The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-05
POSTPONED.
Will Be No BOmbardment of
Santiago Today,
And Possibly Not During This
Week.
CABINET so DECIDES.
Skaters Army is Greatly Out
numbered
Since the Arrival of PandO
Since the Arrival of PandO
With ReinfOrcements.
THE FLEET MAY GO IN.
Shafter Anxious For Simpsons s
Assistance.
Ships Could Aid Greatly in a
BOmbardment.

Washington, July 5.-There will be
no bombardment of Santiago today
and possibly not during the present
week. This is the opinion of members
of the cabinet, as expressed on leav-
ing the White House after the cabinet
meeting. Secretary Alger and Secre-
tary Long have been in almost constant
communication with Gen. Shafter and
Admiral Sampson upon the situation
and the conclusion has been reached
that it would not be advisable to at
tempt to carry the city of Santiago by
storm with our present force.
Gen. Shafter in a dispatch received
last night confirmed the report that
Gen. Pando with about 5000 Spaniards
had arrived in the city and they were
already distributed among the fortifi-
cations. This reinforcement makes the
Spanish forces defending the city from
10000 to $4,000. The very great ad-
vantage of being entrenched adds ma
terfalIy to their strength and in the
opinion of military men, makes their
effective fighting force from a third
to a fifth greater than our own.
Gen. Shafter in his dispatches states
that the excessive heat and rains of
the last two weeks have contributed
nearly as much as the Spanish bullets
to the ineffectiveness OF our army
Under these circumstances it is his
opinion that it would be unwise to at
tempt to carry the city by assault. This
view is shared by the officials here and
also, it is understood, by Admiral
Sampson in command of the fleet.
At the cabinet meeting the president
directed kilograms be sent to General
Shafter and Admiral Sampson suggest
ing they confer as to the situation and
particularly as to the advisability of
the adTniral's attempt to force a pas
sage into Santiago bay and so be in
readiness to render effective aid in the
assault upon the city.
1t is known to be Gen. Skaters de-
sire to have the fleet enter the harbor.
Orders were given looking to the i'm
mediate dispatch of troop ships from
Tampa with reinforcements for Shafter
and others now off Santiago will be
brought here at the earliest possible
moment to aid in the transportation of
reinforcements. 1t is probable that at
least $4,000 will be sent forward as rap
idly as transportation can be provided.
Thus augmented, there seems to be no
doubt that the forces under General
Shafter will be able to storm and take
the city QeIay. 4neSe are Ihe
| views entertained by members of the
| cabinet, who talk freely on the sub
| ject. Nevertheless the orders under
which both the army and the navy are
now operating give the commanders
| wide discretion and it is not doubted
that should changed circumstances
seem to warrant it,an aggressive move
ment will be begun.
A senator who talked with the mill
| tary officials said there was no doubt
of the outcome if the American fleet
could get inside harbor and thus place
! the city between the land and sea bonn
| bardments.
The arrival at Santiago of Gen. Pan
| do, with reinforcements for Linares.
| occasioned some comment on the course
! of Gen. Garcia and his Cuban troops
| in not holding Pando back, particularly
! in view of the fact that Gen. Lawton's
| brigade was cooperating with Garcia
but it is believed the latter left Lawton
! in an embarrassed position. At the
same time the disposition of the au-
| thorities was mainly to meet the sit
| uation now presented, rather than to
| question how it had come about.
In meeting this, the most active steps
! towards getting large reinforcements
| to Gen. Shafter were in progress. Three
/ OF zen. CaTTeISOn brigade
| go from Camp Alger, one of them, the
Eighth Ohio, under Col. Curtis V. Hard,
| proceeding to New York, where they
will embark Immediately on the St
Paul. The other regiments of this bri-
| gade-the Sixth Illinois and the Sixth
Massachusetts-go to Charleston, S. c.,
where they take the cruisers Harvard
| and Yale. At the same time the bri-
| gades of Gen Ernst and Gen. Haines
now at Chickamauga Will move with
| all possible dispatch to Charleston.
| Savannah, Mobile and other coast
| points there to take the transports for
| Santiago.
In detail the commands making up
this important body of reinforcements
are as follows Gen. Ernst's brigade,
| first brigade, first division, first army
corps, Third Wisconsin, Col. Martin T.
Moore; Fifth Illinois, Col. J. S. Culver;
Continued on Sixth Page.)