The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-08
Linares is Weakening.

Copyright, 1898. by Associated Press)
Major General Skaters Headquar-
ters, before Santiago de Cuba, via
Kingston, Jamaica, July s.-The armis-
tice has been extended until noon on
Saturday in order to allow Gen. Linares
to communicate with Captain General
BIanco and with Madrid.
Gen Linares informed Gen. Shafter
that he had no telegraph operator and
one was sent into the city accom-
panied by the British consul, Ramsden.
under the British flag Not a shot had
been fired recently on either side but
work is being pushed on the batteries
and entertainments. Our position has
been greatly strengthened during the
last forty-eight hours, the American
lines advancing to within 400 yards of
the enemy and our hillside batteries
overlook and command the city Gen.
Lawton's division advanced 500 yards
to the great surprise Of the enemy.
The dynamite gun of Col. Woods
. rough riders in charge of Sergeant
HalIett A1sop Borrowe, has been beau
tifully placed. hidden in a snug pit
The streams have been bridged over
allowing the transportation of heavy
artillery with facility and the roads
have been greatly improved. The gen
eraT health of the soldiers is good. The
armistice is affording a long needed
rest for our men and they are now in
good shape to resume fighting
Gen. Linares is evidently weakening
and the mediation Of the bishop of San
tiago and the consul corps may per
suade him to surrender.
In case hOstilities are resumed the
plan of assault is for Rear Admiral
70
mouth of the harbor, driving the men
away from the guns and then land a
thousand men and occupy the forts
while launches with graphing irons go
in and cOuntermine the harbor. The
feet will then enter and lombard the
city, supporting the land assault
Gen. Garcia, the insurgent comman-
der, received orders yesterday not to at
tack the Spaniards while the negotia-
tions are on foot. The Spanish cruisers
are still filed with charred bodies and
the buzzards are devouring the re-
mains. The Cubans, by Rear Admiral
SIMPSONS orders have buried the bod
les of over one hundred Spaniards
which were washed ashore.
lndiana's Narrow Escape.
The dropping of a six inch shell, from
on high through the deck of the Indi-
ana three OdyS ago, during the trying g
engagement with the forts when the
Mercedes was sunk strikingIy verified
the predictions of naval experts as to
the dangerous effects of elevated fre
upon warships at close range. It was
more by good luck than by good man
agement that the Indiana escaped de-
structlon, or an awful loss of life from
this one she'll
The president is determined that the
navy shall not be sacrificed for a small
stake such as Santiago. To the cabinet
officers he has pointed out the extreme
" dangerous position that the United
States would occupy among nations if
left exposed by the loss of its navy
the arm of the service which has evoLz-
ed the unwilling admiration and resDect
Of the greatest powers of Europe. With
out a navy, or at least without the
steel bull dogs that make up its back
bone now lying before Santiago. it
might be concluded that we should no
longer be as safe as we feel ourselves
to be at present from the arbitrary in
terference of European powers in the
settlement of our difficulties with1Spain.
The function of the navy in tonor-
rows attack will be to help the army in