The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-04-28

ship Seguranca was about 10 leave
her dock at Port Tampa TO lead the
feet Of transports on their wey 10
Cuba. a wild telegram was received
in Washington saying the report that
Cervera was bottled up In Santiago
harbor was not true; only a few old
ships had gone in there as a ruse TO
deceive the American fleet while the
four frstclass Spanish cruisers were
hidden In some bay tot which there
are any number on the coast Of Cubal
and was now en- route westward 10 in
tercept the transport fleet and blow II
out Of the water The heaviest ships
Of Simpsons fleet we're In front OF
Santiago and only a few Of the lighter
vessels were doing blockade duty on
Havana. The naval convoy 10 the
army transport feet was small, pitt.
fully so. and when the reported move
ment OF the Spanish fleet reached
Washington. the civilian branch OF the
war and navy departments were in
n great state Of turmoil and tribula.
ton The report specifically stated
two large Spanish cruisers (presum.
ably the Niscaya and Almirante
oquendol were seen the night before
running without lights westward
through the Nicholas channel The
United States cruiser Eagle. ! believe
it was. came into Key West post haste
with this news. 1t was quickly tele-
graphed 10 Washington and then
came the order to stop the transport
feet and prepare to resist the attack
OF the Spaniards.
All the army men knew this Spanish
nect was a myth and probably the TO.
suit OF an imaginative brain Of some
oycrworkcd blue Jacket Col Cheney
had received information on the morn.
ing OF June Q from one of his mon
who was operating In the eastern end
of Cuba that Ccryera was In Santi.
ago harbor This man Tan army OH
cer) had gone into Santiago in dis.
ruise. had counted the four big cruis.
ers at anchor. had sailed around them.
read their names-Niscaya, Oquondo.
Colon and Maria Teresa; he had
seen Admiral Cervera land. had seen
Gen Toral receive the admiral and
drive up to the palace Sampson,
alert and vigilant. with fleet of
mighty ships was outside the narrow
harbor mouth, and Ceryera never
could have run that blockade without
n disastrous fight. Before Sampson
assumed active command at Santiago
Ceryera could have escaped any night
be chose: but the fact remains he
did not. he was there when Sampson
came and from that minute his doom
was sealed
These facts were fully reported "a
Washington. but civilian Washington
looked with supreme contempt on
military and naval Tampa. and the
army feet came back and for eight
days more they backed and filled like
q lot OF sheen. Gradually Il dawned
on the civilian war department that
the threatening feet was only "A phan
tom. and on June II they gave the
word and the army sailed away
II is not the purpose or intention oi
this article 90 deal with the operations
around Santiago. although volume.
could bc written telling of the greaI
courage and daring Of the American
regular line officer and soldier. OF IN,
hopeless incnclcncy Of army head
quarters al Santiago until the arriya
OF Gen. Miles II might be noted tina
the physically weak commander of IN,
Santiago army contemplated retreat
ing from San Juan I'm on July I
and being physically incapacitate,
from further active command sent 70
the next ranking general and outline,
the proposed retreat, telling the gcncI
al 20 assume command. That EeneI
al quietly but forcibly informed tn
commander that "an American arm
under his command would never r,
treat on the Fourth Of July. That wa
the wrong day 10 begin such NOV,
ment" Then the great president I
Washington took hold OF affairs. r,
Inducements were hurried forward
the thin line spreading over II mile
hung on and Spain was beaten. II
saf, to say. had a retreat been o
dercd the army would have disregar,
ed the order American men an
blood were spent In taking that hil
American men and blood would no
It. Without an order from anyoT
the army a,ormed san Juan nm an
as one cIyil war veteran rcmarke
They'd hold II until he'll freezes" An
they would.
Col Chcneys part in this campail
was conspicuous lie was under |
ones command but was after inform
tion OF an kinds. over at Canoy !
saw Chafcc and Lawton lock horl
with Vara del Rcy, and right the
was the hardest fighting OF the cal
palgn In tho afternoon hc was ba,
at San Juan and saw the rush up Il
hill. lie was in 1t as much as al
soldier.
After Miles came and brought ord
out of chaos, Cheney went with hi
10 Porto Rico, and at the close of th
campaign of flowers Col Cheney
turned to the United states. The pr'
ident was appreciatlye OF the wo
tbie Cufpt man had done and Offer