Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-07-24
WAR GOSSIP.
General Miles's Probable Location.
Doubt Cast Upon Reported Doings
at Santiago---The Dewey Resolu-
tions and Degree Ready to 60 to
Him.

Washington, July 23.-Gen. Mlles's
expedition in all probability is now in
the Mona Passage between Haiti ana
Porto Rico, and will be in sgnt OF the
landing points in the morning. WINE
this is the expectation Of Secretary
Alger for prudential reasons the war
department declines to make any COM
ment as to the accuracy Of the various
guesses that have been made in the
effort to ascertain just what point has
been selected for the landing place.
There is likely to be lapse or DAY
or two between the arrival OF the eX-
petition and the notification OF the TACT
to the department unless some mer-
chant vessel crossing to Saint THOMAS
should sight the American iotilla.
After that, however, the department
will be in the closest communication
with Gen. Miles, for it will possess it
self of a cable connecting Gen. Mlless
| headquarters directly with the depart
ment. Some part of the Porto Rico
| expedition has been delayed for a few
| DAYS beyond the dates fixed for their
| departure, but in view of the difficult
| ties of handling large bodies OF men
and the supplies for them, this is not
surprising. Thus Schwan's troops got
away only to-day from Tampa, though
| if was believed they started yesterday,
{ while the most numerous detachment
| of the whole expedition, the First di-
| vision, under Gen. Brooke, will not be
| able to clear from Newport News be-
| fore Monday. Still, it is believed that
| they will arrive at Porto Rico in good
! season and 1t will certainly facilitate
] an orderly and comfortable landing OF
! the troops to have them land in de-
! tachments instead of in one vast army
as in the case Of Skaters army at
Santiago.
Doubt is cast upon reports of re-
cent exciting events among the Cubans
at or near Santiago, owing to the fall
| ure of Gen. Shafter to make any re-
port upon them, and inasmuch as he
has made less important subjects mat
ter for dispatches, 1t is hard to under
stand why he should fail to mention an
i event OF s ugh Importance as the re-
ported attack by Garcia upon Spanish
troops on their way to surrender 70
Shafter. There was no health report
from Shafter to-day, but so far from
being discouraging, this is believed tC
indicate the continuance of the i'm
proved conditions reported yesterday
and the day before as to the health Oh
the Camp.
Keeping close eye on Gen Miles s eX
petition, looking with interest for de
tailed mail reports from Gen. Shaftel
telling OF the engagement preceding
and leading up to the surrender OF
Santiago.
1t was reported to-day that Col. J
}. Astor, of Skaters staff, was due in
Washington, bringing with him the
1ull cap1tulations signed by the COM
missloners, and it was expected that
Skaters preceding reports would ac-
company them. However, I'D to the
close of office hours, which to-day. to
the relief of the hard worked clerks.
was o'clock, for the first time in
many months. the officer did not an
pear and the department does not know
| where he Is.
Some official papers have come from
Sampson, but to the great disappoint-
ment Of the Navy Department. the re-
ports closed on the day before the
famous naval battle. Some points Of
! interest contained in them will he
| given to the public in the course of a
day or two but they will re.ate only
! to the several fights between the
squadron and the shore batteries.
1t is the purpose Of the war depart
! ment to begin at once the execution
Of the plans devised by Secretary AL
ger for the creation of reserve camps
and boards of staff officers are now en-
gagged in various localities looking af
ter suitable camp sites and making
preliminary arrangements for acuuir-
ing the right to use these places and
arranging for water supplies The in
tenticn is not to be caught through
any contingency with large numbers of
troops at central points in the midst
of an epidemic of any kind, with no
place to remove them. 1t was for this
reason that Fernandina was selected
some time ago as one of these reserve
camps and within the last two DAYS