The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-07-08
IHE ARAY ENCANPED|
Modified Four Miles
From Santiago.
ENGINEERS HARD AT WORK

Artillery Being Taken Up Over Bad
Mountain Roads-General Shafter at
the Fr0nt-Spaniards Hoisted Red
Cross Flags Over the City.
Off Juruaga, Province of Santiago de
Cuba, via Kingston, July 2.-The force
of the American army is being mobil-
lied as rapidly as possible in the vicin-
ity of Aguadores, four miles from San
tiago de Cuba. The moment the tedi-
GUS task is completed, the attack on
Spain's last ditch in Eastern Cuba will
be begun. When that will begin
Shafter himself cannot say. The troops
can be moved without serious delay,
and are pushing forward rapidly, but
the movement of the packtrains,
wagons, ambulances and artillery is
somewhat slow.
From Daiquiri, where the artillery
was landed, to the present point of con-
centration, the road runs through a
tangle of underground up and down
SICCp anu ONGI
swamp -bordered streams foi distance
of over 12 miles. Through this con-
tinuous thicket the vanguard of the
army is cutting its way. Engineers are
at work leveling the track and filling
pits, while large force of regulars and
volunteers, with axes, aided by Cubans
with machetes, are hacking down trees
and clearing out the brush. A few
light guns have already reached this
position. The seige guns are not yet
within five miles of the vanguard.
General Shafter left his ship today
and took quarters with General Wheeler
at the front. His appearance there gave
rise to rumor that an attack would
occur tomorrow, but the staff officers
say it is impossible to get the army in
shape to strike blow for several days.
About 2, 900 troops are camped four
miles east of the besieged city, and the
remainder of the forces stretch along
the road from there to Juragua and
Daiquiri. The advance forces are in a
semi-circle, the left flank resting two
miles from there under command of
General Chaffee with the extreme right
under command of Colonel Miles, about
a mile to the northwest. Beginning
with the Twelfth infantry at the ex-
tIeme left, the Seventh, Seventeenth,
Fourth, TWenty-ffth and Tenth infan-
try extend to the right in order named.
Beyond them picket lines are estab-
lished three-quarters Of mile nearer
Santiago city, being in plain sight of
General Chaffee's and Colonel Miles
troops.
Much amusement has been caused
among the officers by the large number
of Red Cross flags flying from buildings
in Santiago. Seven such flags have
been counted today, and it is reported
that two more were hoisted tonight.
They are all flying from the largest and
GERS say the Spanish soldiers evidently
intend to thus try to protect every
place in the city offering good mark
for the American artillery.
For the past day or two landings
have been without incident. The hos
pital corps has finished it's camp and
several patients are already under good
treatment. There are quite a few
cases of measles under the care of the
physicians, but majority of the cases
of sickness are the result of heat and
the extreme hardships the men have
undergone, pal ticularly in waiting for
shelter and food during the landing.
The fleet lies silently and grimly
waiting for the moment to come when
it shall finally measure its strength
with the harbor batteries. All day
long, four American men-of-war lay
within a mile and bali of Morro's
guns, but not shot was exchanged.
The sailors on board could almost have
exchanged words with the soldiers
ashore, and the fact that the Spaniards
did not risk shot Is taken to indicate
that they are very short of ammunition.
The Indiana, Iowa, New Orleans and
Massachusetts, could easily have been
hit AS they lay almost motionless with
in easy range, but Moro might be
country schoolhouse for all the hostile
demonstration it made.
Word was received by Rear-Admiral
Sampson today that the Spanish sup
ply-boat Purisima Conception, which
escapd from Jamaica recently. has ar
rived safely at Tunas, the port of
Sancti Spiritus, on the southern coast
of the province of Santa Clara. The
naval officers here are much chagrined
at the fact that the steamer got away.