Show DOOM Of SPANISH flEET I SEALED BY SPANIARDS Coal Steamer Sunk in the Narrow Channel of Santiago Harbor COMMODORE SCHLEY RAN HER IN AND THE ENEMY DID THE REST Eight Brave Americans Taken Prisoners But They Succeeded > ceeded In Blocking the Channel Copyright ISIS by the Associated Press Port au Prince Hayti June 3 945 p mThis morning at 8 oclock the American squadron began the bombardment bom-bardment of the fortifications of Santiago San-tiago de Cuba and a lively cannonade ensued for two hours which silenced the Spanish batteries An American vessel the Merrimac described in the advices from Santiago de Cuba as an auxiliary cruiser making mak-ing a dash to force the entrance succeeded suc-ceeded in passing the first line of defenses de-fenses but was torpedoed about 500 feet up the channel She went down perpendicularly A Pic An officer an engineer and six seamen were taken prisoners The number of victims is unknown Only the funnel and mastheads of the sunken vessel can be seen There is great excitement in the city A part of the population assisted in the fighting on the heights Everybody is astounded at the audacity of the American Amer-ican vessel The American squadron was cruising all the while in the offing It will be noted that there is an important im-portant discrepancy as to the time at which the bombardment is said to have begun this morning between the dispatches dis-patches from Cape Haytien and Port au Prince the former saying 3 I oclock and the latter S It is possible that this arises from a confusion between the figures 3 and S i HAYTIEN ACCOUNT Cape Haytien June 3The American Ameri-can fleet according to advices received by cable from Santiago de Cuba the I cable being under Spanish contrbl l opened fire again at 3 oclock this morning Friday on the fortifications and < warships I The cannonade was well sustained I until 4 a m One of the United States I auxiliary cruisers well armed attempted at-tempted to force the passage into the harbor The Spanish allowed the cruiser to I cross the first line of torpedoes but before be-fore she arrived at the second line they discharged at her a torpedo which I broke a great hole in her side and I caused her to sink almost instantly j bow first The name of the vessel is j not known nor is the number of victims f vic-tims reported One officer one engineer engi-neer and six sailors were made prisoners pris-oners by the Spaniards 1025 a mA dispatch from Santiago says that the vessel sunk is understood to be the Merrimac Only the extremities extrem-ities of her funnel and two masts are seen above water I ONLY A COAL BOAT May Have Been Sunk to Obstruct the I Channel I The Merrimac reported sunk in the channel at the entrance to Santiago r harbor is not an auxiliary cruiser nora I nor-a warship of any description but a coal boat that accompanied the flying squadron from Hampton Roads She was a Norwegian steamer of 2194 net tons and was purchased by the government gov-ernment in April The circumstances seem to indicate that the Merrimac was deliberately run into the harbor entrance by the Americans Amer-icans for the express purpose of being sunk thus effectually obstructing the narrow channel and preventing the escape es-cape of the Spanish vessels from the harbor as the channel is so narrow that but one vessel can pass through at a time The Merrimac was commanded by Captain J M Miller and the prisoners captured by the Spaniards may have comprised the entire crew that made the perilous venture Since the above was written the following fol-lowing has been received by the Associated Asso-ciated Press Washington June tThe Post this morning says There is absolutely no doubt in the minds of the naval officials in Washington that the sending of the c r collier into the harbor was all a prearranged I pre-arranged move on the part of Admiral Sampson The use of a collier the I unusual hour of the morning the necessity ne-cessity of blockading the channel so as to relieve some of the ships of the squadron from remaining stationed off Santiago the importance of discovering discover-ing whether the mines were effective all these reasons make it certain that the Merrimac was deliberatly sent to her destruction It was not a Spanish victory It was a cleverly arranged scheme on the part of the American admiral and it was successful The eight men In a Spanish prison are the real heroes of the war If the Merrimac went in under her own crew it is interesting to know that her complement of officers consisted con-sisted of Commander J M Miller Lieutenant W W Gillmer executive I officers Ensigns J R Y Blakeley and J M Luby and Assistant Engineer j I R K Crank Miller is fromKklissouri GillmT from Virginia Blakeley from Pennsylvania and Luby and Crank from Texas It is expected that reports will be received today from Admiral Sampson which will give details of the Merr I macs destruction and the names of the egiht men who have been > captured I SAMPSON AND SCHLEY i Were Preparing to Place a Cork In the Bottle Off Santiago de Cuba June 3 by the Associated Press dispatch boat Wanda via Kingston Jamaica June 3 Copyright Copy-right 1S98 by the Associated Press Rear Admiral Sampson with the United States cruiser New York his flagship accompanied by the battleship Oregon cruiser Mayflower and the torpedo tor-pedo boat Porter joined Commodore thleys squadron off Santiago Wednesday Wed-nesday morning and their combined commands have the Spanish fleet securely se-curely locked in the harbor Admiral Sampson left the heavy monitors and light gunboats off Car denas Monday morning all danger of the appearance of the Spanish from the eastward having been removed with the definite information that Commodore Com-modore Schley had hunted them to their holes and under command of Commodore Watson the monitors and gunboats returned to reinforce the blockade on the north coast of Cuba I Admiral Sampson did not assume command and amalgamate the squadrons squad-rons on his arrival Each squadron retains I re-tains its separate entity and Commodore I Commo-dore Schley his single starred pennant on the Brooklyn The American fleet I off Santiago now numbers 12 fighting ships two colliers and a cable cutting ship I The fighting ships include the New York Brooklyn Iowa Oregon Massachusetts Massa-chusetts Texas New Orleans Marble I head Dolphin Mayflower and Vixen and the torpedo boat Porter There is every indication that active preparations prepara-tions will begin at once The last cable which binds Cuba to Madrid and the outside world was cut today The Spanish fleet Is bottled and a plan is being considered to drive in the cork If this is done the next news may be a thrilling story of closing the harbor It would release a part of our fleet and leave the Spaniards to starve I and rot until they were ready to hoist I the white flag Not a gun has been fired from shore or ships since the bombardment bom-bardment on Tuesday The Spanish fleet which lay near the mouth of the harbor on that occasion has withdrawn to a safer anchorage farther in probably behind Cayo Smith and not a glimpse of It has been seen since tIt t-It may be that the final acts in the SpanishAmerican drama of which tho Cuban revolution was but the prologue may be enacted here where the insurrection = insur-rection originated three years ago Straight Road to Perdition London June According to a dispatch dis-patch from Madrid El Heraldo with regard re-gard to the situation atSantiago de Cuba t C Says It Is one more disenchantment mote which proves that there is Yes no remedy for j a Spalns Santa1o1s misfortunes of little Cerveras advantage squadron either ltte advatge eiher for I t can neither itself or hinder for what the Yankee It renresents expedition It nor expediton strengthen the defense strerthen of Havana Span was never before led through such ft f a sfight road to perdition |