The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-01
Everybody Except Gen. Shafter Is
Fretting For a Rush at the
Spanish Defenses.
BIG GUNS MUST COME
Before He Will Permit an Advance-FearIui anu
Wonderful Spanish Intrenchments
Guard the Town.

The earthworks, in irregular lines, COM
pletely shut off approach to the city. Tine
end of one trench laps over upon the end
Of another when there is a break in the
lines. Then come four lines OF rife pits.
The barbed wire fences or trochas, or
whatever they may be called, stretch in
front of the entertainments, and in places
there are also lines of wire protecting the
rifle pits.
There are at least thirty-five distinct In
trenchments, but in few of them is there
much show of artillery. The San Luis bat
terry, however. commands great part Of
eIegl lpqa 6ps suBqnO ep puv pLsU Gun
the SpaniardS have concentrated their
best guns. Already. however, our engin-
GERS have noted an eminence. apparently
not well defended, which commands this
battery. Probably General Shafter will
move those siege guns of his in the di-
rection Of that hill.
Now we already have at the front four
batteries of the Third artillery, four gat-
lings, and the dynamite gun of the Rough
Riders. The guns of the light artillery
will throw sharpnel with deadly effect
about $500 or 5000 yards. We are that
close to the enemy right now, but no ef-
fort has been made to test the range.
The Mausers Of the Spaniards will occa-
sionally xii up to 200 yards. and they
are sighted for 1900. But men who know
what shooting is at 300 to 500 yards, will
know that most of the Spanish lead would
be wasted at any greater range.
Those siege guns, however have theo-
retical range Of about six miles, and It is
to be presumed that at three miles they
can tear things. So once the big cannon
are up and in place we are apt to make
those intrenchments to hot TO hold the
men who are waiting to pot our boys at
the barbed wire.
The Spaniards use a nasty bullet in
their Remingtons.. This is shown by the
conditions Of some of the men wounded
in the gallant fight of La Quasina. There
is a brass sheathing over the lead. This
brass splits, tears the wounds, and mas a
tendency to poison. Then, too, there is
a way of cutting the end of the Mauser
ball so that it will mushroom when it
hits bone, making anugly wound. Some
of the wounds of our men have made the
army very angry, and it is apt to go very
hard with Mr.. Spaniard when the grand
assault is made.
AS to forces, Linares probably has 49,
5000 men in and about Santiago. With the
Cubans General Shafter has about 20
600 men for the attack. Garcia's men
have nearly all been brought over from
west of Santiago. There are perhaps 4,5O0
or $500 of them. two-thirds of whom are
alarmed, but not otherwise we'll equipped.
General Gonzales commands the Cuban
advance line of about 500 men.
These Cubans are not workers. They
don't help much in road building or in
getting up the mules, artilltry and sup
pliese. Their occupation is chiefly cigar
cite smoking. when they are not out on a
scout. But the way they go through the
brush opens 1.-THE eyes of the Americans,
to whom the cacti are almost as hateful
as the enemy. Probably in the real fight
ing the Cubans may give a good account
of themselves. though the ground is a
little open for their pet style of warfare.