The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-03

Washington, July 2.-This has been
a day of almost unparalleled suspense
and anxiety. From President Mckin-
ley down all through official Washing
ton everybody has been under ire
mendous strain. Tidings from Shafter
have been eagerly awaited and mo-
mentariIy expected, but, save a brief
word or the extent of the loss yester-
day, nothing came from him during the
day concerning the progress Of the
action at Santiago.
Just at the close of the day the first
bit of information coming directly to
officials reached the president and Sec
rotary Alger. It was a private dis
patch not primarily intended for them,
although it came through official chan
neIs. Briefly and sxpressiyely it told
the story of a day Ct terrific fighting.
1t was direct from the field of action
as late as D. M. It stated that the
engagement had been in progress
throughout the day; that the dead and
wounded were being carried TO the
rear, and that the American losses
were heavy.
The exact wording of the dispatch
was not made known, but one of the
high officials who read it said that 1t
conveyed to him the idea of extreme
tension and OF a battle in which all
the fiercest elements of warfare pre-
vailed.
Until this came the officials were
positively without a word as to wheth-
er the engagement begun yesterday
was continuing today. They could only
speculate, some taking the view that
the assault of yesterday had been fol-
lowed by a St0rming Of the city itself,
others maintaining that Skaters
troops, spent with the terrible strain
of Yesterday, had paused today long
enough to clear the field of its dead
and wounded. 1t was only by this
brief message, which, under ordinary
circumstances, would have received
little attention, that the president and
his advisers were made aware that the
battle was still in progress and still
without definite results.
As it was, the few words relieved
the suspense. but not the anxiety. One
of the officials who read it said it con-
veyed as much hopeful information as
could be expected, for he said he had
not expected a victory yet. But others
We're far less hopeful in their views.
That the battle was still raging meant
that our men were passing through
fearful ordeal, having been in action
now practically for So hours. The mere
fact that the dispatch did not chron-
icle a decisive advantage by the Ameri-
can forces was construed by some Of
fcials as ominous.
NO WORD FROM SKATER.
So far as official dispatches were con-
cerned. the day was utterly devoid Of
any information bearing on the situa-
ton. Secretary Alger said at the close
of office hours that he had not re-
ceived q word from General Shafter
since the brief dispatches at B O'Clock
this morning, referring to losses yes
terday. Secretary Long said at the
same hour that nothing had come from
Sampson, and in particular
the secretary of the navy dismissed as
groundless the rumor that word had
reached him that MORO Castle had
been demolished by the American
squadron. General Miles was similarly
without advices. At o'clock he Joined
Secretary Alger in the latter's office,
and the two conferred for long time
On the military situation.
Neither the secretary nor the COM
handing general underestimate the
great task before the American army, /
with an enemy we'll entrenched in front !
of them, with CerVera's guns pouring |
shot and shell into our lines, and with /
the possibility that Spanish reinforce !
ments have now swelled the ranks of /
the enemy until they are greater than |
the combined forces under the Ameri- |
can military commander.
MEDICAL ASSISTANTS.
But all that the government in Wash
ington can do is being done and done
quickly The great issue remains for |
General Shafter and his forces to work
put TO a conclusion. His call in the /
early day for a large additional force
Of medical officers was quickly re-
sponded to. The hospital ship Relief, (
which left New York today, was given
orders before sailing to stop on her
way south at Fortress Monroe, where
the extra force of surgeons will board
her She viii reach Fortress Monroe
tomorrow. and take on board the ply
;icians Immediately, and then proceed
lurriedly to the aid of the wounded
under Skaters command. Surgeon
General Sternberg of the army was I'M
BILE to make arrangements today for
al the medical assistants which Gen
eial Shafter asked for. After consider
able labor he got together force of
probably a dozen physicians, and these,
With the surgeons already aboard the
Yessel, viii approximate about 20 in all.
These, General Sternberg hopes, Will
De enough to supply the pressing wants
# the army.
The Relief should reach Santiago in
our or five days. If additional physi-
.ians are needed they viii be sent,
General Sternberg says, on the cruiser
PIE, which is ;clle ia, Il . leave n.
elk about th= middle Of :.eXt week
With q large detachment OF General
iarretson's brigade, as reinforceBlents
0 Shafter.
The personnel of the surgical corps
f the Relief, 50 far as they could he
scertained today here, is as follows
iaior George -. r0rnsy, surgeon in
barge; Mark Bradley. surgeon u. S.
=: Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Som
f Chicago; Captain W. ". c. Gordas,
nd the following contract surgeons;
'rancis Metcalfe, Randolph NJ Myers
red NJ. Hartsok, Ernest =. Schultz, ,
Ieorge II. Torney, jr-, John r. Hicks, I
fenry L. Brown, James 7. ArtwiTie,
esse Ransburg Ruphus D. Boss, a. a.
nyder. Charles c. Marbury, James ;
IcMackall, Stanley Warren. !
Surgeon General Sternberg left here ]
ais evening for Fortress Monroe, ,,
here he VIII make a personal exam
ration of the Relief before she starts ,
n her trip TO Santiago. 5
NO NEW PLANS.
During the afternoon a sensational
amor gained currency that radical
nanges in the plans for the. occupa- c
on of Cuba were likely to be adopted !
y President Mckinley. It can be said {
pom the highest authority, however, r
- ,,ofJafpo of tha kind is in cOntenn- r