald, 55 Duncan street,
Gloucester, Mass. Private McCol-
gan was another Massachusetts,
man of the same age as Dumphy.
His next of KIN is an aunt. Mrs.
Fannie OLaughlin, of Stoneham,
Mass.
The last lingering doubt that
may have existed as to the presence
of Cervera's fleet in it's entirety in
Santiago harbor, was removed
when Admiral Simpsons dispatch
reached the navy department last
night. Up to that time informa-
ton as to the number and charac-
ter Of the vessels lying IN the har-
Dor shielded from observation in
great part by the hills at the en-
trance, had been obtained through
Cuban sources supplemented by
such glimpses as could be obtained
by naval officers from the outside
entrance. Now. however, accord
ing to Lieut.. Blue. the ships have
been actually seen by an American
officer, counted and inspected from
such points of vantage as were af-
forded by the high hills surround
ing the harbor. The officials here
are full Of praise for Lieut.. Blues
achievement. Victor Blue has been
long known in the ravy as an en-
terprising young officer, but it re-
quired a good deal of sustained
courage for him to go ashore in a
hostile country and alone make
this reconnaissance. He was in
the eye of military law, nothing
more nor less than a spy and had
he been captured by the Spaniards
he would have been tried by drum
head courtmartial and executed.
Considering the fact that the ma
rines' fight at Guantanamo last
Saturday night was really the first
engagement of the war on shore,
Admiral Simpsons reference to the
affair in his dispatch posted this
morning was remarkably brief.
Hence, it is inferred that perhaps
too much importance has been at
tached to it by the public. The
action of Lieut. Col. Huntington in
removing his men to more Sc
cure point than the exposed POSI-
ton occupied by them on Crest
Heights is taken here as an indi-
cation that no offensive movement
is to be attempted by the marine
corps, but that it will limit it's OPP
erations to the defense Of small
point in Guantanamo harbor to pro-
tect the coaling of our warships and
perhaps to serve as cable station
when the necessary operators and
instruments are secured from Cape
Haytien to enable Sampson to re-
open the cut cable. 1t does not
follow by any means that the place
seized and held by the marines On
Guantanamo bay is to be used as
point of debarkation of the United
States troops now on their way to
Cuba. On the contrary there is
the best reason to believe that an
other point very much better adap-
ted for landing has been selected.
But this point, also. is believed to
be much healthier than any point
on the shores of the Guantanamo
bay. where yellow fever is said TO
be epidemic all the year round.
The officials here were very re-
luctant to believe that the Spanish
who fought the marines at Crest
Heights had been guilty of the hor-
rible barbarism of mutilating the
bodies of soldiers. The first press
reports. by some OF the officers