The times., 1898-06-08


Messages.
The main body of the American army
of invasion is embarking at Tampa for
Cuba. Its destination is Santiago. a
large number of the troops were ordered
aboard their transports last night. and
the remainder will be aaoat by tonight
Immediately after the Cabinet meeting
yesterday Secretary Alger was quoted as
saying: The troops win leave Tampa
tonight and there will be no more delay"
The Secretary said that the delay which
has occurred was due to the difficulty in
embarking siege guns and other heavy
war material His statement to this ef-
feet is construed as practically an admis-
sion that heavy field armament has all
ready been landed at points in close prox-
unity TO Santiago, thus leaving the way
clear for the landing of troops.
1t is understood that the number of
men to be sent is 250OO. AS soon as the
transports are fully loaded they win pro-
ceed TO Key West, where they will join
the transports which left Manila several
sail along the northeast coast of Cuba en-
route for Santiago
The Administration had hoped to get
the whole army away from Tampa by this
time. Instructions were sent to the gen.
erals commanding at Tampa directing
them to embark their commands and pro-
/ ceed to Santiago. the objective point Of the
/ present campaign. with all possible haste.
To the surprise of the War Department,
I a telegram was received from Gen. Shat
/ ter Monday evening saying that the army
was not ready to move. He stated, as the
/ cause of the delay. that the railroad
/ tracks at Tampa were blocked for fifteen
/ miles with loaded freight cars. The army
was in need of supplies in many of these
/ cars for use on the expedition In the
hurry which characterized the rushing of
! trains from every part of the country
TO Tampa. the overtaxed officers of the
railroads found it utterly impossible to
unload their shipments and deliver them
| on time. Invoices and way bills were eth
er lost or slow in reaching points of des-
/ tinatlon. As result the military authori-
! ties found themselves in a hampered con-
! billbl " men llidI LiGItIlIlS OlQGiS were
telegraphed TO them on Monday.
Gen. Miles saw the condition of things
at Tampa, and tried to remedy the evil.
He was working against odds and time
and was unable to finish his task. When
/ Gen. Gorbin sent telegraphic instructions
for the onward movement to begin in
earnest Gen. Miles Immediately replied
| by wire, giving the exact status of af-
fairs as they existed at that time. He
/ attributed the delay of the troops, il is
stated to the blocking of the trains. The
| troops themselves were ready but the
ammunition and commissary and other
stores which We're absolutely essential
| TO the success of the undertaking were
| sealed and inaccessible.
The War Department was not slow in
sending a reply South. The Secretary OF
| War wired to Gen. Shafter that he saw
no reason why the 25,000 able-bodied mer
( at Tampa could not get the food and
supplies in the cars, if it was absolutely
necessary that they should have them
Adjt. Gen. Corbin in accordance with in.
structions issued an order directing thai
the ships should be loaded with the nee.
essary military stores at once and the
troops embarked.
kilograms Were received from Gen
Shafter yesterday informing the Secreta.
ry of War that he thought they would
be ready for embarkation by evening H,
stated that the transports would proba.
bly, sail today. The message sent by tht
Secretary of War appears to have hat
the desired effect and it is reliably stated
they were very pointed
Before the week has passed all these
troops, with those which have already
sailed, should be at Santiago. 1t should
be history making week, and the fight
ing should be fast and furious at the
start Everyone at the War Department
expects lively news at almost any time
and the sudden calm which has been
everywhere apparent in the work of the
various bureaus since Sunday certainly
presages a storm of events before long
The impression at the War Department
is that the time of words will be SUD.
plemented by actions of a decisive char.
acter.
The work of the organization and sup
ply bureaus has practically been com.
pleted. and viii be followed by work il
the field and fighting at the front.
The plan decided upon is Santiago first
then Porto Rico. Santiago is expected tC
fall within week. San Juan should bs
taken within three weeks.
1T may be positively stated that the
San Juan expedition will leave within
ten days." are the words used by a well
informed Army officer in conversation
Win llnes reporter iast night. Ht
spoke with authority and there is every
reason to credit his words, The inten
ton of the War Department is to con
centrate the best volunteer organiza ton.
now at Chicamauga at Tampa. They viii
prepare themselves at that place for EN-
barkation, and as soon as the trans
ports which sail with the Santiago expe
dition return they will be loaded for th'
Port Rican expedition.
The greater portion Of the 10000 i'm
munes now being organized will be sen
to Port Rico. The Fourth Volunteer In
fantry, organized by Col. Petit, under
the immune act,'' in Maryland, Virgini;
and the District of Columbia, will GER
tainly go to that island. The statemen
to this effect was made to a Times re
l porter last night.