The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-02
I.AWToN'S ADVANCE.
Capture of Caney Was All That Was
Tn+arIa5 Vae+a-Ja-

Capture of Caney Was All That Was
Intended Yesterday.
Copyright. 1898, by the Associated Press.)
General Lawton's Headquarters, Rio
Guiana, Thursday. June 80, 3 p. M
Daylight tomorrow (Friday) will see
a movement of the fifth division, under
| General Lawton, to a new base north
! and east of Santiago. All this morning
/ General Garcia's Cubans have been
moving from their hill camp on the east
and have been passing headquarters al
most at a jog trot.
| Assuming that 1000 men will be de-
ployed on the northeast, the American
advance is now drawing closer around
the doomed city.
General Lawton's men will move at
daybreak.
Three miles east of their present po-
sltion, there rises a narrow ridge in the
Santiago valley. Southwark from here
the troops can look down on Caney,
tiny, picturesque, old and once thirty
ing Spanish town, almost at their feet.
Three miles west, browning a low ridge
that crosses the Santiago valley, are
seen the Spanish barracks and a large
building over which floats the Red
Cross society's flag. This is the Reina
Mercedes hospital, where, according to
all paciflco reports, are now located
Lieutenant Hobson and the heroic
seven.
The valley, three miles wide, would
be a garden spot in time of peace. Now
II is filled with a rank tropical growth,
covering abandoned plantations. The
only sign of a habitation between San
tiago and Caney is Buguro house, once
hospitable country hotel, then used by
the Spanish as Il barricade, but now,
no n odd -.
guard Of Spaniards.
Opposite, on the northern side of the
valley, is a broad plateau. accessible
by a good road. This is the key to
Santiago. Artillery there could COM
mand the city and force the Spaniards
to evacuate or to storm the heights to
capture the battery. The latter course
the Americans consider extremely I'M
likely.
General Lawton and his command
from the ridge will first take Caney.
a slight slIirmish is expected, but moth
ing serious. The captured pacificos all
allege that the Spanish main force
which was here four days ago has now
been Withdrawn into Santiago, in pur-
suance of general plan of concsntra-
ton. Spies report General Linares'
continuous retreat from Baiquiri 10
Santiago. This plan is said to be much
against his own wishes, but to be
forced upon him by his superior officer,
General Toral, commanding Santiago.
1t is evident that the Spanish stand is
to be made inside the strong entrench-
ments about the city. With well armed
men, eager for a final clash, this stand
might well be desperate.
The temper of the Spaniards is hard
to ascertain. Owing to the Cubans'
biased estimate of Spanish ability, they
predict a merely nominal resistance, but
the Americans think otherwise. At
any rate, the Spaniards are eating
horses ard the civilians are gathering
mangroves in a suburban wood, where
some 90 have been charged by the
American patrol. The Spaniards have,
therefore, the spur of hunger. Whe-
Their it has broken their fighting spirit
q few days may tell.
The capture of Caney and possibly
the occupation of the commanding
plateau is now thought to be the limit
of tomorrow's movement. General
Lawton's command carries provisions
sufficient to last until July 4. With the I
present supply train service continuing
without accident he will easily have |
food enough to last to July u. By /
that time, accordirA to one well in /
formed officer, ana perhaps sooner, /
Santiago viii be taken.
This move of the Fifth division will I
turn the Spanish eastern |
flank. General Kent's command will /
be able to move up parallel to its pres 7
ent position, acting as a wall against I
the horde of Spaniards from three /
strong lines south and east. Should a !
serious effort be made to prevent Gen /
eral Lawton's gaining the desired /
plateau. and the Spanish interior forces
thereby weakened, General Kent and
General Wheeler may be thrown for