The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-06-11
)
Valuable Use Made of the Insur.
gents at Santiago de Cuba.
FURNISHED A HAP OF The HARBOR.
Z Not Sooner Captured, the City Must
soon he Driven to Surrender by
Staryation-A Flag of Truce
Bob Eytrs' AIertness.

OFF Dan itAtsS DE- NlBA. .
June 4. via Kingston, Jamaica, Mon
day, June e, 9 a. m.-Every effort is be-
lag made to cut off Santiago de Cuba S
connection with the outside world,
| and i. Is believed that within IS hours
there will be a practical accomplish
ment of the design. Since SNnday
a"u. VIXEN Commodore Schley found
Adniras Cervera : fleet tryin% tu uquietly
| leave the harbor and heaCitU Of lIe at
| tclnpt- thus probably solving the war
Pr"bieIn, it has been the policy to so
Surroand the city and harbor tnat no
assistance. either in supplying arms
or ammunition, could reach there.
After driving the Spanish fleet into
q more p rotected position in the har-
bec. by the bombardment of Tuesday,
Commodore Schley opened communica-
aion with the insurgents, Is miles from
Santiago to the east. They We're urged
80 obtain, if possible the names and
number of the vessels of the fleet in
side the harbor. as the contour of the
land at the entrance made it impossi-
ble to- accurately determine by view
from the American fleet, just how
many vessels of the Spanish squadron
We're there.
On Friday afternoon. Lieut.. Sharp of
the Vixen. went to the place of rendeZ-
vouS and received from the insurgents
a map OF the harbor, showing the EN-
tire cape Verde fleet with the eXcep-
ton of the destroyer Terror inside and
close up to the city under the protec-
'tion of the guns mounted on Blaneo
battery at the northern extremity of
the harbor.
The ships there, according to this
chart are the Christobal Colon, the
Vizcaya. the Almirants Oquendo, the
Maria Theresa and the Reina Mercedes
destroyed by the American war ships
since this dispatch was written-all
cruisers of the first class. and heavily
armed, together with three torpedo
boats.
the detiniteness of this information
naturally gave Commodore >;chIey
great satisfaction. Although h" lad
known that several ships of the ,aemy
were there he was not certau. that
some others had not succeed.j in
getting away or had not been sent in
another direction.
With Admiral SIMPSONS arrival
Wednesday the blockade was much
strengthened, and although the plans
to starve out the city, its troops and
the enemy's fleet were pushed vigor-
ously a cable boat was sent to find and
cut the cables communicating from
Santiago to Jamaica and Hayti, which
it haG been alleged had been cut by
the auxiliary cruiser st. Louis.
The boat was put 10 work, but up to
yesterday had not found the caole for
which she WAS searching.
Guarded by the haGtieshipS Massl-
chusetts and Texas, she worked on Fri
day morning within two miles of form
idable fortificalions on shore. and.
strange to say, without any attempt of
the Spanish gunncrS to hit them. al
though in the early morning the big
guns were fired viciOusly at Conn
modore Schley's flagship.
Just how long Santiago can stand
besieging is a matter of conjecture
Three weeks ago it was claimed at
jamaica that food in Santiago was
very poor and that it was also very
scant. The country about the city is
and mountainous and
the insurTent camps are SO close that
there is little or no communication be-
tween the city and its envirOns The
railway service is not carried to a dis
tance much beyond ten miles from the
town.
Since Sunday last. when Cerveras
squadron was bottled up by the flying
squadron under Commodore Schley.
nothing has gone in. and the auxiliary
cruiser st. Paul captured about 1000
tons of coal consigned to the port 1t |
is thoroughly believed that only a |
short time will be needed to bring |
to a starvation basis. Nat !
:lrally. the fleet has a supply. perhaps /
for two months, but the Spanish SOL |
.iiery cannot be sustained on this.
One important fact was learned yes /
terday from the insurgents on shore. !
with whom communication has been 4.
opened up. There are not 10000 SOL /
liers, as has been stated. in this part
IF the province of Santiago de Cuba.
but only about 5000. Even these are
badly fed and much disheartened. 1t
lad been the intention to send the
.ruiser Marblehead and the cable
steamer east to Guantanamo to cut the
able at that point, word having been
brought that the Spanish fleet evil
lently was in communication with Ma
lrid. The ships We're to leave at mid
hight, but subsequent order delayed
he matter.
In the mea ntime the Spanish seem
o be profiting greatly by delay Ac-
i've work is being prosecuted on the
and new guns are being
mounted.
On Sunday morning the feet lay out
ide the harbor ready to fight at mo-