The Mena star., 1898-06-29
WITH STARTERS MEN
American Army Camped Near Sam
 tiago and a Battle Expected.
spanisrds Strongly Entrenched snd It VIII Be No Easy Task to Disiodge Then More Artillery men Necessary-spsn-
 iards Using Brass Bullets.


 OS THE RIO GUIANA, June 2s.-The advance force of the American army rests on this stream, with the city or Santiago AZ miles westward, in plain sight. The outlook here is threaten ing. Every body believes great bat tie is imminent With the Spanish and American advance posts almost close enough to see the whites or each others eyes a collision may occur at any moment Sunday night the out posts, consisting of two companies of the Seventh infantry, under Maj Coolidge, occupied positions at right angles to the road. guarding tho cross ing 1k miles beyond Sabinalla, where the three regiments of Gen. Lawton's division camped, the First, Fourth and Seventeenth, the Eighth, the Second and Twenty second Massachusetts, with the rough riders, Tenth cavalry and portions of several other regi- ments were strung out behind them toward Juragua- About 800 Cubans under Gen. Gonzales were camped around Gen. Lawton's headquarters, but less than 50 of them did scout duty Sunday night.
 Gen. Wheeler yesterday, with the First, Second and Tenth cavalry and rough riders, with dynamite guns, moved up to where Gen. Lawton's out posts were Sunday night and four bat teries of the Third artillery and four gatling guns, with a special detail un- der Lieut. Parker, were brought up and planted on the brow of hill over looking the basin in which Santiago lies. Not shot was fired from the American side Sunday night, though the front of the American line was not 2,sOO yards from the intrenchments where the Spaniards propose to com bat the advance on Santiago
 Spies report that inside the Spanish intrenchments are four parallel lines of rife pits, shoulder deep, and in front of them are marked ranges and several rows of barbed wire fences. No officers who have surveyed the field over which the advance must be made underestimate the task ahead of the Americans, although our boys still express the most contemptuous | opinion of their adversaries. The general opinion is that more artillery will be necessary before it will be safe to attempt an assault upon the Span ish works, as the fire of the rife pits must necessarily be deadly and suffi- cient to demoralize any force, no mat ter how brilliant in its charges, when halted by wire Instructions Some officers believe it will be necessary to lay regular siege to Santiago and advance with line of earthworks un- til the pits can be shelled with shrap- nel by the light artillery. These pro- cesses have an effective shrapnel range of 2,s00 yards, and the Mauser rifles in the hands of the Spaniards are sight ed to 1 1,ooo yards and they kill 8. 9 9, 60 yards.
 The problem now confronting the army is the transportation of supplies, for the roads to the front are still inn passable for wagons, but are being inn proved. In the meantime the pack train is being used.
 The Cubans with the advance forces, in spite of the good behavior of their | COIuH d0CS dS Oudu tdHdLlOs seem to De utterly worthless. All day they sit in the shade of their palm matched camps, and at night they smoke cigar. cites and gorge on Uncle Sam's rations, while in sight of them Uncle Sam's boys, with empty stomachs, and not bit of tobacco for their pipes, build roads all day under the blazing sun and sleep on their rifles under the starlight sky at night
 The Spaniards are using brass sheathed lead bullets. The brass rips on touching, and tears the flesh hor- ribly, while the small brass splinters cause blood poisoning. They are prac. tically explosive bullets. and are used in the Remingtons. They also cut a small cross through the end of the Mauser bullet so that 1t mushrooms on striking, with a similar result.