The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-10
Washington Bureau st. Paul Globe, |
Corcoran Buiidin5

Special to The st. Paul Globe
WASHINGTON, June 9. - Rumors
that suspicious ships wre lowering in
the path of the big expedition oe Amer
ican troops that is believed here to
have left Tampa yesterday, for San
tiago, caused no little uneasiness IL
official circles, and especially at the
war department. - The incident served
one purpose, however. 1t demonstrate
ed almost beyond a question of doubt,
that the invading forces are now on
their way to Cuba. All efforts to gain
any official admission as to the move
ment or actual Whereabouts of the
forces under Gen. Shafter are futile.
The officials will not talk. They can
not truthfully deny, it is said, that
there has been a forward movement Of
some sort, and they are not disposed
to affirm the statement that transports
bearing more than 10000 United States
soldiers to Santiago province are now
well on their way across the Florida
straits. There is no attempt to deny
that reports to the department of
troops from Tampa were authorized by
the government censor, Gen. Greedy.
But even Greely did not admit that
those reports We're accurate 1t Is re-
garded at the capitol as decidedly
doubtful that announcement of the de-
parture of the invading expedition from
Tampa would be made, however, if it
were not well founded. In brief the con-
census of opinion here is that the troops
are we'll on their way to join Sampson.
SAMPSON NOTIFJED
The war department, it was learned
late this evening, does rot propose to
be caught mapping. While the story
of mysterious ships, possibly Spanish
war vessels, lying in the wake of the
American troop ships was generally
peoh-poohed in official circles, the war
department is said to have promptly
notified Admiral Sampson, and asked
him to send what wavships he deemed
necessary to make the trip of the trans
ports absolutely free from the possible
danger of an attack by Spanish gun
boats. The Helena and Bancroft, which
are said to be conveying the transports,
are capable Of coping with any Spanish
craft known to be loose In Cuban
waters, but they are not of sufficient
ers. Commodore Watson has also been
notified of the alleged strange vessels,
and the Spaniards will have to be more
than clever If they hope to strike such
a disastrous blow as would be an at
tack by a powerful squadron on a lot
of transports, filed with soldiers, pro-
tected only by ordinary gunboats.
WAS METHOD IN TT
There was considerable speculation in
public places, outside of official circles,
as to the purpose Admiral Sampson
had in view in hurting a thousand or so
projectiles at the Spanish batteries in
the vicinity of Santiago. This is now
made clear, and it is readily seen that
there was method in all that has been
done in that direction. The shelling of
Caimanera, from Guantanamo bay.
completed the task Admiral Sampson
set about performing, and the way for a
landing of American troops is now
clear. 1t is admitted here, officially,
that Admiral Sampson has advised the
government that his object in bonn
harding Santiago and other Spanish
Notifications in the vicinity was to
clear the way for the troops, and, it is
added, the admiral has attained his OBJ
ject. Admiral Sampson has been In
constant communication with the in
surgents, and the Cubans under Gen.
Calixto Garcia have rendered efficient
service in occupying strongholds from
which the Spaniards were driven by the
fire of the fleet. Garcia and his men
are coming in for a considerable share
of praise in the discussion of the latest
successes in Santiago province. Little
is being talked of here today save the
Santiago expedition VIII ch sailed from
Tampa and the probabilities as to how
long it will take TO capture Santiago
after the big army of invasion is land
ed.
HUNTINGTON'S MARINES.
Officials of the war department, who