Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-06-30
HOURS
shafter Says He Can Take
Santiago in This Time.
ARMIESEVENLY MATCHED
spanish However. Have the Advantage in
os'tioh' Being Thoroughly Entr.nch.
Gu and Behind Barbed Wire
Fences and Block Houses.
(By Teleprapbe

WASHINGTON. June 2e.-Tha ami,
ION prevails here that within a day or
s"o at most General Shafter will ho,,a
.;s ms attack upon the city of San
rs proper. The important event OF
'he gay was the generals announce
.i'eIlt that he could take the CITY In
~ -eisht hours, but at considerable
o'. taken IN connection with the an
oa',ce'heht contained In another dis
p,.eh ina he is going to attack With
80 '"a'Itls relnforceinents. it will be
seen mat the officials have ground for
their expectation that the first panar,I
enlightenment OF the war will begin in "a
very snort time Numerically the, ON,
p9'ns armies are not Very different
.'e es,llhAte OF the Spanish force being
~ q. ifooo men, thoroughly en-
trehcheu and behind barbed w,ra fancasg
and block houses. as apains, ,h,,.
Voo men under Skaters command ali
eu py 4.o0O Cubnns. One of the ravas+
Clements In the problem. however Is9
t!'e spanish WarshipS. for unless Shaft
Ct is materially assisted by Sampson %
VINO might engage the fun attention ~.
~. ne spanish warships. their fire upon Y
lhe american advance forces would he
very hard to meet The military au-5
thorities here say that General I.inares
mas shown great military tact in slow
~ retiring during the last few days. as
he has gradually drawn our rroons
L.
can ships and brought them close To
the lire OF the Spanish ships in Santi-
aso harpor. For this reason it was
with relief that the announcement was
received that Shafter had succeeded In
iand!ns all OF his artillery. including
ms siege train, for unless Sampson can
De relied upon to force his way into the
harbor and attack the Spanish ships
the siege guns planted on heights com
handing the bay would be the main
reliance of General Shafter in offsettinE
the presence of the Spanish ironclads.
Undoubtedly Shafter is animated to
aItack as soon as possible by his
knowledge Of the approach of the rein
torcements for Linares from Manga
milo, for with this additional force
Skaters position would be disagreea-
bic II not perilous, at least until he had
received achievements. The War De-
partrnent received the first definite
news today as to the approach OF these;
Spanish rei-lforcements.$ This was in
an Official dispatch. stating that's
men. with pack trains and sffro--.=44zsS,f,g
animals, we5s@&aResafssrEEaaEl from Mansa.
mile ---.1o We're 81 miles from Santiago.
It has been known through reports
from Lieutenant Joyce, made to Cen
eral Miles, that the Spaniards have H.
700 men at Manzanillo and 10000 at
Holguin. and every precaution has been
taken to guard against their advance
from either quarter. The official re-
port today showed that 5000 Of those at
Manzanillo had covered half the dist
ance to Santiago and 1t is the belief OF
military officials here that General
Pando is making similar advance with
his 10000 men from Holguin. These adj
vances. now practically unopposed, are
regarded as one of the most serious
phases of the situation.
There Is the further element to which
the military authorities are giving
careful attention. that one man In
trenched behind earthworks or In rifle
pits. Is worth three men on the Open
1T is said that the battles or Chancel-
louisville and Spottsylvania awarded the
most direct proof on this point
1t was announced at the War Depart
ment that by their reports 5000 soldiers
should be leaving Tampa today to Ioin
Shafter. They will be three or four
days on the voyage and it is probable
that 1t Is this force that General Shaft
er refers to as likely to arrive too late
for his action.
The Navy Department today gave
out a message from Admiral Dewey
which was brought To Hong Kong by
the Mccullough, SO that it must have
left Cavite on the 23rd. The admiral
made no reference to the landing of
are satisfied that Germany is acting In
good faith and according to the rules of
! neutrality.
The report that tie Egyptian govern
ment had finally refused coal to Ca
mara's fleet at Port Said. has not yet
been officially confirmed, but its accu-
racy is not questioned. There Is still
some doubt whether this refusal in it
| self will operate to prevent the further
movement of the Spanish squadron to-
ward the Philippines, as Madrid adj
vices alleged purpose on the part OF
the Spanish government to send add
tional golfers with the expedition to
overcome the refusal of the various
ports along the way to the Philippines
to supply coal. There is q strong i'm
| preston. however. that the Spanish
| government will avail itself Of the pre-
! text afforded by this refusal to turn
| the fleet back to Spain.