The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-01

could easily shoot into the city FSeiI-
For from this eminence. just over the
Rio Guiana, the intrenchments OF Lnares
are so near that we can Sc the buttons
shine on The officers uniforms, and the CITY
itself is not much more than four miles
away. But the siege guns are not here
yet; they can't get here before Tuesday,
and coolheaded General Shafter will not
let the army go into the big tight without
them.
He hasn't an easy task 10 keep his men
back. They are chafng for chance TO
make a rush at those intrenchments and
rife pits, to storm the hills, to sweep up
70 the blockhouses and run over the bat
teries. But old "Pecos Bill' Shafter
doesn't propose to run any unnecessary
risks.
Mounted in some of these intrenchments
are few modern guns and more ancient
ones, all capable of killing men who at
tempt TO rush upon them. In some Of
those blockhouses are machine guns,
which If well served could NOW down com
panies and decimate regiments.
Then, again, there is the barbed wire.
This is a new feature in warfare. The
Spanlards have set four succeeding rows
Of posts in front Of their entertainments
and rifle pits, and on these posts barbed
wire is heavily strung. Between the four
lines is tangle of the same barbed wire.
The Idea is, of course, to hold the Ameri-
can troops at this wire cheveaux de frise
while the Mausers and the Remingtons,
the machine guns and the great cannon,
shoot the struggling men to death.
SO General Shafter proposes to knock
few of those guns to pieces and fill few
Of those entertainments wit hdead Span
iards before permitting his hot-blooded
young men to attempt the grand charge.
He has more respect for the courage and
gunnery of the Spaniards than the men
have. or the younger officers.
Cubans who have come out of the city Of
Santiago report a condition Of panic there.
They say the Spanish troops are affected
and are ready to run. The widest stories
are out as to the size of the American
army and its armament.
The general belief is that General Shat
ter has between 10000 and 80 900 men. with
great guns of tremendous range and
power, dynamite throwers of miraculous
destructive force, and wor balloons which
clouds.
General Wheeler was eager to take adj
vantage of this panicky feeling and make
bold dash at the enemy-barbed wire,
rifle pits, batteries, machine guns and all.
Most of the officers on this fighting line
were praying that Wheeer's idea would
prevail But Shafter said "No." and a
very determined mo" it was too.
The old man wanted to get his round
paunch up TO the front and take a look at
things before he gave that order for the
charge. He wanted TO get the idea of
his engineers about the best way for get
ting through the barbed wire And he
wanted to make sure of good artillery sup
port for the cheering legions who were 70
make the grand rush. So he said, Wait
for the heavy artillery"
1T is very well to say Wait" grumbled
one Of the new officers. not yet accus-
toned to taking orders calmy. Here we
are looking into the whites of the Span
ialds eyes. and ii isn't in human power to
prevent a scrap
That is all very true, 100. and a shot at
any time is apt to start a sCrimmage. The
question is when our boys get going. how
far will they go before they stop? They
are not yet seasoned to falling prone
under fire and staying pat until reinforce
ments arrive, and they are full of dash
and pluck.
So. orders or no orers. siege guns or no
siege guns. some good fighting is apt to
brake out at any moment. and once the
firing starts there is no telling what will
| come Of it.
The Seventh regulars. Colonel Benham
are out here in front. with bands OF
Cubans thrown out well ahead and on the
nanks, doing scout duty. These Cubans
are on the edge OF kicking up a scrimmaSa
any time This thing OF three meals day
is making them feel their oats" and they
like to show off their lighting ability
before the Americans. They are in camT
not more than mile and "a half from the
! Spanish outposts on the san Juan hills
/ They shoot now and then.
/ Backing up Colonel Benham is the entire
4 First Brigade. the Second Massachusetts
/ volunteers being with the force. Gener.
ais Wheeler and Strong are In command
/ The Rough Riders are camped where they
/ took their hammering the other day. and
/ the rest Of the army is pnshing r.sh; along
/ on the hills between BaiQu:si and S.boney
| Everybody is asking about the sieE,
guns They are being landed and Will h'
/ moved up the old roads from Siboney
| These roads have been badly neglected il
/ recen, years but they are far ahead O
! the mule pa,hs leading in from Bajquiri.
! Wen sc; the big guns up by Tuesday
! said an engineer officer, but 20 a civilian
! the task seems beyond human jnsenui,,
and endurance. The old roads are onll
I four feet wide. our big guns track 81,
feet. There's The rub.
From this advanced position. however
there Is fire fighting ground. the countr.
being open and comparatively level. To
day. from a ire on a hill. your correspond
enc looked over the scene. seeing the nos
I pital flag in Santiago. the busy work ol
/ the san Luis batteries. and the genera
scheme OF defence arranged by Genera
( Linares.
There are blockhouses on every hjl
/ These are new structures, the Cuhans de
/ ciaring that most of them have been ere
ted since the American fleet appeared Of
| the harbor. Then from the hsrbor ba;
terles. sweeping in a semi-circle 20 n
eastward Of the city are the fresh ear,l
marks Of the rife pits and enreuchueut
These seem 70 have been arraneed Wit
some skin. the first lines being commands
by those behind them In a way 70 max
the retreat easy for the defenders an
4 daneerous FOR the aSSSsiS1cs