The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-07-26
LANDING IN
PORTO RICO
General Miles Expedition
Located Near Ponce.
HURRYIHG THE REINFORCEAENTS.
The War Department Busily En-
gagged in the Work,
WAR BALLOON FOR PORTO RICO.


Ahe Altshlp used by General Smarter In
Cuba Will Re BROUGHT Into Service IN
a., -
Alu Oeneial Miles CampalGn-General
Shafter Reports Five Hundred New Cases
VI r0'ei III MS Alnly -odihPson Ne-
port of the Fight With Cervera's Fleet.
TT. r,.,. -. o- ,,-,
VI s'e'' N0i ""iu0u "
Admiral Dewey.
Washington, July 26-The war de-
partment was busted yesterday hur-
rying the dispatch of the remainder OF
Miles expedition against Porto Rico.
such progress has been made that 1t is
hoped all of the troops will be on Porto
Rican soil within week at latest. Cen
eral Miles, according to a press dis
patch from St Thomas, ID. w. l., began
landing his troops yesterday near
Ponce, on the the south coast of Porto
Rico, where it is believed he will await
the detachments now on the way. War
department officials accept the press
dispatch as reliable The general has
not with him. so far as Is known, any
dispatch boats. 1t viii be at least Sat
urday before direct cable cOmmunica-
tion can be established with him, and
in the meantime reliance must be had
on the dispatch boats running across to
st. Thomas, distant about four hours
run.
The work Of embarkation at Hamp-
ton Roads is being conducted with
much less difficulty and delay than was
expected. Colonel Hecker, in charge
of the transportation division of the
war department who has Just returned
from that place, has reported to Secre-
tary Alger that it is eminently suited
to the shipment of the troops Conse-
quently the secretary yesterday or
dered all of General Grants brigade,
5000 men, from Chickamauga to New
port News. 1t is now expected that all
of the transports required for their ac-
comodation will have arrived there by
the time the soldiers get in, but they
will encamp on suitable ground and it
is believed will be benefited by the
change from Chlckamauga.
The signal service has succeeded in
reclaiming from the battlefield of San
tiago the tubes which supplied the
military balloon with pure hydrogen
gas, and they with the balloon itself
have been brought over to Tampa on
the steamer Adra. The tubes will be
recharged Immediately and the whole
apparatus will be dispatched at once
to Porto Rico to assist General Miles
in his campaign there. The balloon Is
said to have proved of great value in
the Santiago campaign, and from the
character of the country in Porto Rico
where military operations must be con-
Quoted It is believed that 1t also can be
used to advantage there.
In a dispatch to the war department
last night, General Shafter reports that
about 500 new cases of fever developed
In his corps at Santiago Sunday. This
number includes, of course all clases
of fever, probably some cases of gen
uine yellow fever Only one death is re-
ported, that one being from yellow fe-
yer. The cheering intelligence is con-
veyed that the situation is improving
and that about 45O men who have been
Ill have returned to duty.
AS heretofore indicated by General
Shafter and the medical officers of his
corps, the cases Of fever are Of no
tably mild type. The patients are Ill
from three days to week. and then
return to duty quite as well as ever.
The medical officers concur in the
opinion that this fever renders the men
immune, for the time at least, to yell
low fever
The question of returning large part
of General Skaters command to this
country for rest and recuperatlon was
under consideration by the Var Of
ficials, but the idea practically has been
abandoned, at least for the present
Those who are Ill now or have been ex-
posed to the infection are isolated in
detention camps. and are not permit