The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-05-28

military situation as at present deter.
mined upon by those in authority, Is: to
make no forward movement of troops
either upon Porto Rico or Cuba until
full and definite information is receiv--i
cd as to the location OF the Spanish
souadron and It's possibilities as a fac
Tor in the aggressive movements Of
spaln. That being the positive deter
mnatlon there Is no present purpose to
hurry forward the troops now at the
several points Of concentration, but the
interval prior to an aggressive forward
moyement will be employed in season.,
iuS the men. Steps have been taken to
secure early information as to whether
Admiral Cervera's squadron is inside
Santiago harbor and whether the Amer
lean squadron has such advantage Of
position outside the harbor as to make
The escape of the spaniards practically
impossible.
For the last few days army circles
have shared public belief that the Span
Ish ships were trapped in Santiago har-
bor and that has given Impetus to ar.
,anaements by which large bodies of
troops at Chlckamauga and elsewhere
might be moved forward rapidly to
TAMPA for embarkation. The presence
Of thirty or more transports in Florida
waters added to the conviction that q
movement on q large scale was about to
occur, All this has been going ontwith
the understanding that Admiral Ger
yera's career as q possible menace to
our troops had been cut Off by his being
securely held with Santiago harbor, but
In the absence OF positive Information
on this point. together. with the certain
ty that he can be held inside the har-
tor, there Is no purpose whatever on
the part OF the war department to make
any aggressive forward move on Cuba
or Porto Rico. This was stated to-:
night In the most positive manner and
from On authoritative source.
Nothing 3Iore Thnnn Belief.
Unless the navy department. succeeds
In securing some direct and official In
formation respecting the Spanish and
the American fleets within the next
,wenty-four hours through the aid OF;
the West Indian cables. It will resort to
the use of dispatch boats. It can be
agaln affirmed on the highest authority
and Notwithstanding all rumors TO the
contrary, that at the close OF the day
the department had nothing more than
belief, founded on unofficial advices,
that the Spanish squadron was lying In
aant!ago harbor and TO news as 10
Commodore Schley's Whereabouts.
However, the great majority OF the Of
aclals OF the navy department entertain
no doubt that Cervera Is within Santi-
ago harbor, and they have succeeded
IA impressIng this belief upon the Pres
!dent and the members of the cabinet.
The reports from the newspaper dis
patch boats as TO the movements OF
SIMPSONS and Schley's squadrons dur
Ing the past week are very mysufylnS
even TO the naval officers here, and one
OF them called attention to q statement
coming from the West Indies to the ef-
feet that twelve war vessels were seen
FOR short time of Cienfuegos We'd
nesday. This. he thought, was Schley's
squadron, and In that case, he could
scarcely have covered the distance be-
tween Cienfuegos and Santiago with n
slow moving fleet OF ironclads In less
than two days, In which case Schley
would not be due of Cientuegos until
Come time to-day.
or course all OF this Is speculative.
but It shows that there Is still an ele-
ment OF doubt in the departments cal
culatlons as to the whereabouts OF the
fleets.
1t was announced to-day that Hol-
land,the inventor OF the submarine boat
OF that name, was expected here to-
morrow TO discuss with Captain o'Neil,
chief OF ordnance, the feasibility OF u.s.
Ing that novel craft In an attack upon
the Spanish squadron of Santiago u
the vessels are still there. The oNlcinis
are disposed 20 receive in q kindly spirit
any suggestion that might prove to be
valuable In this line, and they Will talk
with Mr.. Holland over the details OF his
scheme, probably on the basis OF coul-
nenaltton 10 be paid to him for each
Spanish vessel destroyed.
The Military Phss-. ~
An important phase TO the military
programme is q decision not TO take up
The details OF organizing the new force
OF 1900 volunteers to-day inquiry was
made OF Secretary Alzer as to what
steps no proposed taking on the organ
lzation OF this large additional force OF
volunteers. Ills reply was that he had
not even considered the details OF this
question. end that bis plan was not to
iake up the matter for q week or Zen
Gays. In the meantime, no conclusion
mas been reached as to whether n por-
Coh OF the 7h,60o volunteers will be used
u recruit the regiments. still remaining
unhlled. under the frst call foc $4,000
volunteers. If.the regiments under the
HFst call arc 10 be brought up to their
maximum strength II will take about
"VVe men from tho second call to COM
piete The l26 regiments Under the first
coll This VIII leave $4,000 men to be
organized In distinctly new regiments.
" would have the advantage OF filling
very regiment In the service instead OF
raVinF most OF them with n depleted
ofsani2at!on.
On the other hand, Il would destroy
.ae Integrity OF this force OF 10000 vol
Ihteers ns 4 second reserve. One OF the
main purposes OF issuing the second call
was to establish second reserve, made
np or men who could be drilled and
.Iil7ped mt leisure and called upon
nome months hence if circumstances re-
Iulfed. But II 10. 900 OF them are put at
Vhee Into the regiments OF the first call,
,,ney VIII go to the front with these enr-
teglments nnd tho second reserve will
ue reduced 10 nbout 80. 900 men. or little
more than ono army corpS.
me war department Is anxious 10 OBJ
I'm the Views OF governors OF tho
''a'es and territories In regard to the