The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-28
nm SAMPSON KNOW2
Ranort That the Admiral Had
Tip.


~,,..o Aua. 2s-A Washington
snaoial TO the Chronicle says;
Admiral Sampson was informed on
49,. evening Of July 2. at least 30 hours
before Admiral Cervera made his dasn
from the harbor of Santiago, that the
snanish feet would attempt to run the
blockade of the United States shlp9 u
war on the following day, July 3 This
Intelligence was sent 10 sampson py an
r,fF7oar ~ his fleet just before dark
SAMPSON ignored the Information ana
IN, the following morning took the Ne"
York. his flagship; the torpedo Do~1 L
lesson and the dispatch BOAT HlsL ~
Of the biockading line and started AoA
eibonev 10 hold a conference with ohdA-
ter The officer in question was so Wof-
ried that he scarcely slept uuIlAs ~
night OF July 2. but maintained an AT
most unbroken vigil on the As AA45
bridge of his ship
The Washington correspondent or the
Chronicle is enabled to make the 1oie-
going statements on the highest posi-
BILE authority. but for obvious reasons
cannot publish the name Of their auth
or. 1t can be stated. however 1nat
during the course of the Schley inquiry
the facts relative to the notification on
sampson that the Spanish fleet might
make a dash for the open sea on 1-e
morning Of July viii be brought OUT
in detail.
As Sampson himself viii be on the
stand as a witness he viii doubtless eX-
plain why he quit the blockadlng ms
in the face of the Information thal Ae
had received on the previous night me
fact that he had previously assigned 70
some subordinate officer every task 70
which was attached the slightest peril
viii have a strong bearing upon TINS
particular inquiry
The records Of the war department in
dictate strongly that Sampson had re
ceived information of the proposed
fight of Cervera from Gen Garcia also
on July 2 Garcia is dead and ms tes-
timony therefore cannot be OBTAINED
Sampson himself knows whether the
gannant Cuban gave him warning of
Cervera's plans and. inasmuch as the
admiral has never indicated in his re-
ports that such was the case it is pre-
sumed that he Will deny at this time
that Garcia sent him the news for
which the fleet had waited patiently for
more than q month Garcia was in pos
session Of the news on July p as IS
shown by the following extract from q
dispatch to the secretary OF war which
Gen. Shafter cabled from his headqUar-
ters on July 3.
THE French consul informed Gen
Garcia. into whose lines he went yes
terday, that Admiral CerVera had sta
ted that he would run out at 10 o'clock
this morning and that was the hour
Witnessed his departure. Cervera told
such consul it was better to die fight
ing than blow up ships in the harbOr -
There is absolutely nothing in the
record to show that General Shafter
was apprised Of Cervera.s contemplated
dash until the forenoon Of July 3, hence
the story that Shatter communicated
the news to Sampson Is unsupported
On the contrary. The Chronicles Wash
inEton correspondent has been reliably
informed that Shafter did not send
word to Sampson about Cerveras pur-
pose to escape because he did not know
about it until July g. lit does not follow,
however that because the news was
delayed in reaching Shafter that Garcia
did not communicate it direct to Samp-
son. His camp was closer TO the coast
than any Of Skaters aids. He had main
tanned regular communication WITH
Sampson by a code of signals furnish
ed him by General Miles since June g
and it is known that there was almost
daily Interchange OF communications
between Garcia and the flagship by
means of Wigwag signals.
Here is an extract from a letter Gen
eral Miles wrote Garcia on June p ir
which he placed him in possession OF
the wigwag code for communicating
with the navy
1T would be OF great assistance il
YOU could have as large a force as pos
sible in the vicinity Of the harbor 81
Santiago and communicate any infor-
nation by signals, which Colonel Hern-
andez viii explain to YOU. either TO oul
navy OF 10 our army. which viii arriv,
before many days"
On June General Miles received
from Sampson a dispatch stating tina
General Garcia regarded his sugges
tons as orders and that he would talk
immediate ste1s TO do the majO
general Of the United States army di
rected- Garcia maintained eommuni
cation with the navy up to the mornen
the signal service corps relieved him o
the task. after Cervera's fleet had beel
destroyed
If Garcia did not notify Sampson o
the French cOnsuIs statement he clear
ly failed in his duty, but the fact re
mains that Sampson did receive notih
cation Of the proposed movement from
an officer of his own fleet thirty hour
before the battle. and that in spite o
IT he started for Siboney half an hou
before the fighting began and was neve
within range of a hostile gun after
ward.
The navy department has written
letter TO Captain ForRythe asking TO
an explanation of the interview wit
him bearing upon the approaching in
quiry into Admiral Schley's conduct i
the Spanish war published today
A story is current that Admiral How