The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-22
SAMPSON HUNG BACK
Miles Was Ready and Fumed
at the Delay.
M'KINLEY SPOKE SHARPLY
Must Move or Divulge the
Reason Why Not.

| Washington. July 2L-President MoKin-
| ley today had grown thoroughly aroused
over the delay which had occurred in the
| starting OF General Miles and the expedi-
| Jion under his command for Porto Rico.
| For several days General Miles and his
troops had been aboard their transports
| ar Playa Del Este awaiting the naval
convoy which was to be furnished by Adj
miral Sampson. The troops had been
| sweltering in the crowded ships under the
| broiling heat OF tropical sun, while Cen
eral Miles had been chatting under what
was bombarding the war department with
dispatches urging in the strongest terms
| that the navy be hurried in its prepare
| tons fo- the expedition. Instructions of
| the most positive nature had been cabled
! to Admiral Sampson to supply the nee
essary conveys for General Miles trans
ports but notwithstanding these instruc-
tons Admiral Sampson had proceeded
with his preparations for the expedition
with elaboration that was exasperat-
ing TO officials here. 1t was feared that
If General Wilson's command. which sail
ed yesterday from Charleston, should ar
rive in advance of General Miles and the
naval conveys, serious danger and posi-
bly, disaster might result, as General Will
sons ships were absolutely without pro-
lection. The distance from Charleston to
Porto Rico is over !, 300 miles, while from
Playa Del Este to Porto Rico 1t is abou;
700 miles. The comparative distances
which General Wilson and General Miles
have to travel TO reach the point of rem
devious are rendered the more nearly
equal, however by reason Of the fact that
the former has more than a full days
start.
Fully approaching these facts and real
izing the necessity for prompt action in
getting General Miles and his Cuban ex-
petition started, President Mckinley this
morning issued personal orders through
the secretary of the navy TO Admiral
Sampson that he should proceed imme-
diately 10 Porto Rico with General Miles
The presidents orders were susceptible OF
no misconstruction. They were imperative
to a degree seldom employed except in
cases of extreme emergency. They were
of the sort that would brook no delay in
their execution. Admiral Sampson must
start at once or the pIEident himself
would know the reason why.
While no official information that the
feet had sailed had been received at the
war department up to $50 o'clock this
morning it was believed that General
Miles and his troops under convoy of the
navy had departed from Cuba
Washington. July 2l.-Admiral Sampson |
having been instructed at very early |
hour this morning to furnish a convoy |
for General Miles expedition 10 Porto |
Rico, it was again assumed by the war
department officials that a start would be |
made some time today. Sampson was told |
to send a battleship and a cruiser as a |
convoy, but it was left TO him TO select |
these from among the vessels OF his fleet. |
The navy was disposed to regard 1t as |
unnecessary TO send a special convoy, on |
the ground that the Columbia and the |
Yale were both armed sufficiently TO serve |
as protection for the fleet OF transports,
as according to the information in pos
session of the navy department there
were no Spanish ships anywhere in the
neighborhood of the West Indies that
might be expected to modest the expedi-
ton. However. acting on the presidents
resolve to run no unnecessary risk OF dis
aster to this expedition the decision was
reached last night to send the convoy
requested by the war department. II was
said at the war department that some Of
the soldiers. including Garretson's bri-
gade, had been eighteen days aboard
ship since they embarked at Newport
News, most of the time lying off Santiago
in sight of shore but unable 10 land.
They arrived just before the surrender
of Santiago, and it having been decided
to use them in the Porto Rican expedition
the troops were kept aboard ship TO pre-
vent exposure to yellow fever.
If General Miles got away today. II was
said. he might still reach the base select
ed for operad tons at Porto Rico before
the other sections of his expedition.
though the latter had been moving for a
couple Of days past
News came 70 the department today
from Charleston that General Wilson's
brigade was successfully embarked yes
terday and sailed last evening.