The Meeker herald., 1898-08-06
NEWS FROM MILES.
He Say. That Thing. Are Going on smooth

Washington, July 31.-General Miles,
in command of the Porto Rican expe-
dition. sent the following dispatch 10
Secretary Alger, which was made pub
lie ut the War Department at 10
o'clock tonight:
Ponce. Porto Rico, July 81, 3:35 p. NJ.
Secretary of War; Washington, ID.
c.: Your kilograms received and an
swered by letter.
Volunteers are surrendering them
selves with arms and ammunition.
Four-fiftls of the people are overjoyed
mt the arrival of the army. Two thou
sand from one place volunteered TO
serve with il. They are bringing In
TRANSPORTATION, beef cattle and other
needed supplies.
The custom house has already yield
ed $14.GOp.
AS soon Us all the troops are disem-
barkcd they will be in readiness 10
move.
Please send any national colors that
can be spared, to be given to the diff
ferent municipalities.
1 request that the question of the tar
IN rate to he charged in the parts OF
Porto Rico occupied by our forces be
tion, the previously existing tariff re
manning meanwhile in force.
AS to the government and military
occupation, have already given in-
structions, based upon the instructions
issued by the President in the case Of
the Philippine islands, and similar to
those issued ut Santiago de Cuba.
MILES,
Major General Commanding.
dispatch from Ponce says:
The railroad is in good order, but
much of the rolling stock has been de-
stroyed. Yesterday General Stone
found several engines wrecked. The
machinery had been dismcmbered by
Spanish sympathizcrs at the round
house and hidden. General Stone gave
them two hours 10 get the engines In
TO working order. under penalty of i'm
prsonment and in less than that time
the engines had steam up and were
ready to move.
The Spaniards will probably retire as
Tar back as Albonito, about thirty-iivc
miles on the road to San Juan. where
they are likely to make n stand II they
receive reinforcements. They left here
without artillery. which makes 1t even
more obvious that an attack at this
point was never dreamed of by them.
Not Il gun was mounted. The garri-
son was small and poorly armed. All
the guns with one exception, that
were abandoned in the arsenal when
they beat their hasty retreat Wednes-
day last. We're Rcmingtons and Mau-
scrs. There was not n mine in the
harb0r of Ponce, although two ancient
affairs. covered with barrels, were
found at Puerto de Guanica. These
had been placed there years ago and
resisted every effort to explode them.
II Is evident from the wholesale de-
scrilon on the part of the Spanish vol
untccrs that Captain General Macias
mus depend as the last resort upon the
regulars. These do not number over
5000 in the whole island and every
thing thus far indicates an ensy con
quest.
General Wilson thinks he could take
the Island with his own troops unnided,
and he predicts that II the troops now
expected arrive Porto Rico will he ours
in less than three weeks
General Miles is in constant COM
munlcati0n with all his forces, and is
keeping the artillery steadily in ad-
vance. By tomorrow night he will
have the entire army encamped along
the military road to San Juan. but he
does not say when he will put them in
motion. He is acting throughout
however, with n promptness which in
dicates quick action all along the line
ms soon rs the transports containing
the remaining troops arrive.