Evening star., 1898-06-08
SECY. ALGER SILENT
Refuses to Say Whether Troops Have
Left Tampa.
THERE HAS been TOO MUCH TALKING
No Further Word Received From
Admiral Sampson.
LANDING OF THE MARINES

Secretary Alger this morning positively
declined to say whether the United States
troops had sailed yet from Tampa for
Cuba. He holds that notwithstanding the
bottling UP of the Spanish squadron in
Santiago, there are still good and sufficient
reasons why every precaution should be
adopted to prevent the Spaniards from OBJ
tanning information as to the departure Of
our troops, the point selected for their de-
barkation and the strength of the eXpedi-
tion He was good deal annoyed at the
attempt of some of the newspapers this
morning to indicate the very point selected
for landing the troops and siege guns in
the neighborhood of Santiago. If it were
true that the department had selected
place where there is a strong wharf upon
which the vessels may discharge the heavy
siege train directly, the publication of that
fact, II authenticated, might very naturally
lead the Spaniards to destroy that par
ticular wharf and thus seriously hamper
the operations of the troops.
Careful inquiry at other places in the
War Department where information as to
the movement of the troops might natur-
ally be expected, developed the fact that
no word had yet come of the departure of
the military expedition from Tampa. AS
the troops are under orders to go to sea
just they can be made ready
without further direction from the depart
ment, it is deemed probable that they will
get off some time during the day and that
notice tc that effect will be the next news
received at the department.
Nothing More From Sampson.
No further word from Admiral Sampson
was received at the Navy Department dur
ing the night or this morning. The bulletin
made public by the department last night
in confirmation of the press reports CT the
attack upon Santiago last Monday is be-
leved to be merely a skeleton statement
of Admiral SIMPSONS cablegram, which, it
is surmised, contained a good deal more in
formation than it was deemed prudent to
rake public. OF course, to protect the
naval cipher, the matter published was a
raraphrase and it said at the depart
ment this morning that the term used in
the bulletin "silenced works quickly with
out injury at any time was based upon a
statement in the original dispatch broad
enough to indicate that the ships had sus-
tained no injuries and that there had heen
no casualties among the personnel of the
American fleet.
Only Marines Landed.
Naval officers this morning expressed the
belief that about all of the force landed
Monday from SIMPSONS feet were marines,
and that their purpose was not so much to
take military possession Of the landing as,
perhaps, to spike some guns and destroy
some batteries that might have been reoc-
cupied by the Spaniards to advantage aftsr
the retirement of the American feet from
the action.
Sonlrrr -1,i tab, has
escaped general observation, though ex-
ceedingly important, was pointed out at the
Navy Department this morning. This was
to prevent the Spaniards from making
successful attempt to remove the obstruc-
ton of the channel caused by the wreck of
the Merrimac. Having silenced the forts at
the entrance of the harbor, which while ef-
fective obliged the American fleet to lie
many miles out at sea to keep out Of range
of their guns, Sampson will now be able to
place one or mora of his ships close to the
mouth of the bottle where they will lie in
comparative safety and yet be able to COM
n.and easily with their guns the wreck of
the Merrimac.
Gen. Bancroft Sent to Tampa.
Brigadier General Bancroft of Massachu-
setts was at the War Department today
receiving Hhal lnslruetiois. nc haS peeh
assigned to duty with Gen. Skaters corps
at Tampa, Fla.
The Hospital Ship.
The ambulance ship Solace sailed from
New York today to join Admiral Sampsons
squadron. She took all the contributions
frcm the various relief organizations that
have been sent to Medical Director Blood
good for distribution to the sick or wound
ed of the fleet.
Surgeon General Van Reypen will send
by the Solace for distribution fifty boxes
of oranges and fifty boxes of lemons. He
has also given the surgeon Of the Solace
$500 to assist in the subsistence Of the sick
or wounded, or to buy delicacies for them
in any port the Solace may enter. Being
neutral ship, under the Geneva cross flag,
she has free access To anv port