Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-12

Washington, July 11.-Gen. Shat
ter's report from Siboney, sent just
before midnight last night, caused
officials of the war department to
wait all day with the expectation OF
Fearing that the bOmbardment OF
Santiago had begun. No word to
that erect came, however, up to the
time the department closed and,
though there is little reason to doubt
that the general carried out the
programme of which he had noti-
fed the department., it was regard
ed as possible that ne had consented
ed to a further extension under the
flag of truce in view of certain signs
of weakening on the part OF the
Spanish comm nder. 1t is suppos-
ed here that Gen. Miles with add1-
tional achievements on the Yale
will arrive at, Siboney tonight or
tomorrow morning, and If sur
render has not been secured by
time it is believed that the assault
upon the town proper will be pros
ecuted at once with the greatest
energy and determination.
Tests made recently of the naval
ordnance gave very unsatisfactory
results when it was attempted to
project shells over the high hills
from the open sea into Santiago city.
Possibly better results may be at
tanned tomorrow if the attack is
resumed then, but there is more
likelihood that the main reliance
VIII be upon such of lighter draft
vessels of Admiral SIMPSONS fleet
as may succeed in getting closer to
the shore and in a better position
than the heavy battleships.
The officials here are satisfied that
what appears to be delay on the
part of Gen. Shafter was really
caused by his efforts to carry out
strictly the Presidents injunction
to prevent the Spanish army from
escaping from Santiago. He might
have attacked the town several days
ago with the result that If the
Spaniards were overcome they
would have retreated without OBJ
struction to the northwest beyond
the reach Of our soldiers to fol-
low. His dispatch written late last
night indicates clearly that he has
been trying to complete his line of
investment SO as to prevent such
satisfied that he has accomplished
an escape and as he appears to feel
this, the final assault will not be
delyed much longer. Gen. Shafter
is disposed to save every Fife pos
sible in the war, probably having
in mind the particularly large pro-
portion of killed, wounded and miss
ing compared to the total strength
of his army in the battle of Caney,
which the official figures promul-
gated to-day shows was exceptional
in modern warfare. 1t is to save
our troops that he desires to make a
free use of artillery before the as
sault proper begins, and also to
secure the cooperation of the navy
in the attack.
The little artillery duel of yester-
day appears to have been more
serious in its results than was at
first supposed by General Shafter
himself, for during the afternoon
he was obliged to report as one re-
suit the death of Captain Chas.
w. Rowell, Second Infantry, one
of the most gallant and popular
officers of the regular army.
Captain Rowell was born in New
York, and appointed to the mill
tary academy in 1870. He became
a Second Lieutenant in 1871, a
First Lieutenant in 81, and was
placed In command of the company
which he led to his death in 1896.
His death caused deep grief among
the officers of the department, who
respected him for his soldierly
qualities as manifested in his hard
service In the west.
The cable communication be-
tween Washington and Gen. Shat
ter's headquarters has now been
gotten in excellent condition, so
that it has been possible to receive
at the department message with
in twenty minutes after 1t had
been dispatched by General Shat
ter. Col Allen, who is in charge
at General Skaters end of the line,
has reported to the department that
he is now engaged in laying ca
BILE from Guantanamo to Playa
del Este, which will still further re-
duce the time required for the eX-
change Of communications
The appearance at the Navy De-
partment early this morning of
Ensign Palmer, one of the officers