The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-06-18

WASHINGTON, June 15.-Without ref
erence to the exact hour at which the
United States army left Florida Tor
Cuba, it may be safely said that before
the end of the week Gen. Shafter will
have landed with his $1,000 United
States troops on Cuban soil. and that
the investment of Santiago by land
will have begun.
There was some confusion in the OIL
eial mind here yesterday on the time
of the departure of h transports,
though assurance was given that they
had all gotten away. The confusion
on this point is easily accounted for by
persons who know anything of the
difficulties of moving simultaneously a
numerous fleet composed of vessels Il all
sizes and classes. No less than three
times, beginning Sunday, was a def
mite hour selected for the start and the
war department so notified. Yet, in
each case some untold obstacle was en-
countered hat required notification to
the department that a postponement
had peer forced. Sailors say such de-
lays are inevitable and hat rarely
does a feet get off by first intention.
However, the department officials
stated yesterday afternoon hat they
believed the very last of the transports
had at last started for Cuba.
After all, the delay of a day or two
in the start is not calculated to make
N -aFar;aI diffaraDna in tho DlanS
and the only persons who will suffer
from it Will be SIMPSONS marines,
camped on the tropical bay of Guam
tanamo, and obliged to maintain the
greatest vigilance in repelling the
bushwhacking Spanish irregulars who
swarm in the thickets. This foe gives
no trouble during the daylight hours,
owing to the presence of the Marble
head within a range; but at night,
when the warship is unable to distin-
guish its own men from the enemy,
the lot of the marines is a very excit-
ing one.
Having started the Santiago eXpedi-
ton, the war department has now con-
c%entrated all it's energies on the prep
aration of the force to be sent to Porto
Rico. Active movements in that line
have been made on a scale SO extensive
as to lead to the supposition in some
quarters that the attack is to be di-
rected upon Havana, but if this is so
there is no open indication of it.
The volunteers collected at Chicka-
mauga,4 AZ 900 in number, are reaching a
degree of excellence under the mag
ni6cent management of Gen. Brook
that would warrant the government in
ordering them Immediately into active
service, bat unfortunately there is still
a considerable lack of equipment that
will not permit of this.
The only bulletin posted at the navy
department from Sampson contained
the satisfactory news that an Ameri-
can naval officer, Lieut.. Victor Blue, OF
South Carolina, at the risk of his life,
had succeeded in encircling the bay of
vessels therein, with the result of eS-
tabIishing the fact that all of Cervera's
feet were bottled up.
Gen. Merritt has brought the second
iustaIlment of his force into readiness,
and sails for Manila to-day. 1t is be-
Iieved that the advance guard, the three
transports which followed the Charles
ton to Honolulu, met the cruiser there
and sailed in her company for the Phil
ippines about the 18th of this month.
In this case it is reasonable to expect
them to arrive at Manila within a
week.