The San Francisco call., 1898-06-03

The advance guard of the Santiago expedition, consisting of an engineer corps and artillery experts, supported by a small body of regular troops, is perhaps even now on the water. The Porto Rico expedition. it is believed, D. will leave for San Juan in a few days, while the troops that are to be used against Havana may not be embarked for several weeks.
 The keenest interest has been ex- cited here over the expedition to San tiago,- and every effort is being made to hasten the departure. of a force large enough to. take the city without rely ing upon the cooperation of the in . surgents, 5000 of whom, according to a late press. report, are now gathering :: in the: hills preparatory to an attack upon the earthworks thrown up by the . Spanish soldiers for the defense of the city and Admiral Cervera's fleet. The operations of the American land and naval forces in the coming siege of Santiago will constitute a notable
 
 The Navy Department is informed that Admiral Sampson is now off the harbor, where he has relieved -Comnio- dore Schley of the supreme command of the feet, and is preparing to destroy the Spanish ships as soon as they ven- ture forth. That they will be driven out of the harbor the artillery experts of the War Department do not hesitate to predict.
 The expedition to Santiago will carry the heaviest siege guns. in the artillery equipment of the United States; and with these terrible engines the Span ish forces have nothing that can cope These guns can be fully protected in the hills about Santiago; and under the practice of the American artillery ser vice,,a terrific plunging fire can be di- rected upon the decks of Cerveras fleet that will sink his ships unless he steams out of the harbor, where Ad- rniral Sampson is waiting to receive him.
 The guns of the Spanish fleet cannot be fired at sufficient elevation to in- terfere in the slightest with the opera tions of the American siege guns, and as the harbor in front of Santiago is only about two miles wide and very shallow, the Spanish admiral will be forced to choose between seeing his ships sent to the bottom without an opportunity to reply to the American fire. and steaming boldly forth to do battle with Simpsons armorclads. In the speculation here as to Cerveras B r,robable course the best opinion is unanimous that he will fight his ships even at heavy odds rather than see them go down in the mud of Santiago harbor.
 If is probable that the expedition to sontiaeo will sail by way of the Wind ward Passage, which is the regular steamer track to the southern coast TroTr Havana and Key West. The force will be landed about thirty miles east. of Santiago, not far from the Bay of Guantanamo, which is an excellent harbor. Thence a road leads to the .citv of Guantanamo. which is now in +ba Dossession of the insurgents. and where the American forces will be 4o;red bv a considerable detachment of General Garcia's army that will un- doubtedly prove useful in guarding the cordon to be drawn around Santiago when the siege of that city is formally undertaken.
 The surprise so generally expressed that the Navy Department has re- ceived TO word from Commodore Schley with regard to the bonbardment of the defensec of Santiago Is not shared by the more experienced naval officers