The record-union., 1898-07-09
MAY BE A BATTLE TODAY.
Sampson Will Likely Begin Bonn
harding Santiago Forts.

WASH1NlI1ON, July a
Shafter reported all quiet yesterday in
the camp before Santiago, and the be-
lief of the officials here is that the same
condition of affairs obtains to-day The
army is losing nothing by its rest. and
according to the Generals account, Is
gathering strength. More reinforce
rnents are due to-day or Tomorrow, and
when they arrive it is expected that the
assault on the city will be resumed. 1t
is hoped that this will be tomorrow,
though so far as the army is concerned
it is gathered from General Skaters
report that it will not advance before
reinforcemeEts arrive, unless in order
to repel a counter attack from the
Spaniards.
General Shafter and Admiral Samp-
son had conference the day before yes
terday, and as a result the fleet is going
to make another try at the Notifications
at the mouth Of the harbor tomorrow.
If the army is ready this will partake
of the nature of a general attack; If
not, then the navy's action will be sim
ply in the line of execution of policy
of reducing Santiago by stages accord
ing to regular siege methods.
While cooperating as far as possible
with the army the navy is not to be
sacrificed in this attack upon the Span
ish Notifications. The dropping of a
6-inch shell from on high through the
deck of the Indiana three days ago, dur
ing the trying engagement with the for
tifications when the Mercedes was sunk,
strikingly verified the predictions of ma
val experts as to the dangerous effect
of elevated fire upon warships at close
range 1t was more by good luck than
by good management that the Indiana
escaped destruction or an awful loss
OF life from this one shell.
! The President is determined that the
navy shall not be sacrificed for small
stake such as Santiago. To the Cabi-
net officers he has pointed out the ex
| tremely dangerous position that the
| United States would occupy among ma
| tions if left exposed by the loss of its
navy, the arm Of the service which has
| evoked the unwilling admiration and
| respect of the greatest Powers of Eu-
rope. Without a navy, or at least
without the steel bulldogs that make
up its backbone, now lying before San
tiago, it might be concluded that we
| should no longer be as safe as we feel
| ourselves TO be at present from the ar
bitrary interference of European Pow
ers in an attempt to settle our difficult
ties with Spain.
The function of the navy in to-mor-
/ rows attack viii be TO help the army
| in the assault when it shall come to the
first stage by entering the harbor, but
this Will be done only after the fortiff-
cations at the entrance have been re-
duced and the way cieared. 1t is gath
cred that that was the conclusion
reached at the conference between
Shafter and Sampson.
Sampson reported briefly just after
the conference. but as the department
has not been able to communicate with
him since this. il is feared that wire
| troubles exist that will prove embarras-
| sing All this juncture. Shafter has
said nothing about a forward movement
| on his part leaving the conclusion
plain that he wants the reinforcements.
All the Spanish naval officers captur-
! ed by the American fleet are to be con-
| fined within the limits of the Naval
Academy grounds at Annapolis. They
viii be placed in the quarters vacated
by the American naval officers who left
the academy TO go into active service,
and will be treated with the creates,
consideration, having won the admira-
| uon of the American sailors by their
| splendid exhibition of courage in the
| face of an almost inevitable death or
| capture Admiral Cervera, 1t is said.
| viii be among the prisoners. who in all
likelihood will be given the freedom Of
the grounds under limited parole.
The War Department has posted the
following dispatch:
| Alonr af,ar nf I Iya,.
Camp near Santiago, July 7th Perfect
quiet. At the request of Spanish Gem
erai, employees Of English Gable Com