Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-07

Washington, July 6.-Deep con-
Germ is felt here at the deprivations
and sufferings of our troops lying
in trenches and in field hospitals
surrounding Santiago, and there is
everywhere a disposition to insist
that hereafter haste shall be made
slowly and that the equipment of
our soldiers their commissary and
Quartermasters supplies, their am
munition and their hospital stores
shall be complete in every respect
before they advance further. This
is likely to be the rule even at the
expense of time and in the face of
the criticism of an element that has
been vehemently insisting upon
rushing the campaign without re-
gard to cost in blood and money.
Confidence is felt that there will
be no friction between the army
and navy commanders upon joint
plan for the prosecution Of the
campaign. In the event that this
belief should be not we'll founded,
the President is prepared to act
himself and give orders first hand.
There is much of force in the naval
argument that if Sampson is oblig-
ed to enter Santiago harbor before
the forts are captured he will jeop-
ardiZe the safety of the whole of
the ironclad fleet under his COM
mand, since by the sinking of one
of these ships in the narrow chan
mel, through Spanish mine or shell,
the fleet would be left helpless and
exposed to destruction under
the guns Of the forts to which they
could make no reply owing to the
elevation of the latter On the 9TH
er hand, the army officers seem to
be justified in avoiding the tremen-
dous sacrifices of life that would be
involved in again throwing our
soldiers upon the Spanish defenses
until they have been materially re-
inforced in numbers and strength
ened by artillery.
The fact that several of the YES
sells selected for Watson's feet were
in the thick of the engagement of
July Sd, promiss to delay somewhat
the departure of the eastern squad
ron for the shores of Spain. The
vessels have consumed a good deal
of coal and without doubt have ex-
pended a large quantity of their
highest grade of ammunition in the
furious attack ON the steel war
ships of the Spaniards. 1t will be
necessary to replenish these stores
before the long European voyage
is begun. However, Secretary Long
has given rush orders for the pre-
paration of this squadron, and it
certainly will be off in the course
of a few days. The movements of
the Cadiz fleet are very puzzling to
our experts here. Weakened as it
is by the sending back of the tor
edo boat destrOyers, the Spanish
squadron bound for the Philippines
seems destined to go to as sure de-
struction as did Cervera's unlucky
ships when they headed westward
from the Cape Verde Islands. The
Spaniards are without doubt fully
aware of the inferiority of their
fleet and why they persist in send
ing it to be sunk in the Philippines
is a mystery. The Navy Depart
ment was advised to-day that the
squadron was passing through the
Suez canal and as the vessels must
have paid the heavy toll required
in advance, the indications are now
regarded as conclusive that the
ships are actually bound for the
Philippines. This belief stimulates
the preparations here for Watson's
sailing. He will strike straight af-
ter Camara, who in the end is
doomed to be caught between Wat
son and Dewey.
The report that the fine ship
Yankee, lying at Tompkinsville,
just from Cuba, has yellow fever
aboard, caused a good deal of
worry at the department, until
Captain Brownson telegraphed dur
ing the day that there was abso-
lutely no fever on the ship and that
she was not in quarantine.
Secretary Long regarded the re-
port that the Alphonso XIII. had
been destroyed while trying to run
the Havana blockade, as the best
news of the day. 1t had not como
to him In any direct official way.
but through az report from Gen.
Greedy, chief signal officer, who
had received a cipher message
stating briefly that the Spanish ship
had been overhauled near Mariel
while trying to get through the
blockade, and was a total loss as
a result of the fire upon her. Both
the Secretary and Gen. Greedy re-
gard the report as authentic, but
there was a desire to get more de-
tails, as this had been something
of a spectral ship.
The Alfonso XIII. Is an iron
gunboat with one screw, one fun
mel and one military mast; barque
rugged, $50 feet long, 43 feet beam
and Is feet draught. She has a
displacement of 5000 tons. She
had a speed of II knots for short
distances, and an average speed of
IA knots. She carried Is large
guns, five machine guns and five
torpedo tubes. Her officers and
crew numbered $40.
Secretary Long is quite hopeful
that several of the Spanish ships
of the Cervera squadron can be
saved in part at least, and possibly
as a whole Assistant Secretary
Allen shares in this belief, and
thinks that the Cristobal Colon can
no oct off the rocks as an entirety