Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-07-14
BEFORE SANTIAGO.
Gen. Shafter Makes a Final Demand
for the City's Surrender.
HoPELESSNESS OF SPANISH POSITION
Gen, Toral Asks Time to Communicate with
Madrid for Instructi0ns-Our Tr0Ops
Ordered to Be Ready to Attack
1t Any Moment

BEFORE santiago, July l3-fester-
day morning Gen. Toral sent out re.
ply To. Gen. Skaters second demand
for the unconditional surrender of San
tiago, made by the latter Monday at.
ternoon. In his reply, Gen. Toral re-
ferred to his refusal to accede to the
American demand made on Sunday,
and again reiterated his determine
ton to resist. Notwithstanding this,
the American batteries did not open
fire esterday morning and the re.
newal Of the bombardment will prob.
ably be postponed until to-day, when
1t is hoped that all Of Gen. Rsndolph's
batteries will be in position. The
siege guns landed Monday will also be
brought up as soon as possible.
At noon Monday Gen. Shafter stnt
Gen. Wheeler into the Spanish lines,
under flag Of truce, with message
to Gen. Toral, the Spanish commander,
reciting the fact that the American
ships had given complete demonstra'
tion that they could throw shells into
the city and destroy it at will, that
the American troops had the city prac.
tically surrounded, and that there
were $4,000 Spanish and Cuban refu.
gees starving to death at Ell Caney,
and also pointing out that our army
had no means OF feeding them. Gen.
Shafter then demanded the uncon.
ditional surrender Of the city
and coupled the demand with the
statement that, unless Gen. Toral
acceded, the assault upon the
city, both by the land and sea forces,
would be renewed at once. Several
hours elapsed before any reply was
received from Gen. Toral and then
he sent a message to Gen. Shafter to
the effect that the matter was Of such
great Importance that he had been
obliged to refer it to the Madrid gov.
eminent and that he would send his
final answer as soon as he could receive
instructions from Madrid. 1t was
then late in the, afternoon and Gen.
Shafter gave orders to all the troops
to get as much rest as possible and be
prepared to resume the attack at any
moment
Torrents of rain fell Monday night
drowning out the boys in the trenches
and making the road almost impassa.
BILE. This may delay the batteries and
siege guns. The volunteers who are
being hurried on to the right center,
in the positions which have been occu.
pied by Gen. Lawton's division, while
the latter has moved forward down to
the right, until it is almost on the
road to Camanes, by which Toral
would have to retreat.
The Cubans under Gen. Calixto Gar
ella took Gaines without opposition
Monday night and have intrenchments
on either side Of the road. The Amer
leans are now in position to strike the
enemy on the left flank and roll it up,
making the Spanish intrenchments
north of the city untenable. Gen.
Toral, realizing the weakness of this
flank, has been busy during the exist
ence of the truce in doubling back
with intrenchments and fixing his
guns in the direction from which he is
threatened, as most of Gen. Randolph's
guns will be located upon the heights
in the center of Gen. Lawton's new pc.
sition, where they command the town.
Monday afternoon the Capron and
Hanes batteries on the right succeeded
in tearing up the emplacements for a
palm" battery, as it is called, and in
Pumping shells into several block
houses on Salients, but the shots
directed at the Spaniards in the
trenches did not appear to have much
effect. Shrapnel were rapidly broken
directly over the trenches, yet in five
minutes the trenches at every point Of
explosion would be alive with the
enemy. They would watch for the
flash of our guns and drop before the
shells exploded.
The Spaniards in and around Caima.
nera have been showing great activity
during the last two or three days, and
their forces there have been apparent
ly increased from Guantanamo. The
boldness OF the American launches in
venturing beyond the port, and the
presence of large number Of warships
in the lower bay, have evidently led
the Spaniards to believe that an at
tack is planned at that point
EYDEMCCC m TUT mAD