The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 22, 1898, Page 1

Call { vorLuM E LXXXIII.—NO. 173. SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, MAY 22, 1898—THIRTY-TWO PAGES. PRICE FIVE CENTS. TWELVE SPANISH SHIPS REPORTED DESTROYED BATTLE SAID TO HAVE OCCURRED IN WINDWARD PASSAGE «Story of a Decisive Victory Over Cer- vera's Fleet by the American War Vessels. But Confirmation of the Encounter Is Lacking, and Washington Naval Experts Believe That Samp- son and Schley Will Bottle Up the Enemy’s Fleet at Santiago de Cuba, L THE CITY OF CIENFUEGOS AND A PORTION OF THE HARBOR WHERE ADMIRAL CERVERA MAY SEEK REFUGE . Copyrighted, 183, by James Gordon Bannett. = WITH HIS FLEET. St. Nicholas. who arrived on a until noon. CALL OFFICE, RIGGS HOUSE, WASHINGTON, May 2. : The cablegram from Cape Haytien conveying a rumor that in an| engagement off Mole St. Nicholas twelve Spanish ships were destroyed and two American vessels disabled created some excitement to-night, and although at this hour (11 P. M.) nothing further has come either to verify the report or to indicate that such a battle has occurred, it was given more credence than usually attaches to such rumors because, not-s withstanding reports for the past day or two locating Admiral Sampson at Key West, it has been suspected that not all of his vessels returned there, but since leaving San Juan and touching at Cape Haytien he "has been lying in wait for the Spaniards in the Windward Passage. Mole St. Nicholas is very near Cape Haytien. It isat the northwestern point of Hayti on a promontory that extends westerly into the Windward Straits and is about 100 miles from Santiago. If such an engagement has oc- curred Admiral Cervera was steaming north threugh the straits, for if he had been re- turning to Spain hé would have sailed easterly or south- easterly from Santiago on a track over 1oo miles south of Mole St. Nicholas. The fact that the Key West correspondents have yes- terday and to-day been mak- ing persistent efforts to pass the censor and convey to their papers covert intimations of important developments to occur within twenty-four hours also lends a degree of probability-to the Cape Hay- tien story When it was reported from Key West yesterday morning that Sampson’s and Schley’s squadrons had effected a - juncture at Key West the naval strategists here made no denial. Indeed ‘they seemed to encourage a popu- American vessels were disabled. confirm the rumors. -§-8-E-8-8-5-83 880 ENE0 8R0Sy lar belief that both Sampson and Schley were there. To-night a naval offi- |cer stated positively his |disbelief in the Cape Haytien story. “lItlacks plausibility,” said he, “for, in the Ffirst place, there are not twelve vessels inSpain’s squad- ron; secondly, Admiral Sampson is not at Mole St. Nicholas, and, third- ly, we believe the Span- iards are still in Santiago harbor.” The official spoke as if he had definite knowledge of the whereabouts of ithe two | fleets, and gave The Call cor- respondent to understand that our swiftest war vessels under Sampson’s command were steaming as rapidly as possible to Santiago The four monitors together with the blockading vessels are guarding the ap- proach to Havana from Yucatan chan- nel. It is evident that Navy Depart- ment officials do not expect news of a battle for a day or two, for, assuming that Sampson’s entire fleet was really at Key West for coal and ammunition on Friday morning it would take him over sixty hours to reach Santiago, even though he had only fast cruisers with him. But with battleships in his squadron he could not make the trip in less than eighty hours, steaming at a speed of ten knots an hour. It is not lkely that he could do this, board Irigadier Dr. Domingo Mendez Capote, vice-president of the Cuban re- pubiic; Manuel Despalgne, his private secretary; Commandante Orencio No- darse, controller general, and Com- mandante Alberto Herrera, Capote's military aide-de-camp. Senor Capote goes to Washington ment as to settlement of the Cuban question in case of evacuation by the Spanish forces and will consult with T. Estrada Palma and regulate certain deviations made by the New York Junta from the policy of the Govern- ment of Cuba. His military aid will advise on a plan of the coming cam- paign and furnish the War Depart- ment with much useful information, particularly regarding the western dis- triet. “1 desire you,” said Senor Capote, for he occupied a whole week fn sailing from Havana to San Juan, making only six or seven knots an hour. It is the general belief here among both na. val officers and landsmen tha: the the people of Cuba to thank the great American republic and their Govern- ment for the efforts they have made to free us from the tyrannical rule of Spain. The people of Cuba believe in the good faith of America. They be- Continued on Third Page. with the views of the existing govern- | FOR CUBA free Cuba, anrd are confident of their ability to do