The Mena star., 1898-05-25
COAST SIGNAL SERVICE.
A Comprehensive System for Giving Notice of the Approach of
 Hostile Fleet.
GEN. MILES READY TO INVADE CUBA.

One Landing Place East and Another West
 of Havana-The President Confident
 That Admiral Cerveras Fleet Cannot
 Escape and News Is Hourly Expected
 of Capture or Destruction of Squadron.
 WASHINGTON, May 24-After several weeks of work along the entire stretch of the Atlantic and gulf coasts the navy department has completed the most comprehensive and efficient sys- tenn for observing the approach of hostile fleet that has ever been put in- to operation. A new bureau has been created for this purpose, known as the coast signal service, in charge of Capt. Bartlett, who attends to this as we'll as the work of the naval board of in- formation. The system has the serv- ices of 9 300 men stretched along the coast from Bar Harbor, Me, to Gall weston, Tex. These are divided into S4 central stations about 60 to 100 miles apart along the coast The sta tions are in turn connected directly by telegraph with the coast signal office of the navy department, and operators are on duty night and day keeping the navy department in con- stant telegraphic touch with the stretch of Atlantic and gulf coasts.
 Secretary Long projected this plan month ago and $75, ,000 was set aside to establish the points of observation along the coast. After selecting 34 central points from Maine to Texas, rush orders were given to build obser- vation towers. Naval militiamen, with the rank of naval qnartermasters, are now on duty at each of these stations The towers are completed and also the small houses for their living purposes. There are now 233 of these militia men now in the service. The next step was to have the lighthouse service made an adjunct to this coast observation. This was done through the cooperation of the treas ury department and the lighthouse force of 1, 200 men, scattered from Maine to Texas, are assisting the work of ob- Servation. The life-saving service was brought into similar cooperation, so that now LOGO life-savers are added to the observation force. The 34 central stations with the numerous light houses and life saving stations make complete chain of observation points, all connected by telegraph or tele- phone with one another and with the navy department.
 Gen. Miles Ready to Invade Cuba
 WASHINGTON, May 24 Gen Miles is ready to invade Cuba. He wants to 4n1x and land at several different points. As that number cannot be made ready for some little time, the general is willing to send in 10000 as an ad- vance guard, occupy a good healthy position, fortify and hold it as base where the other troops can be landed as fast as they are ready. The general thinks he has been misunderstood by the country. He says he has not been for postponement until fall, but only until the army could get ready. The delays, he admits, have been trying, but he believes the movement can be- gin now The first plan was to land 5000 or 1000 men and hold base while arms and supplies were fur nished the patriots. This, Gen. Miles says, he opposed because he thought the number was insufficient and might be overwhelmed by a force sent out from Havana by Blanco. One of the principal landing places of the troops is east and another is west of Havana. They are about equi-distant from the city. The first expedition may go to the vicinity of Matanzas and occupy the hills which are healthful and can be quickly put in condition for de- fense against any force Blanco might send out. This landing place would be within six or seven hours steaming of Key West Information reached the war department yesterday that the patriots are already crowding to- ward the north coast to meet the American army. Unless the plans fail somewhere next Saturday night will see the regulars and perhaps some volunteers landed in Cuba.
 Confident Cervera's Fleet Cannot Escape.
 WASHINGTON, May 24-Confidence that Cervera's fleet cannot escape is unshaken. The president discussed the situation in the war room with his campaign council. The conclusion reached was that it did not seem pos sible that Admiral Cerveras cruisers could escape. The president and the few who have access to all of the infor- nation the government possesses have waited all day in expectation of news that the fleet had been captured or de stroyed Delay did not cause any wavering n the belief that the fleet