The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-29
CHEERING REPORTS
Come From General Shafter Of the
March on Santiago. -
he Is MAKING HASTE SLOWLY,

Meantime the Presidents Proclama-
tion Extending the Blockade to the
South Coast OF Cuba and to San Juan
VIII Aid the Military Movements.
Washington, June 29.-It was very late
yesterday when the first dispatch with
In two days came to the war DEPART
ment from General Shafter, but the
news was regarded as SO good that
there was no disposition to complain.
1t disclosed very satisfactory rate Of
progress on the part of General Shaf-
ter towards the town of Santiago it.
self and apparently he has gained all
this ground and has come within three
miles of Santiago without suffering any
losses since the bloody skirmish of FRI
day last. As near as can be gathered
from the brief dispatch the American
army i3e now at the fork in the road,
one branch Of which leads to Santiago
and the other to Moro Castle, at the
entrance to the harbor. General Shaf-
ter is thus free to move in either di-
rection according to the demands Of
the campaign.
With the 1900 men who reinforced
ANN VII NhouuoS VIZ thC die dIlu tHe
additional bAgade that will reach him
before tomorrow night on the Harvard
1t may be possible to make even more
rapid progress in advance upon San
tiago, as these men can be relied upon
to relieve the main body of troops
from the necessity of keeping open the
line of communication between Shaf-
ter and his base at Baiquiri. Meanwhile
further reinforcements are being pre-
pared and dispatched as rapidly as the
best energies of the department can
direct. and 1t is believed several thou
sand men sailed from Tampa yesterday
directly for Santiago.
The department has had in mind the
difficulties of the campaign that are
just developing to the public eye, such
as the use for the first time in civilized
warfare of barbed wi.e fencing as a
means of defense, and acting upon the
advice of our army officers who were
In Cuba when the fighting was con-
fired to the Spanards and the insur-
gents, p certain number of men in
each regiment have been provided with
wire cutters and charged with the duty
of cutting down these fences so as to
permit the advance of the troops. 1t
will probably be necessary to shell out
the force defending these wire cheyauX
de friese before they can be cut, and
this will Involve a larger use of field
artillery than would be required in or
binary warfare. The officials here have
provided for the use of barbed wire by
our own forces, having sent about 15O
tf,-. q Df tbic ,Syirn Will,
expedition.
The lines are being frightened about
Cuba, and it will soon be impossible
for even small quantities of food or war
supplies to reach the Spaniards there.
A proclamation Issued by the president |
yesterday extending the blockade TO
the south coast and San Juan, it Is be-
lieved, will accomplish this result. On |
the south coast the Isle of Pines win
be cut off as transfer depot for cattle |
and food supplies coming from Jamaica
and Central America. BY closing San |
Juan harbor the Spaniards will lose the
last chance of smuggling war supplies |
to Cuba, and the future operations of |
the Island of Porto Rico will be ma
terially advanced by the establishment |
Of successful blockade.
The Cadiz fleet. under Admiral Ca
mara, is known to be lying at Port Said
under pretext Of repairing one of the |
torpedo boat destroyers. The delay on
the part of the Spanish feet has net
stopped the preparations for the send:
ing of the eastern squadron, un6c cr
Commodore Watson. to the Spanish
shores. The commodore is Fastening
with all speed southwark on the New
ark to Join and confer with Sampson
off Santiago
1t has been known to our government
For some time. past that the Spanish
government was trying to obtain pos
session of the splendid modern armored
cruiser OHiggins. Our agents, how
ever, have been watching these nego-
iations carefully, and our government
,ss been finally satisfied that they have
allied