Evening star., 1898-06-07
DISCREDIT THE REPORTS.
HOW the RumOrs of Battle Are Re-
cefved in the Departments

cefved in the Departments,
The only information that could possibly
be extracted at the War and Navy De-
partments today touching the reported en-
Sasement and landings in the neighborhood
OF Santiago was of a negative character.
Secretary Alger said he did not believe that
troops had been landed, and it was hard
TO md any one with knowledge Of what is
gong on at Tampa and the other gulf
ports that have been selected as the ports
OF departure for the troops bound to Cuba
ana Porto Rico who would express belief
in the reported landings
TIE disbelief was based generally upon
the impossibility of getting troops across
to Santiago from the gulf ports UP to this
time It was thought that possibly the
small contingent Of engineers with siege
guns which were shipped last week from
Moblie might have attempted to land some
or their equipment at Aguadores, within
six miles of the entrance of Santiago bay.
and this movement may have given color
to the reports Of an extensive landing of
troops in that vicinity. 1t is known TOO,
that Admiral Sampson's advices from the
Navy Department were of a nature to lead
him to expect the troops to arrive before
this time, and it is possible that he was
simply clearing the way for their landing
and wiping out the shore batteries yester-
day.
Acting Secretary Allen of the Navy De-
partment read the press dispatches from
cape Haiden, giving reports of a fierce
bombardment at Santiago, the landing of
troops near there, and the sinking of the
Spanish cruiser Maria Teresa but said he
could throw no light on the subject, as the
department had not received a word in re-
gard to the conditions at Santiago up to
noon today. Mr.. Allen says he is desirous
of giving the public information as fast as
reliable reports are at hand.
Reports of Battle Discredited.
Like Secretary Alger, he discredits the
reports that large military force has
landed near Santiago, because he says no
such force has yet started. Among naval
officers the view prevailed that the reported
bombardment of Santiago was in fact the
throwing of a few shells from a distance
not amounting to a general action. A ma
val officer, who has seen much service in
southern waters, said the people of the
southern countries and islands used the
word battle" indiscriminately as applying
to every small skirmish in which a few
shots We're fired
These so-called battles were reported in
detail, although American officers never re-
garded them as worthy of note. He ex-
pressed the view, based on the lack of in
formation at the department, that this So
called bombardment of Santiago was in
line with the so-called battles.
The report that Morro Castle was among
the Notifications reduced to ruins by the
bombardment is thought to be quite i'm
probable in view of the belief that Lieu
tenant Hobson and his associates in the
recent daring exploit of the Merrimac are
confined at MORO, thus serving as sort
of shield for the Spanish forces there, and
in the rear.
An ordnance officer pointed out that it
was incredible that 1,6Oo projecties had
been thrown at the Santiago defenses dur
ing the reported bombardment yesterday.
He said there were not much more than
1,600 large projectiles the entire fleet,
and the smaller projectiles would be of no
service as against fortifications.
The rumor that the Maria Teresa has
been sunk can be neither officially affirmed
nor denied, but naval officials very much
doubt the report. The Teresa is a fine ar
mored cruiser built in 1880 at Bilbao. She
is a sister ship of the Vizcaya, with dis
placement of $3.50 tons, 364 feet long, 20
knots speed, an armament of two 11-inch,
ten 5-inch. many machine guns and eight
torpedo tubes. She is one of the cracks of
would be most severe blow.