The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-02
GEN MILES At TAMPA
He Arrived With his Staff
Yesterday,
SITUATION CANVASSED
HE CONFERRED WITH GEMS
SHAFTER AND WHEELER.
The RAINY SEASON HAS FAIRLY BEGUN
A Terrific thunderstorm Experienced Caused
Soldiers Little Discomfort'-Dust and
Heat Have been TerrbIe-'Colv
DorSt Returns to Key West.
Dorst Returns to Key West.

Tampa, Fla. June l.-Major General
Nelson \. Miles, commander-in-chief OF
the United States army is now in Tampa.
The general with staff aud large office
force arrived here to-day over the Flori-
da and Peninsula railway. He will
establish his headquarters At Tampa
Bay Hotel, Mrs. Miles and Miss Miles
was also in the party. General Miles
was apparently thoroughly tired out by
his Journey and remained in the MOTEL
all day conyersing over the situation
with Generals Shafter and Wheeler and
renewing old acquaintance among the
veterans with him in the front.
The rainy season on the Florida coast
may now be said to have fairly com
mcnced. A terrific thunderstorm was
experienced here to-day. The rainfall foI
I'M hour was simply enormous, but tire
ground, dried into powder by Il drought
that has lasted for eight months, readily
absorbed most of it and but little dis
comfort was caused among the camps of
soldiers. 4 few tents were blown down
by the occasional squalls and some live
ly scrambling among the unfortunate oc-
cupants Of these tents resulted but no
material damage was done.
The dust and heat of the past two
weeks have been almost unbearable and
in consequence drilling hours in many
eases have been shortened, it being sim
ply impossible for even the regular
troops. hardened as they are, to stand 1t.
Lieutenant J. ID. Miley. Of General
Skaters staff, has returned. His trip
extended over several days.
Brgadier General ii. w. Lawton has
reported here to General Shafter.
An official notice of the complete sue
cess Of the expedition in command of
Lieutenant Colonel J. II. Dorst, which
sailed from this port on the steamer
Florida two weeks ago carrying arms
and ammunition, commissary supplies,
horses and mules for the insurgent army
under General Garcia, besides one of the
largest and best equipped bodies of men
that has yet volunteered for service in
the cause of Cuba, was posted on the
bulletin board at army headquarters to-
day. 1t reads as follows
"Co. DorSt returned to Key West
yesterday after landing Il successful ex-
petition ON the northeast coast Of Cuba.
He landed at Point Bans directly north
across from Santiago de Cuba He took
with him from Tampa over 400 Cubans
fully armed and equipped and to some
extent drilled, and landed these, together
with over a million rounds Of ammuni-
tion, between 1000 and 5000 Springfield
rifles and steamer load of munitions
of war, including horses and mules.
This makes the third successful expe
dition in landing of munitions Of war and
armed CubanS on the coast of Cuba.
Col. Dorst was the first to land Ameri-
can troops on Cuban soil and to raise
the American flag on those shores. He
was also the first to whip body of
Spanish troops.
1t is singular that while at almost the
time Commodore Schley was closing the
Spanish fleet in the port of Santiago de
Cuba. Col. Dorst was and had been for
two days unloading munitions of war in
Il port directly north and within sixty
miles of it.