Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-06-08
NO TROOPS LANDED.
Washington Officials Discredit the
Story of Debarkation in
Southern Cuba.

| lated to the effect that troops had been
landed in force at Santiago. They were
SO confident that the reports were prema-
ture as to warrant the belief that from
| their knowledge of the movements of the
transports at Tampa and Mobile it would
| not be possible for the trcopships to have
arrived by this time on the south coast
of Cuba. The Resolute, reported yester
day as having been at Mole st. Nicholas,
Haytl, for brief space Of time, is not
troopship in the strict sense of the term.
She IS marine transport and has on
| board 800 marines taken to Key West on
the Panther. After lying in the harbor
| for several weeks suffering from close con-
| finement on board ship, the men were
| landed and went into camp near Tampa,
| where they were thoroughly drilled. The
| Resolute picked them up about week
ago and started for Admiral Simpsons
| feet.
The marines were not to be used as was
| at first supposed, on board the lighting
| ships of the fleet, but were intended to
| constitute a landing force to support the
| feet in an attack upon any fortified point
| which it was decided to capture and Occu-
by. Now that the plan OF campaign
| against Santiago is understood to contem-
plate operation between the fleet under
| Sampson and United States troops under
| Gen. Shafter, it is believed that to pre-
vent confusion among forces on shore the
marine detachment, commanded by Lieut.
| Col. Huntington, will be placed under the
orders of Gen. Shafter TO act as part Of
| the regular army for the time being.
The cable-cutting ship sent down by
| the signal corps to Santiago to cut the
ables connecting Cuba with the outside
have not vet completed that work, for
Gen. Greedy, who is directly in charge of
it. had notice yesterday that the cable
from Guantanamo to Hayti was still in
operation. This particular cable was re-
ported in the press dispatches to have
been cut but it is probable a mistake was
made and one of the local cables run
ming along the coast of Cuba was cut
under the impression that it was the
main line. 1t is believed, however, that
this last link that remains to
connect Havana and Madrid will not last
longer than a day or two more: The
cables connecting Key West and Havana
will not be interfered with by our govern
ment inasmuch as the censorship exer-
cised at Key West prevents them being
used in the Spanish interest. The gov
eminent still permits commercial mes
| ges to pass over these ca bles providing
| they do not contain information that
would be of assistance to Spain in con
Quoting the war. 1t is supposed that
under guiSe of a commercial message the
report reached Madrid of the arrival yes
terday at Havana of the ship ArdilIa
With q LOAD OF cattle.
The war department has supplied to the
navy department the list of names pro-
cured from the commandment at Fort Nc
Pherson. Ga of the Spanish prisoners Of
war there The department this morning
sent this list 10 Admiral Sampson and the
admiral himself will enter into communl-
cation with Admiral Cervera respecting
an exchange of prisoners. Cervera will be
allowed to select from the list of persons
whom he is willing to take in exchange
| for Constructor Hobson and the gallant
crew that manned the Merrimac on her
| last run.
Hobson's rank, relatively, is that OF
| lieutenant, junior grade, and he stands at
the head of that grade in his corps. BY
| the ordinary rules of exchange he would
| be about equivalent to a captain in the
army. The highest grade officer among
the Spanish captives at Fort Mcpherson
is first lieutenant, so that in order to
equalize the exchange it may be Heces-
sary for Admiral Sampson to throw in
with the first lieutenant one of the dozen
second HeutenantS among the prisoners.
HobsOn's crew, none being of the COM
missioned grade can be exchanged man
for man for six private soldiers among
the prisoners OF war.
When Sampson and Cervera have ar
ranged these details, the list of prisoners
to be exchanged viii be submitted to the
war department which will direct the
them to Key West to be placed aboard a
naval vessel and sent to Santiago for
transfer. All this will take some time,
so that the officials hardly expect to
complete the exchange in less than two
weeks at the earliest. The commaElant
at Fort Mcpherson reported to the war
department, in answer to an inquiry,
that all the Spanish prisoners were we'll
and able to travel.
Capt. Sigsbee has gone back to New
York to join his ship, the ST. Paul.
While in Washington he spent a good deal
of time before the ma val war board, and it
is supposed that the members of the lat
ter were avaiIfng themselves of the ex-
tensive knowledge of the topography of
Havana harbor and of the character of
the defenses there possessed by Capt.
Sigsbee. The friends of Capt. Sigsbee
are somewhat chagrined over the dscov-
cry that without any intention Of work
ing him an injustice he has been Jumped"
in his standing on the naval list by his
Juniors in consequence of the Presidents
recommendation that the commanders of
the American warships in the battle of
Manila be advanced several numbers
| They are thoroughly confident that this
| substantial injury threatened to be inflict-
/ ed was entirely through inadvertence and
| that the officials will take steps to remedy
| the matter now that their attention is di-
| rected to it. It is possible that the easier
way TO accomplish this would be to include
| Capt SlgSbee himself in the list of officers
to be advanced in recognition Of the spen-
| did manner in which he acquitted himself
| after the blowing up of the Maine
| The war department officials are NOV
| ing heaven and earth to improve cOndi-
| tions at Tampa and vicinity. Cen Miles
| has made some pretty sharp reports to
| the department criticising the conditions
| there and every effort is being made to
improve them. The general represented
among other matters of complaint that
railroad cars were stalled for a distance
! of ten miles from Tampa, making it i'm
possible TO get at the supplies that are
absolutely essential to the embarkation of
| troops for Cuba. The railroad officials,
| however, are doing all they can to assist
the quartermaster' department in clearing
up this confusion and Secretary Alger to-
day said he was confident that matters
would be Strengthened out in a day or two.