The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-07-14
PLEASES THEM
Cabinet Members Gratified by Re.
ports Received From
Santiago.
Were Afraid at Least a Portion
of the Enemy Had Slipped
Out.
General Belief the Spaniards
Will Surrender Rather Than
Risk Battle.
Navy Preparing to Make Demon.
STATIONS Against Porto Rico
and Spain.

WASHINGTON, July l3.-At the cab
1net meeting kilograms from General
.Shafter were read and discussed. but
no new plan of campaign was consid.
ered or important orders given. Gen.
sral Skaters report that he had the
city of Santiago completely invested
was received with mach satisfaction,
rs there had been some apprehension
shat the Spaniards were contemplating
q night evacuation. Secretary Alger.
On leaving the cabinet meeting, said
shat although General Skaters line
son the west was thin in places, he had
no doubt that it was sufficiently strong
10 repel any attack the enemy was
capable of making at this time. 1t was
the secretary's opinion that the Span.
iards were now completely cut off from
outside aid, and it was only question
of prompt surrender or fight which
would result in their capture. 1t was
Secretary Alger's opinion, as well as
shat of other members of the cabinet.
that the Spaniards would surrender
rather than take the risks OF a general
assault
A General Expectation.
In official circles the expectation
was general that Santiago would
be ours very soon The main source OF
apprehension was that the Spaniards
may have succeeded to considerable
degree in evacuating the town before
the American lines were completed, SO
that when the Americans entered the
city, it would be foend empty, with
perhaps nothing more than desperate
rear guard of Spaniards left to protect
and conceal the retreat of the main
body of the troops. There were sew
eral indications of some such move,
which is supposed to have been III
progress for the past three or four days
General Shafter himself reported un-
der date of Sunday. that the Spaniards
had evacuated a small town on the
west side of the bay, one of the suburbs
of Santiago, while the Associated Press
dispatches of Monday referred to the
departure of body of Spanish troops
from Santiago towards Holguin.
Not Conclusive of Evacuation.
OF course these facts are not conclu.
sive that the town has been evacuated
by the Spanish army, but the fact can.
mot be concealed that there was some ap-
prehension entertained that the main
result of the investment OF Santiago,
aside from the important achievement
sof driving the Spanish squadron to It's
destruction, would be the inheritance by
Shafter OF several Thousand wounded
Spanish soldiers and many more thou.
sand hungry mouths in Santiago
General Miles, who arrived at 81
boney on the Yale Monday, made the
following report to Secretary Alger:
ARRIVED at noon. Had consultation
with Admiral Sampson, and with Gen.
.sral Shafter by telephone. Troops
Brought from Tampa, Charleston and
New York arrived and leaving for the
front. Line of investment being ex.
zanded.
.loignedl "MILES.
Miles Not in Com nand.
General Miles has not taken, and
mi not take, charge of the operations
row being conducted against Santiago
Whatever credit is to be derived from
the capture of that city. If 1t result:
from the prosecution of the present
Milan OF operation by General Shafter.
xyill radound to that officers credit, fol
General Miles has declared explicitly
that he does not assume tbs conduct O
these operations. Hs is simply there
in his oe paoity as commanding genera
70 look over the field, and ascer
tain whether the operations are goins
along as they should. But with his
appearance comes very substantial as
sistance for General Shafrer. Will
him on the Yale were moro than 1,OOl
snen and considerable artillery, while
the Colum hia, which formed part O
his expedition, is expected to repor
her arrival at any moment with thu
rsmainder of the troops. As Genera
Shafter has referred to the thinness Of
his lines, it is.expected that these rein
forcements will be very gratefully &c
NDived.
Naval nant About finished.
The naval officers regard their part
In the operations at Santiago at an end
practically, and are looking around fol
new worlds to conquer. Their eyes arr
turned to the east and they are rushing
preparations for the dispatch Of Com
modore Watsop's eastern squadron
This Is decidedly q more attractive
,cruise from naval point Of view thar
the demonstration proposed .agains
San Juan de Porto Rico, which is nm
dsrstood to be the next number on th'
nrogramme, but which tho naval an
fhorities believe win not amount Il
much. bscause OF the easy reduction o
the defenses. Every ship in Watson
Hauadron has been supplied with tht
vssy latest charts. not only Of the coasts
OF spain and Of the Mediterranean, bu
Of the track courses that will take then
cless 70 the Philippines. In addition