The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-06-29
CHEERING REPORTS
Come From General Shafter Of the
esS March on Santiago.
HE Is MAKING HASTE SLOWLY.

Meantime the Presidents Proclamn-
ton 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 wal depart
ment from General Shafter, but the
news was regarded as so good that
there was no disposition to complain.
II disclosed a very satisfactory rate Of
progress on the part of General Shat
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 slirmish of Fri
day last. AS near as can be gathered
from the brief dispatch the American
army is 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 Shat
ter is thus free to move in either di-
rection according to the demands of
the campaign.
with the 1900 men who reinforced
HIM on Monday on the Yale and the
additional Brigade that will reach him
before tomorrow night on the Harvard,
it ma 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 Shat
ter and hi base at Baiquiri. Meanwhile
fultfer endorsements are being pre-
pared and dispatched as rapidly as the
best energies of the department can
direct. and II is believed several thou
sand men sailed from Tampa yesterday
directly foa Santiago.
The depG tment has had in mind the
difficulties Ct the campaign that are
just developing to the public eye, such
as the use for the first time in civilized
warfare of barbed wire fencing as a
means of defense, and acting upon the
advice OF our army officers who were
in Cuba when the fighting was CON
fined to the Spauiards and the insur-
gents, a certain number of mon in
ach regiment have been provided with
wire cutters n charged with the duty
of cutting down these fences so as to
~ ~ hAAcN "a IAlC NiObD5s L
will probably be necessary to shell out
the force defending these wire chevaux
de friese before they can be cut, and
this will involve a larger use Of field
artillery han would be required In or
binary warfare. The officials here have
provided for the use of barbed wire by
u W forces, having sent about $50
tons OF this wire with General Merritt's
expedition.
The lines are being frightened about
Cuba, and 1t 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, 1t is be-
lieVed, will accomplish this result. On
the south coast the Isle of Pines will
be cut off as a transfer depot for cattle
and food supplies coming from Jamaica
and Central America. By closing San
Juan harbor the Spaniards win 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 a successful blockade.
The Cadiz fleet, under Admiral Ca
mara 10 AllO"H 10 We lying at HOrt SAID
under preteXt of repairing one Of the
torpedo boat destroyers. The delay on
the part of the Spanish fleet has not
stopped the preparations for the send
ing of the eastern squadron. under
Commodore Watson. to the Spanish
shores. The commodore is fastening
with all speed southwark on the New
ark to join n 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 O'Higgins. Our agents, how
ever, have been watching these nego-
tiations carefully, n our government
has been finally satisfied hat they have
failed.