so, but it must be borne in mind that the lodestar of Cuba is not merely freedom from dominion of *Spain, but independence from outside however beneficent that con- trol might be, an absolute non-inter- ference by others in the management “Cuba, free and independent, is the watchword of Cuban liberty. We in Cuba have been somewhat surprised at the slowness as yet of naval opera- lieving delay has been a part of the plan of the American commanders and of the course adopted. “The Cuban commanders await some decisive step on the part of Americans. munication with the Cuban army, and give us a plentiful supply of arms and ammunition, we will free Cuba without the loss of an American soldier. Our position in the field is precarious. For lack of supplies we cannot concentrate our troops. Our camps shift from place to place, according to food con- ditions. We are hampered and embar- “through the Herald in the name of | | rassed for lack of ammunition. We | cannot arm the men we are able to put |in the field. Open up communication, | give us arms and supplies, and we ask | no more.” | Temerario at Asuncion. | Copyrighted. 1898, by James Gordon Bennet | BUENOS AYRES, May 21.—The | uncion, Paraguay, advises me that the Spanish gunboat Temerario has ar- | rived there. SPANISH FLEET | HAS LITTLE FOOD AND POOR FUEL For Days Before It Put Into Curac‘oa the Crews Had Subsisted on Beans. Copyright, 1898, by James Gordon Bennett. n"NURY two torpedo-boat destroyers. could still be sighted steaming westward. unable to do much damage. It is the general belief here that the battleship the Spanish fleet. BRURRENNVNNRLNSSR PORT-AU-PRINCE, Hayti, May 21.—Rear-Admiral Osbon arrived here this morning on the Dutch steamer Prins Frederik Hendrik, from Curacoa, where he met the Spanish fleet, consisting of the cruisers Viscaya, Infanta Maria Teresa, Equidabo (presumably the Almirante Oquendo) and Cristobal Colon and The Spanish squadron took on 300 tons of bad coal and 100 tons of pro- visions and left Curacoa on Sunday evening at 6 o’clock. At 10:30 o’clock it The ships have little or no coal and scant supplies of provisions. The al- lowance to the men of the ships’ crews for five days had been nothing but beans. The torpedo-boats are almost empty and in such condition that they would be joined Rear-Admiral Sampson’s fleet, enabling him easily to be victorious over LR L L L L L R L LT Oregon has by this time BN NN NRNNRRRNRRRNNS that the future will show the wisdom | If you can open up and maintain com- | | Herald’s_special correspondent in As- | CAPE HAYTIEN, May 21.—It is rumored here that a naval ® battle took place yesterday in the Windward Passage, off Mole " FREE AND According to the report brought by a passenger n i coasting vessel from Port de Paix, there = INDEPENDENT were twelve Spanish war vessels sunk, but only two of the m ‘ I have been so far unable to g A It is reported here from a vague source tbClt Canl)onqding : Copyrighted, wi!. by James Gordon H:nnen.']leve in their honesty of purpose to was heard off the mole to the northward, ceasing at nightfall, & ‘déi‘a’ffi.s?fif.‘;m?EZr‘fi?&si‘.?fres;‘;é‘. and that the firing was renewed early to-day and continued g }i;:—tnn?eaFéLfozt; i e | | |ban pilots and runner of four success- | €Untrol B | ful expeditions to the Cuban coast, &2 H-E- 8508 E8E8%ESN303 0880 0N0EEEEmEma |0 (0 schoner Bureks into Fal-|of our own affairs tions, but we are content to wait, be- | | | | | troops he expected to command. MILES STANDS IN THE WAY : OF NEW YORK, May 21.—The Herald's ‘Washington correspondent telegraphs: In the minds of not a few observant persons the Philippines at this moment are the determining factor of a greater war situation. General Merritt told me to-day just before the train moved | out of the Pennsylvania station that from 18,000 to 20,000 was the number of He said he thought this number would be sufficient to cope with obstacles in the way. ! General Merritt was accompanied by his aide-de-camp, Captain T. Bentley Mott. short stop at Chicago. A feeling at last pervades not only the departments but better-informed public men that somebody has blun- dered; that some order has come too late and that this order may prove to be with regard to too tardy movement of the troops to the Philippines. The opinion is distinet and emphatic in a suppressed way that our Government should at once send at least 10,000 troops tec Manila to aid Admiral Dewey. From a Spanish source telegrams | |*were received to-day that the public nd technical opinion in Spain is unan- | imous in advising the Government to end the reserve squadron with a trong contingent of reserves and ar- tillery to Manila at once. I learned to- day from a source that is to be relied on that General Merritt has had the warm co-operation of the President, who has told him constantly that he could have what he wanted, but it was reluctlantly stated to me that no soon- er would General Merritt put in an