The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-08

N onore, standing on the government re-
servation for the purpose of hospital,
but it is said to be the present plan to
substitute a number of large tents, which
when properly pitched and placed ARE said
TO be hygienlcally better than enclosed
structures for the treatment Of wounds
at this season of the year.
Meanwhile all is being done near San
tiago that conditions viii permit to ale
viate the suffering at Santiago. This af-
ternoon came telegram from Gen. Shat
ter to the war department. as follows:
Gin the name of the sick and wounded
men under my command, thank MIR, J.
W. Mackay for the ice sent US.
Much of the difficulty experienced in
supplying tho troops on the battlefields
still lies in the transportation depart
ment. Gen. Shafter has reported that in
spite of his appeals he has received As yet
only one lighter, the Laura, and this able
under the best conditions to carry ashore
supplies for only one day from the trans
ports lying far out at sea. What might
happen in the event Of bad weather can
be conjectured
Orders were given during the day to
start the Philadelphia for Hawaii, carry
ing Admiral Miller with notice of the
action of the United States government
on the annexation questions and direc-
ton to Minister Sewall to take formal
possession of the islands in the name of
the United States, The Hawaiian lega.
tion here has taken steps to get the earli-
est news to Honolulu through kilograms
to the Hawaiian consul at San Francisco,
u ,41l, Alo,,a hal 10
day.
Gen. Miles, accompanied by the entire
staff of army headquarters, left at .43
tonight for Charleston. S. c., where the
party will embark for Santiago.
The party consists of Gen.. Miles, Gen.
j. G. Gilmore, Adjutant General of staff !;
Gen. Keystone B5Col. G. R. Greenleaf,
surgeon; Lieut.. Coils. j, W. Clews, M.
G. Maus and A. S. Rowan; Major John
d. Back and Capt. H. W. Whitney,
Lieut. Col. Michler and large staff OF
headquarter clerks, who have been in
Tampa, will come north to Charleston
on the first steamer after the general and
his staff arrive. Il is expected that the
party will be at Santiago the early part
of tn next week.
On the eve of his departure Gen. Miles
expressed satisfaction in starting to join
the troops. He spoke of the sacrifices and
hardships they had passed through recent
ly and those yet to come. The climate
has operated severely against the general
officers and Gen, Miles feels that he, too,
is not entirely invulnerable in a country
OF heat, swamps and disease. But he has
a strong physique, his muscles are as
hard as iron and he goes expecting to
stand good deal of knockabout service.
Gen. Miles himself has no other purpose
in going to Santiago than to look over
the military situation and to strengthen
the hand of Shafter. There is no inten-
ton on his part to take in any manner
from the glory of Shafter has won Or
may win in this campaign. He will not
relieve Shafter of his command unless the
latter's physical condition demands such
action. The war department admitted
for the first time today that two expe-
ditions, one on the Florida and another
on the Fanita had successfully proceeded
from Florida ports to points in Central
and Western Cuba, where large quantitie
of arms and supplies were landed from
Gen. Gomez's command. This is the
fist time that arms have got to Gomez
and his men in the western section.