Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-06-29

AT THE FRONT ON THE Rio GUIANA,
June ~, per the Dispatch boat Wanda,
via Port Antonio, Jamaica, June 20,
via Kingston, Jamaica, June 29.-The
American front has been advanced
beyond the first crossing of the Rio
Guiana about mile, and q tug lies
three and half miles from the Spanish
intrenchmenls.
General Eawton's brigade rests on the
road to Santiago de Cuba. The Third
brigade, under General Chaffee, the
Seventeenth, Twelfth and Seventh regi-
ments, holds the trench, with his com
mand lying across the road and river.
The First brigade, the Eighth,
Twenty and Second Massachu-
setts, under General Evan Clarke, lies
on the left flank, slightly in the rear,
and the Second brigade, the First,
Fourth and Twenty fifth, occupies the
opposite position ON the right flank.
General Wheeler, with the cavalry,
is in the rear, between Sevilla hills and
the Rio Guiana.
A strong line of outposts is main
tanned ahead.
General Chaffee' brigade, with 5000
Cubans under General Aguirra and
several hundred under Colonel Con
zales, was slSirmishing toward the city
this morning.
The Cubans had several slight Skin
mishes with the Spaniards stationed on
the hills ON the American right flank,
and our auxiliaries occupied the block
houses i'll that vicinity, which were
evacuated before daybreak. by the Span
1nf No1 xle-
Santiago do Cuba. No fatalities are
reported.
General Lawton, General Chaffee
and General Wheeler have thoroughly
reconnoitered the Spanish position and,
with the aid of information furnished
by the Cubans, have very good maps of
the roads and defenses of the city.
Much information has also been OBJ
tanned from Spanish pacificos, who have
slipped out of the city and given them
selves up in the hope of getting food.
They report great starvation and dis
tress in Santiago. They say the Span
ish troops are ON short rations and that
all the supplies are being held for their
use.
The sick in the hospitals, the pacifcos
say, are suffering from lack of food,
and they also report that n Spaniards
were killed and that 80 were wounded
as the result of the engagement on Fri
day last with Colonels Woods and
Youngs' commands
The most startling information OBJ
tanned from the pacificos is that since
the advance began almost 10000 Span
ish soldiers have arrived at Santiago de
Cuba This statement is made on the
authority Of General Lawton, and he is
also of the opinion that General Pando
may be able to effect junction with
General Linares at Santiago de Cuba.
There are two forts of considerable
Importance within the Spanish lines
Punta Blanco, at the southern end of
the bay. and Santa Ursula, at the
southeast corner.
There are are about 450 men in each
of these Notifications, and stretching
around the whole city are nine barbed
wire fences, fifty yards apart, while
just inside these are lines of rifle pits
Outside, TO the eastward, about two
miles beyond the American outposts, is
a line of entertainments extending from
the northern extremity of the city to
MORO castle
A little west of south, at a distance
of about seven miles from General
Lawton's headquarters lies MORO
castle. The road to within few hun
dred yards of the batteries at the rear
of MORO was reconnoitered yesterday
afternoon by General Chaffee and sew
eral members of his staff.
The Cubans believe that if the water
supply of the city can be cut off Santi-
ago will have to yield at once. They
say that Admiral Cerveras entire fleet
except the torpedoboat destroyer Terror
is in the barber. General Lawton is
inclined TO discredit the report that
guns have been taken from the ships
to strengthen the defenses on land. He
says it would be impossible for Admiral
Cervera to reach the position of the
American army with his big guns from
where the ships lie.
No aggressive move by the Ameri-
cans is anticipated for several days.
The road to the base of supplies must
be greatly improved before the onward
movement can be safely made.
AT present it taxes the quarter
masters department to the utmost to
get provisions and ammunition. Last
night one pack train arrived with sup
plies sufficient to last until tonight.
and as this dispatch is being written