ap- pearance at the office of the Adjutant General than he would find all plans that had been made House had been set aside by two oth- er elements of which the public has had hitherto no knowledge—namely, General Miles and the Secretary of ‘War. The Secretary of War is doing the best he can, all say, and he is on the best of terms with General Merritt and his plans. But General Miles is doing the best he can for Cuba, and undoubt- edly, according to authentic informa- tion, grudges everything taken from the ‘“regulars” and allowed to General Merritt. Thus, while General Merritt, it was thought, would start to the Philippines with 6000 regulars, it is now thought he wil? not be able to get more than 4000 regulars. General Miles stands con- stantly in the way, I am told. General Merritt will not leave San Francisco until he sees his regulars at least well aboard. He said this much this afternoon, but his mind did not seem to be dwelling so much upon the difficulty of getting troops as upon the difficulties of getting transports. I asked Captain Mott if should the delay continue much longer American forces would be able to arrive in due season, and he replied: “Yes; the Spaniards have 1300 more miles between them and Manila than the American forces will have to go from San Francisco.” I learned to-day from one thoroughly informed that the regulars would cer- tainly not sail before ten days and the last of the volunteers will not have weighed anchor before two weeks. el il MERRITT EN ROUTE TO SAN FRANCISCO. Concludes His Business at Washing- ton and Starts for the Pacific Coast. WASHINGTON, May 2L—Major §8 | General Wesley Merritt concluded his They expect now to make one | at the White | MERRITT business at the State Department this aftérnoon and at 2 o'clock began his journey to San Francisco, whence hs will take charge of the expedition to the Philippines. The following named officers of the | medical department have been ordered to San Francisco and will report to General Merritt for duty with the ex- pedition: Lieutenant General Lippin- cott, deputy surgeon general; Captain William' O. Owen, assistant _surgeon, and First Lieutenant Henry Page, as- sistant surgeon. Up to to-night 110.000 men have been mustered into the volunteer army. General Thaulow of the Norwegian army has arrived in this city for the | purpose of making arrange. =nts to view the operations of American navy in Cuba. Mrs. Susan A. Glenn, widow of a sol- | dier and mother of a volunteer in the | First Regiment, District of Columbia | Volunte has resigned her position in the Postoffice Department to go to the front with her son. She {s a mem- | ber of the Women's Patriotic Indus- | trial Relief League and the first | woman to be appointed matron of a | regiment. She is about 50 years old. \ARMY OF IMMUNES TO BE RAISED AT ONCE. | Six Regiments Will Be Recruited in Gulf States for the Invasion of Cuba. NEW YORK, May 21.—A special to the Tribune from Washington says: | " The intention of the War Depart- ment to force the Cuban campaign was sufficiently indicated by the steps | taken to-day for the speedy mobiliza- | tion and equipment of the immune | regiments authorized by Congress last | week. This law, which empowers the | President to authorize an additional volunteer force not exceeding 10,000 en- listed men, “‘possessing immunity from the diseases incidental to tropical cli- mates,” will be immediately put into effect by the formation of six regi- ments of nearly 1000 men each, to be recruited in the Gulf States. The President to-day selected the colonels of these immune regiments from among the best officers in the regular service, and orders will be is- sued to them to-morrow to hurry the South and begin the selection of their commands, reporting for duty to the Fourth Corps, under Major-General Coppinger, at Mobile. CHASED THREE SPANISH GUNBOATS. The Cruiser Montgomery Has Some Interesting Target Practice Off the Cuban Coast. KEY WEST, Fla., May 21.—The United States cruiser Montgomery, which bril- liantly silenced the Cabanas Island bat- teries in the battle at San Juan, had more | practice last Monday afternoon. While cruising along the north coast of Cuba, 100 miles east of Cardenas light, she sighted three Spanish gunboats and gave chase to them. The Spanish vessels were painted black and were about the size of the Mayflower, and fled to the shore and took refuge in'an inlet where the cruiser could not follow them. The Montgomery let fly two broadsides at the terrified Spanfards, but the effects of the shots could not be ascertained. |SERIOUS RIOTING | IMMINENT IN HAVANA. Food Grows Much Scarcer and the N Distress Greater Than Gen- erally Reported. CHICAGO, May 21.—A special to the Journal from Washington says: Se- cret information received by the War Department is to the effect that serious rioting is imminent in Havana. Food is much scarcer and the distress is greater than has been generally re- ‘norud.