The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-26
LANDINGI
(. PORTO RICO
General Miles Expedition
y Located Near Ponce.
H.
HURRNNC THE RHHF0RCEMENTS.
The War Department Busily En-
h.. gagged in the Work, i.
WAR BALLOON FOR PORTO RICO.

The Airship Used by General Shafter in
Cuba Will Be Brought Into Service to
Aid General Miles Campaign General
Shafter Reports Five Hundred New Cases
Of Fever in His Army--Sampson's Re-
port of the Fight With Cervera's Fleet.
The Thanks of Congress Forwarded to
Admiral Dewey.
, Washington, July 26.--The war de-
partment was busted yesterday hur-
rying the dispatch of the remainder of
Miles expedition against Porto Rico.
Such progress has been made that II Is
hoped all of the troops will be on Porto
Rican soil within week at latest. Cen
eral Miles, according to a press dis
patch from ST. Thomas. y. w. l.. began
landing his troops yesterday near
Ponce, on the the south coast Of Porto
Rico, where 1t is believed he will await
the detachments now on the way. War
department officials accept the press
dispatch as reliable The genera! has
not with him, so far as is known, any
dispatch boats. 1t will be at least Sat
urday before direct cable communica
tion can be established with him, and
In the meantime reliance must be had
on the dispatch boats running acs oss to
st. Thomas, distant about four hours
run.
The work CT embarkation at Hamp-
ton Roads is being conducted with
much less difficulty and delay than was
expected. Colonel Hecker. In charge
Of the TRANSFORMATION division of the
war department. who has just returned
from that place, has reported to Secre-
tary Alger that it Is eminently suited
to the shipment of the troops Conse-
quently the secretary yesterday or
dered all of General Grants brigade,
5000 men, from Chickamauga to New
port News. 1t Is now expected that all
of the transports required for their ac-
comodation will have arrived there by
the time the soldiers get in, but they
will encamp on suitable ground and it
is believed will be benefited by the
change from Chickamauga.
The signal service has succeeded in
reclaiming from the battlefield of San
tiago the tubes which supplied the
military DdllUUll WIN pure HyuloSeh
gas. and they. with the balloon Itself.
have been brought over to TAMPA on
the steamer Adria. The tubes will be
recharged Immediately and the whole
apparatus will be dispatched at once
to Porto Rico to assist General Miles
In his campaign there. The balloon Is
said to have proved of great value in
the Santiago campaign. and from the
character of the country in Porto Rico
where military operations must be con-
Quoted it il believed that It also can be
used to advantage there.
In dispatch to the war department
last night. General Shafter reports that
about 500 new cases of fever developed
In his corps at Santiago Sunday. This
number includes, Of course, all classes
of fever, probably some cases Of gen.
uine yellow fever. Only one death Is re-
ported that one being from yellow fe-
YER The cheering intelligence is con-
veyed that the situation Is improving
and that about 45O men who have been
Ill have returned to duty.
As heretofore indicated by General
6hafter and the medical officers of his
corps, the cases of fever are of a mo-
hdbly iSpt' Inv p"eShto eIAS ia
from three days to a week. and then
return to duty quite as well as ever.
The medical officers concur in the
opinion that this fever renders the men
immune. for the time at least to yell
low fever
The question Of returning large part
Of General Skaters command to this
country for rest and recuperation was
under consideration by the war Of
ficials. but the idea practically has been
abandoned. at least for the present.
Those who are Ill now or have been eX-
posed to the infection are isolated in |
detention camps and are not permit |
ted to return to the main body Of the |
troops until all danger has been
ayerted. Through the adoption of rigid |
sanitary precautions and careful at !
tcnton to those who fall Ill it Is ex-
pectcd that the fever will run its course |
In comparatively brief time.
& II was announced yesterday at the |
navy department that the long ex-
pected report from Admiral Sampson
upon the destruction of Cervera's fleet,
with the accompanying reports of the
commodore and captains of his squad
ron, has reached the department. 1t is
supposed to have been brought by Cap
tain Sigsbee on the st. Paul, which ar
rived at New York last Friday, and to
have been sent by mail by Captain
Elgsbee. 1t is the intention of the sec
retary of the navy to give these re-
ports to the public In their entirety.
Secretary Long yesterday forwarded
10 Admiral Dewey the joint resolution
Of congress extending the thanks of
congress for the victory achieved at
Csyite. The resolution was beautifully
engrossed and prefaced by a formal
attestation of its Authenticity by Sec
retary of State Day, the whole being
enclosed in richly gilt and ornamented
Russia covers. !.
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