The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-11
MOVING CAUTIOUSLY.
The Army Of Invasion IS Ready to Move,
But Waits the lime
WHEN IT CAN. STRIFE "A CRUSHING BLOW
the Spanish Forces in Can DO Gained By Haste
But Much Can bcAccompsled by the Intelligent Direction
of tho is Contemplated BY tho War and Navy
Departments. s
WHEN IT CAN STRIKE "a CRUSHING BLOW

the dispatch OF the first army OF lnva-
ton 10 Cuba one .hlng stands out clear
ly, namely. that che government, feeling
strong In Its present position and plan,
Is moving cautiously and with the del!b-
Grafton which It believes will secure euc-
cess unattended With disasters. with
this main purpose in view, the army and
navy arc cooperating toward the dis
patch Of the troops, come e5,o0O in num-
ber under escort OF strong fleet of
naval convoys made up OF sixteen war
ships headed by the battleship Indiana.
Unattended by this strong fleet, the
troops might have left last Friday when
ons strong naval convoy was ready for
this servica. Since then, however, re-
ports have come as 70 the presence Of
Spanish ships IN thenorth Atlantic.
Making IIn,se slowly. &
Realizing that nothing was to be gain
ed by haste and that the war was pro-
sTess!ns steadily townrd success, It was
determined not to take, the one small
chance Of having our troop transports
ntaaced by some scouting ship Of the
enemy. Az a result, the troops trans
ports haveuot proceeded to Cuba, either
yesterday or the day before. as has been
repeatedly asserted. They ore in readi-
ness to 60, but will not move until the
naval convoy IS ready to accompany
them assrrsas safe conduct from Flori-
da to the point Of destination. Whether
that Will boso-day or Tomorrow the war
department. positively declines to say
and there Is authority for the statement
that any report purporting to give the
hour or day when this formidable fiotilla
Of invasion will start Is not only un-
warranted but meets with the most Wig
o7ous official condemnation. The ad-
n!n!strataon feels that the time has
come when It is of the utmost import
ance that the precise. movements OF this
invading feet should not be Tpublished;
IN this country and thus heralded to, the
enemy. z. - &. !
The Transport Fleet. 5 4
Tho completeness with which the
transport Of troops has been planned Is
shown In the official list OF transport
vessels given out at the war department
to-day. OF this list thirty-four large
steamships, varying from 4,1oo tons
doun to 600 tons. ore at Florida ports
ready to carry our Troops to the poln. OF
!rcaston. There are some fifteen other
craft, .nculdtns vessels suitable for con-
veytng freeh water, stores, etc., and for
i!shtering the troops and stores from the
ships to the beach when the .debarkation
begins. The entire transport fleet uf
about fifty steamships, augmented by
the fleet Of naval conveys, sixteen In
number, will make 4 formidable marine
procession, exceeding in magnitude the
notable spectacle OF the naval review
during the worlds fair year. The first
official confirmation OF the engagement
at Guantanomo last Tuesday came to
the navy department to-day and was
made the subject Of a bulletin. The
terms in which Admiral Sampson de-
scribed the affair tended strongly to
take away the large importance that
had been givenit IN the unofficial dis
patches. There was a notable failure on
the part OF the admiral to mention any,
thing like @ landing, although the state
ment that the Marblehead now holds the
lower by implication may carry With It
the idea that the marines are ashore.
.- The Selected Landing plnpr.
Elderly naval officials who have been
In Guantanamo Bay describe It as ad-.
m1rably suited to the reception Of trans
ports, with plenty OF water for the big
gest OF the transports. and enough for
the smaller class OF warships that might
be used ~ convoy them. The locality Is
one that would make good base OF
Operations against Santiago itself,
should It be decided to attack the latter
town by troops from the rear Instead OF
oy the warships. L s'
The statement coming from San Fran
cisco to the effect that the real object OF
ee Charleston's voyage was the seizure
Of the Spanish Ladrone islands, has
Email baais OF truth In 1t. When It was
.dectded 10 send the monitors Monterey
aad Monadnock clear across the Pacl!ic
from Mare Island to Manila Il was well
known that th!s could be done without
sending along more GOLFERS because
or the insufficient coal sup
iy OF the mentors. 1t WINS not deemed
practicable to tow the big ironclads
The 1000 miles OF the voyage that would
nave TO be traversed by them without
coal. 70 It became necessary 10 find
places IN the Pacific where they could
iiep!en!sh their bunkers, A gtudgg of
lhe charts showed that there were sew
sFai groups OF Islahds lying between
HAWAI-! md the Philippines which might
ahord n harbor in which the colliers
could lay alongside the monitors and
III up their coal. bunsers. The officials
20 not deem It prudent to name the
particular islands chosen for the pur-
pose. hut Is obvious that being barred
ny neutrality iaws for the possession.
0! neutral Countries, the frat recourse
ot the navy department. would be to
rome OF the Spanish Islands, such rs
sne Ladrones or the Carol!nes There
.ote. II Is assumed that II the Charles-
'oh really gocsS 70 one OF the former
MiandA. 1t would be With the purpose
Sl securing IN advance n suitable har-
por FOR the use Of the monitors.
Hero Is Sacrifice. lttstss'
very substantial evidence OF self
.eflllcn for the sake OF their country
u Afforded by tho taking up OF a mill
ssafy nurses duties bY the daughter OF
secretary INn6. Misr, Margaret Long,
WA WA some or hnr chums ut tho Johns
Hopkins Medical School, OF Baltimore.
me Young ladies' who 10. with Miss
Lt"hE arc Dorothy Reid, Mabel Austin,
laughter OF, s1t Governor "A Austin. sof.
ss.ihi'esota, and s1abel 81 slmls. H They
a1'' already reported 70 the naval hos,