The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-27
.THE COMING Big FIGHT.
Much Work to Accomplish Before
...,. That Great Event. r.....::n q,
SKATER IN COMPLETE CONTROL.

He Is Not Hampered by Orders From
Yashington--Genera Miles May Go
to Cuba notwithstanding Golfers to
Land Shafter's Heavy Artillery.
Washington, June T.--Though there
were the usual number of officials for
Sunday at their desks in the war and
navy departments yesterday there did
not seem to be any expectation Of inn
portant news from the seat of war.
Secretary Alger explained this readily.
In his view. the army has been moved
one of those stages incident to the
progress of a campaign and is now ef-
fectng new formation. The reports
show that there is only one road. and
that a poor one. from where the troops
landed leading to Santiago. Along this
the army necessarily has been obliged to
move in a single column. Strong re-
connoitering forces were prudently
thrown out ahead, and 1t was, these
that engaged in the action of Friday
morning. They developed the presence
of the enemy in force directly ahead
and drove in their advance guards.
Before undertaking in set battle
our army must be formed in regular
battle array, not single column front,
as 1t advanced along the road, but in
broad open order across the country.
the only feasible way of conducting
battle successfully. AS part of this
plan the advance must halt and wait
until the rear guard comes up In the
Secretary's opinion this was going on
Saturday The forces left at Baiquiri
were being hurried up to the front near
Savilla where the Spaniards are
supposed to be in force; the field
artillery was being dragged up
the rough mountain roads, and
the quartermaster was hurrying along
the stores as fast as they could
be landed from the transports. All this
Is very necessary but not such as
would call for an official report from
General Shafter.
A dispatch received from General
Shafter on Saturday stated that he
wanted nothing Nevertheless the
secretary Is sending along reinforce
ments with all possible promptness. He
believes that General Duflicld's troops.
to the number of 1900. which embarked
five days ago from Newport News, will
arrive at Baiquiri today, and within
three days 5000 more troops, which left
Fort Monroe yesterday, will be at the
scene of action. In addition there will
be further movement of troops to
Santiago just as soon as the men and
transports are ready. Possibly Gem
eral Miles may go with these. Gem
eral Shafter is being allowed the widest
liberty of action. unrestricted by un-
necessary orders from Washington.
Assistant Secretary Allen has been
striving earnestly to procure for Cen
eral Shafter the tenders he desires for
landing the heavier supplies of the
army and the siege train He has just
secured several colliers at Key West,
which, on account of their light draft
will serve admirably as tenders. These
have been ordered to steam with all
speed for Baiquiri They should reach
there by Wednesday. They are not
fitted with heavy derricks, such as the
tenders carry, but have material
aboard which will enable SIMPSONS
sailors to convert them speedily into
powerful lifting machines capable OF
handling the heaviest cannon carried
by the expedition.
The story printed by an English
newspaper Of the killing of Captain
Bob Evans and some of his men in
the coming tower Of the Iowa by
shell from the Spanish cruiser Vizcaya
Is pronounced at the navy department
to be q cruel canard. No word has
been received from Sampson. and with
II H.. Ut.
for moment that he would fall to re-
port Immediately an occurrence of such
gravity. Probably the sole foundation
for this story was the attack made
about a week ago by Sampson upon
the forts at the entrance of Santiago
harbor. in which the Spanish cruiser
Reina Mercedes was sunk and one Of
the Spanish torpedo boats disabled.
The report originated in a Spanish
source.
The war department. following the
satisfactory example set by the navy
department, has instituted a system of
bulletins for the benefit of the public,
giving quick and concise information
of important happenings The first of
these bulletins made their appearance
Saturday. giving Skaters brief ac-
count of the driving in of the Spanish
outposts. The newspapers had scarcely
received this information before the
Spaniards got bulletin from Captain
General Banco announcing the repulse
of the American forces. The war de-
partment officials are somewhat dis
courged at the prospect of having to
meet this sort of bulletin service with
a simple recital of cold facts.
Through its agents in the West In
dies the state department has discov-
cred a suspicious craft lying at Fort
De France. Martinique. She is a collier
and presumably is trying to convey
coal either to Cervera at Santiago or to
Blanco at Havana, via the Isle of Pines
and Batabano. Captain Sigsbee. of the
ST. Paul, and one of the commanders
of the American scouting vessels, have
been notified, and are expected to de-
feat this purpose. Sigsbee on Satur-
day warned a British ship from seek
ing to enter the harbor of San Juan
de Porto Rico. on the ground that it
was blockedcd. No formal notice has
yet been given of the blockade of this
port, but the captains action is in line
tional law by the navy department,
namely that blockade may be initla-
ted without formal notice, by simple
warning from a naval commander. 1t
is fully expected that this construction
will be combatted.
Notwithstanding the arrival of Ca
mara's squadron at Port Said. the
westerly entrance to the Suez canal,
the officials here still doubt that the
vessels are bound for the Philippines.
Rumors reach here, unconfrmed as
yet, that the only ironciads in the
squadron, the Pelayo and the Carlos
V, have left the squadron and returned
to Spain. so that Camara no longer
possesses force that would threaten
Dewey. If this be so the Spanards
have realized the folly of leaving their
home ports unprotected.
Republicans Work Leads.
Tho war portfolios issued by the RE-
PUBLICAN havo had q sale during the