The San Francisco call., 1898-08-05

Special cable to The Call and the New York
 Herald Copyrighted, 1898. by James Cor
 don Bennett.
 PONCE, Porto Rico, Aug. 3.-By The
 Call Herald dispatch boat to St. Thomas, D: w L, Aug. 4.-Major Gen eral Miles, having received information
 that the fine military road from Ponce
 to San Juan had been mined by the I Spaniards, has formed practically a
 new plan for the Porto Rican cam paign. In accordance with this new plan General Stone, with some of the |. Wisconsin troops, is pressing rapidly toward Arecibo on the northern coast of the island, and General Brooke, who
 has arrived with General Harris and
 1900 men, will advance toward San Juan from Arroyo. By this plan Gen.
 eral Miles will avoid risking the lives of the American troops through the ex-
 plosion of mines along the military road and the use of explosives which the Spaniards have hidden In the bushes along the way. At the same
 time he will foil a considerable body of Spanish troops in the town of Al bonito, where the enemy is. understood to be ready to make a strong resist ,ance
 The unsafe portion of the military road, by the reports brought to Gen. eral Miles; lies between Juan Diaz and A1bonito. General Stone, after occu- pying Adjuntas to the north of Ponce, has taken Company c, Second Wiscon- sin Regiment, as far north. as Utuado, fifteen miles beyond Adjuntas. This road is not adapted to the transporta- tion of artillery and wagons, but cav airy and infantry will have no diffi- culty in advancing by this route to ,Arecibo, from which point the railroad and a good dirt road extend to San Juan. The artillery and wagons will be sent by transports to Arecibo, and 1t will be a simple matter to take them with the army toward San Juan. While the Spanish capital is being threatened from the west by the ad- vance of General Stones troops, the troops under General Brooke and Gen eral Harris. will be moving from Ar royo to Cayey, where they will seize the military road beyond the danger points, and from which place the Americans can advance rapidly upon San Juan.
 The Spanish troops who are prepar- ing to resist the Americans at Aibo- nito, unless they make forced march from that place toward San Juan, are likely to find themselves beset by the American troops on both sides. The Americans who landed at Ponce are steadily pushing forward, and their outposts now are twenty miles beyond this city. No large forces of Spaniards have been encountered and the Stars and Stripes are waving over all the towns. Our troops are be- ing welcomed everywhere with enthu- siasm. The important town of Coamo is still unoccupied by the American troops. At dusk on Monday a recon noitering party under Lieutenant Fin nerty advanced to the suburbs. Think ing there was no considerable force near they at once opened fire upon the volunteer picket which was inoffensive- ly observing the approach of the sol diers The volunteers immediately fled from the town without returning the fire of the Americans. Our soldiers | numbered less than twenty. Believing opposed by strong Span- l Ish force they retired and retraced their | way to Juan Diaz. I went six miles | beyond our picket lines to-day, which | are now a mile beyond Juan Daz. From where I stopped I could see the picturesque village of Coamo nestling | among the hills. I met several of the | who showed an exceedingly friendly disposition toward the Ameri- ,an people. They said they were anx-