Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-14

Reports from the Front Of the Deporable Conditions
There. Cause Alarm in Washington "A War Con-
ference Held

that the dispatches laid before the
war board and the special cabinet
meeting related to the appearance
of fever, which it is feared might
prove to be the dreaded yellow
fever, among our forces before San
tiago. 1t was learned that the sit
uation among the troops before
Santiago is that there are fourteen
suspicious cases Of fever among
the employees Of the Quartermas-
ter's department of the American
army. Pending the determination
of the exact character of the fever
these men have been isolated in the
valley near Siboney and placed I'M
der the care of immune doctors and
nurses, who had been provided in
anticipation of just such an emery
ency as the present. Confidence is
expressed by the medical officers of
the army and navy in Washington
in the ability of our surgeons to
stamp out the disease.
1t was nearly 2 O'Clock when the
war conference at the White House
broke up. Members of the cabinet
when questioned as to the purpose
of the meeting said that it was to
discuss the general situation in
Santiago. Several eablegrams
had been received from Gen. Miles
and Gen. Shafter, and while they
were not at all alarming they
showed the situation is unsatisfac-
tory. Rain has fallen almost in
cessantly during the last several
days, making the condition Of our
forces extremely unpleasant and
adding materially to the distress of
the sick and wounded.
Some suspected cases CT yellow
fever have appeared among our
troops, but they have been prompt
ly isolated and it is not thought
there is any great danger of the
disease spreading.
1t is believed that yellow fever
also prevails to a slight extent in
the city of Santiago.
Under these circumstances the
President asked for a conference OF
the members of his cabinet and the
war board with a view to reaching
some conclusion as to what should
be done.
Gen. Miles in a telegram stated
that the Spaniards have several
times sent in flags of truce asking
for reconsideration of their terms
for capitulation, but so far have
refused to consider unconditional
surrender, which has been de-
manded by Gen. Shafter. 1t is
known that the President and his
advisors have about come to the
conclusion that the enemy has no
intention of acceding to our terms
and that the repeated hoistings OF
the flag of truce is done with the
single purpose of delaying a decis-
i've engagement. It is believed
that at to-day's conference 1T was
fully decided orders should be sent
to Generals Miles and Shafter to
make a general assault upon the
enemy's works as soon as the
weather permitted. 1t is well I'M
derstood that this assault must
necessarily cost many lives and 1t
seems equally certain that to keep
the men much longer in the
trenches under present weather
conditions would be almost as dis
astrous to our forces as a general
enga cement.
1t is also believed that without
there iseal merry material improve
ment in the climatic conditions that
the fall of Santiago and the sur
render of the Spanish army there
will close the campaign against
Cuba until the rainy season shall
have passed. Whether this will in
volve the return of the army TO the
United States is not now known,
but the presumption is that with
the fall of Santiago the army will
be re-embarked on transports and
sent to the United States, where
the troops will remain until Octo-
Der or even later, before making a
general movement on Porto Rico
and Havana. In the meantime
our fleets would maintain a strong
blockade of all the important Cuban
ports, and thus render their oc-
cupation much easier than now.
1t is not thought that this plan
has been fully decided upon, and
later events may make it inadyis-
able to carry it out, but it is
known to have been under con-
sideration. Reports from the front
show that the fleet off Santiago is
almost powerless 10 aid the land
forces in its assault upon the city.
The guns of Moro Castle. it seems,
cannot be reached by our heavy ar
tillery on account of the elevation
and On account of the danger to