The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-06-30
SANTIAGO rs DOOMED
General Shlfl,r WI Bcg.n un Attack
Upon % ln q Few Days

Associated Press p.spa'chl
4 Washington June s-Thc opinion pre-
walls hero that. within day or TWO az
tho most. General shaf,,r vii have be-
gun bis attack on the city ot Santiago
proper The lmporton, event 5f the day
/ was tho generals announcement, thet ne
could take the city IN f5rty-c.ght hours.
/ but "a, considerable loss, Taken In conuec-
ton with the announcement contained in
another dispatch that ne is golng to at
. tack without waiting for rciuorcemeuts,
I Il will hc seen that the ofnclals have
/ ground ior their expectation that the
/ hrst general engagement OF he war viii
begin In a very short ume.
/ Numerically. s opposing armies are
not very different, an estimate Of tne
/ spanish force being placed az NWO men,
/ thoroughly cntrrnched and behind barbtd
wire fences ana hlockhouses "a against
/ iSUN men under Skaters command,
aided by lON Cuhans one OF the gravest
elements in the problem, however, is thc
spanish warshps. for, unless Shafter i
materially assisted by sampson, who
might engage the full attention OF the
spanish ships, their fire an the American
advance would he very hard 20 meet.
Military authorities here say that Gem
crll Llnares has shown great military
tactics In slowly retiring during ,hc last
few days, ns he gradually drew our troops
from the protection OF The American shlps
and brought them close TO the hre Of
the Spanish ships In Santiago harbor For
this reason It was with relief that the Sn-
nounccmont was received here that Shaf-
ter had succeeded IN landing an his arrl-
lcry including his siege train, for, unless
Snmpson can De relied upon TO 1orcc h,e
way into the harhor ant attack the
Spanish ships, the siege guns planted On
the heights commanding the bay will be
the main reliance OF General Shafter in
offsettIng tho presence OF the Spanish
roncladS
Undoubtedly Shaftcr Is animated 10 at !
tack as soon as possible by his knowledge |
Of the approach of rcnforcements for
Llnorcs from Man2anIllo. for with the |
latter additionnrs force Skaters posi- |
ton would he disagreeahle, Il not peril |
Gus, at least until he had received other |
relnforcements. The war department re- |
celved the first definite news today as 20 |
tho approach OF Spanish relnforcemcnts |
This was an onciol dispatch stating that
5000 men with pack trains and droves or |
animals were advancing from Man2anilo |
and wero lfty-four miles from Santiago.
II has been known through reports or
General Joyce, made to General Miles |
that the spanlards have 10000 men at |
Man2OnIllo and 10000 at Hoguln, and |
every precaution has been taken to guard !
against their advance from that quarter |
The official report today showed that |
1900 of those at ManZanllo had covered |
half the distance to Santiago and il Is |
believed by the military officials here |
that General Pando Is making a similar
advance with his 10000 men from Hoguin,
These advances, now practically unop- !
posed are regarded as one Of the most
serious phases of the situation.
II was announced at the war depart
ment that by their reports 5000 soldiers
should be leaving Tampa today to join |
Shafter, They viii be three or four days |
on the voyage and It Is probable that 1t |