The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-12
WAITED ALL DAY.
News From Shafter Expect ed But
Did Not Come.

department to wait all day with the ex-
pectation of hearing that the lombard
ment of Santiago had begun. No word to
that effect came, however, up to the time
the department closed. and though there
Is little reason to doubt that the General
carried out the programme of which he
had notified the department., it was re-
garded as possible that he had consented
to a further extension under the flag of
truce in view of certain signs of weaken
ing on the part of the Spanish COM
mander. 1t is supposed here that General
Miles with additional reinforcements on
the. YaleJwill arrive at Siboaey tonight or
tomorrow morning and if a surrender has
not been secured by that time, it is be-
lieved that the assault upon the town
proper will be prosecuted at once with
the greatest energy and determination.
The tests made recently of the naval
ordnance gave very unsatisfactov-ss,esults
when it was attempted to prcip2 shells
over the high hills from. .sne ope.4 sea into
Santiago city. Possibly better results
may be attained tomorrow if the attack
is resumed then, but there is more likeli-
hood that the main reliance will be upon
such of the lighter draught vessels of Ad-
miral SIMPSONS fleet as may. succeed in
getting closer to the shore and in q better
position than the heavy battleships. The
officials here ara satisfied that what ap-
pears to be delay on the part of Gener al
Shafter, was really caused by his efforts
to carry out strictly the Presidents in
junction to prevent the Spanish army
from escaping from Santiago He might
have attacked the town several days ago
with the result that if the Spaniards were
overcome they would have retreated with
out obstruction to the northwest beyond
the reach of our soldiers. His despatch,
written late last night, indicates clearly
that he has been trying to complete his
line of Investment so as to prevent such
an escape, and as he appea rs to feel salts
fed that he has accomplished this, the
final ASSAULT will not be delayed much
longer.
General Shafter is disposed to save
every life possible il the war, probably
having in mind the particularly large
ing compared with tho total strength of
his army in the battle of Caney, which
the official figures promulgated today
show was exceptional in modern warfare
IL is to save our troops that he desires to
make q free use of artillery before the as
sault proper begins, and also to secure the
cooperation of the navy IN the attack.
1,1a Of
pears to have been more serious in its re-
suits than was first suspected by General
Shafter himself, for during the afternoon
he was obliged to report as one result the
death of Captain Charles W. Rowell,
second infantry, one of the most gallant
and popular officers of the regular estab-
lishment. Captain Rowell was born in
New York and appointed to the military
academy in 1870. He became second
lieutenant in 1874, first lieutenant in
1881 and was placed in command of the
company which he led to his death, in
1896. His death caused deep grief among
the officers of the department..
The cable communication between
Washington and General Skaters head
quarters has now been gotten into excel.
lent condition, 80 that it has been possible
to receive at the department a message
within twenty minutes after it has been
despatched by General Shafter. Col.
Allen, who is in charge at General Shat
ter's end of the line, reported to the de-
partment that his is now engaged in lay
ing cable from Guantanamo to Playa
del Este, which will still further reduce
the time required for the exchange of
communications.
The appearance at the navy department
this morning of Ensign Palmer of the
st. Louis, which arrived at Portsmouth
yesterday, led the officials to believe that
he brought with him the reports Of the
American naval commanders, upon the
battle which resulted in the destruction
of Ceryera' s fleet. 1t turned out, how
ever, that tbs St. Louis had started fir ON
Siboney before the official reports on the
engagement had been prepared.
Ex-Secretary Herbert had quite a con-
ference with Secretary Long this after
noon upon the subject of fre-proof wood
for naval construction. He brought with
formidable array of facts gathered from
the newspaper reports of the naval battle
to show that fire was the element that
worked the greatest destruction among
the vessels of the Spanish squadron and
that whenever American vessels had been
hit, even in the case of the tiny torpedo
boat, they had escaped such fires because
all Of their woodwork was fire proof. So
impressed was Secretary Long with the
statement that he has concluded to recon
vene special board which was appointed
some time ago to deal with this matter
and which had recommended that the use
Of the prepared wood be ourtaile1 in some
measure in American warships then
building.
Naval officials say that serious irregu-
larity occurred at the time the ships of
Admiral Cervera's feet hauled Gown
their colors and surrendered. Inquiries
have brought out the fact that the breech-