The San Francisco call., 1898-07-12

iards have crossed the bay and are now retreating to the westward, caused great apprehension in the American ranks. Our troops fear that when they capture Santiago they will not take the Spanish army, too, and they are keenly disappointed over the prospect of find ing only an abandoned and pillaged city.
 At the same time the belief is gen. eral that the evacuation of the city and escape of the Spanish army would be the most natural tactics for General Toral to adopt. It has been evident Tor several days that the Spanish com mander realized the hopelessness of his position, and the contention of many IS that he could make no shre"der move than to cover the retreat of his army by prolonged negotiations for the city s surrender General Shafter sent word to Commodore Schley, who was tempo rarfly in command of the American fleet. to lombard Santiago from CIT Aguadores to-day. Admiral Sampson had gone to Guantanamo, ana Commo- dore Schley. with the Brooklya, Massa- chusetts and Indiana, took position off AguadOres.
 These three vessels fired Unity shots into the Spanish defenses and dld some damage in the city. Commodore Scnley used the big guns of the fleet in this work. The American gunners reaolly found the range and their effective work was a splendid sight to witness
 While the fleet bombarded the city Commodore Schley signaled to General k11 chn the work. The answer signaled back was to wait until tomorrow.
 The American commander has notl- fled General Toral that the city will be destroyed tomorrow, when the meet will renew its bombardment. All or the American endorsements now are at the front, as is all of the artillery.
 It was 4:45 o'clock this afternoon when the land forces made feint on the city. Kinds battery from it's po- sition at the extreme right of the American line sent the first shell into the Spanish intrenchments. This was the signal for other batteries, and lm- mediately thin smoke swept along the rifle pits and across the ravine. Ca prons battery on the right with
  chimed in. For some time the Spanish batteries made no reply to our hre. Presently one battery on the extreme right of the enemy's position began to throw shrapnel in the direction of Hinds' and CaT~on's batteries, but most of their shells went too high.
 This fire made a pretty sight for half an hour, but the men in our trenches kept up steady and accurate fire, to which the Spaniafds finally replied but feebly They leemed to keep close within their intrenchments, and their volleys came only at irregular intervals and from various positions. One of the Spanish batteries quickly was silenced by a shell from Sergeant Barrowe's s dynamite gun. This shell sped with deadly accuracy to a point where one of the enemy's batteries was located The range had been obtained from a study of the enemy's firing, which ap- peared to be leavy at that particular point. Our men only can conjecture as to the damage this shell did, but the battery fired no more afterward.
 After our land firing had been under way for an hour the reply of the enemy was so feeble that the order was given to cease firing. It was dusk by this time. Supper was served and soon afterward hundreds of camp fires flashed along the ridge Our men chatted about the fight and made them selves as comfortable as possible. Our loss in the afternoons fighting had been insignificant and all the American troops were in good spirits.
 General Shafter was at the front dur- Ing the nr1ng. AS the fighting pro- gressed the American commander. with Generals Wheeler, Kent and Summer was puzzled by the feeble reply of the Spaniards. They had expected that the enemy would return a hot fire and their failure to do so seemed to confirm the growing belief of the American of- ficers that General Toral had with drawn his troops from the city. Dur ing the early hours to-day the army lay impatient in the trenches waitine for word from Washington to renew the attack. Our troops were holding themselves In readiness to spring for ward the moment the signal might be given. The day had dragged along slowly, for the troops were impatient to attack None of the soldiers had wanted General Torals proposition fol conditional surrender accepted They did not want the Spanish troops te have an opportunity to peacefully evac. uate the beleaguered city. While the Spaniards left white flags floating over their entrenchments, the stars an6 stripes were raised over the American line as soon as the armistice ended.
 It is expected by tomorrow six bat. teries, with thirty-six guns, will be 1T position to sweep the Spanish lines, al though General Shafter can get along without them when our troops oper fire from the ridge of San Juan hill From that point the Spanish position can be swept with artillery and infan. try fire, and it will be impossible tc withstand it. I am told by soldier. and line officers that whole regiments