Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-07-06

Fight 1t Out--situation Changed by
Cervere'9 sortie.
WASHINGTON, July Ga me sage re-
ceiyed from General Shafter indicates
that the situation of the people of San
tiago is terrible. They are not only
panicstricken over the fear of lombard
ment, but they are suffering from lack
of the actual necessaries of life. In one
of his cablegrams General Shafter says:
"The town (Santiago) is in terrible
condition as to food. The people are
starving. Rice is practically the only
staple article of food they have"
Speaking of the troops under his
command General Shafter says:
"The men are in good spirits and re-
markably we'll.
In the course of another dispatch Gen
eral Shafter, referring to the condition
of those injured, says: "All the wound
ed are doing singularly WELL only one
death having occurred since the bat
tle."
General statement of the situation in
Santiago is borne out by the condition
of the men captured by the American
fleet from the vessels of Cerveras
squadron They had been on half ra-
tons SO long that many of them were
nearly famished, and,sif they had not
been taught that capture by the Ameri-
cans meant death, they would have
welcomed it, because it insured them
good food and plenty of it.
1t is learned authoritatively that ire
mendous pressure is being brought to
bear upon the Spanish commander Of
Santiago by the foreign consuls resident
in the city to induce him in the inter-
ests of humanity to surrender to the in
evitable. The consuls have eommuni-
Gated with their home governments,
and it is believed here that representa-
tons will be made by them to Spain to
induce her to permit the city to sur
render, thereby preventing further loss
of life and property.
What the result of these negotiations
may be cannot be foretold. The opinion
expressed by war officials is that the
Spaniards will fight to the last and ca
pitulate only when they are forced to
do so.
WASHINGTON, July 6.-As result of
the cabinet meeting yesterday instruc-
tions were sent by the president to Ad-
miral Sampson and General Shafter to
confer together concerning joint plan
of attack upon the city. Upon the out
come of this conference depends the
line of action for the immediate future.
For the present the land bombardment
by General Skaters forces has been de-
ferred, as the situation has so COM
pletely changed by the humiliation OF
the Spanish fleet that it is manifestly
the part Of wisdom for this land bonn
bardment to await the cooperation and
support of a bombardment from Adj
miral Sampson S fleet. General Shaft
er's demand for the surrender of Santi-
ago, on the pain of bombardment, was
made about $50 o'clock Sunday morn
ing.
An hour later Admiral Cervera made
his suicidal dash from the harbor, re-
sulting in a complete transformation Of
the naval and military conditions. In
stead of menacing Spanish fleet with
in the harbor the way has been cleared
save for the shore batteries for the en-
trance of the American fleet up to the
very wharves of the city. With this
material change wrought it was obvi-
GUS TO the authorities here that the
blow, first intended to be delivered by
General Shatter alone, would be doubly
effective and decisive if the two forces
could be brought together and strike
simultaneously from land and sea- 1t
is for this reason that the conference is
held between the American general and
the American admiral. Up to the close
of office hours today no word had come
either to the war or navy department.
so far as was disclosed as to what de-
termination had been reached at the
conference.
At the same time it is the clear ex-
pectation of the authorities here that
the conference will result in deter
mination by the admiral to take his
fleet through the narrow neck of the
harbor, make his way past the shore
batteries and Notifications and take
position before the city for lombard
ment. There is reason to believe that
the instructions sent to Admiral Samp-
son at least conveyed the desire, if not
the instructions. that he enter the har-
Dor. But it is said that the admiral
and the general continue to be supreme
officials in authority and that being on
the scene, fully alive to all the condi-
tions, their Judgment will be taken as
| final in the course to be adopted.
! The action of the foreign representa-
| tives at Santiago has been an additional
reason for deferring the bombardment.
| 1t was made known late Yesterday that