The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-15
Fall of Santiago Came as Great
Surprise.
Army and Navy Looked For
Hard Fighting.
EVERYTHING READY
For Opening the Battle on Land
and Sea
When the Spanish Commander
Yielded.

Of. Aguadores. July IA, via Port An
tonic Jamaica. July 15.-Menaced by
American forces on land and sea, dis
heartened by past defeats and without
hope of victory, Gen. Toral yielded MS
city to save his people.
With the final surrender of the Span
ish general Spain's only stronghold IN
the province of Santiago has fallen ana
the power of Spain in eastern Cuba IS
crushed.
What the terms of the surrender were
is not yet known. They may De nlaue
public when Gen. Miles returns from
the front tonight and they may Ds
suppressed for days.
On board the flagship New York II IS
believed that the Spanish officers Will
be permitted to retain their side arms
and the Spanish army will be gwen
safe convoy to Spain Admiral Samp-
son has not yet been informed of the
details of capitulatiOn.
The end came swiftly and unexpect-
edly. The Santiago campaign with its
deeds of splendid daring and dark with
the record of slaughter had been be-
Heved by many men high in rank to
have only just begun. The refusal OF
the Spanish to surrender has been so
emphatic and so recent that both the
army and navy had fOrsahen the idea
of victory without further blOOdshed,
and noon to-day had been set for the
final desperate assault upon the stub
born defences of the city. That its for
tifcatiOns We're strong and its forces
were brave all knew and to-day had
been looked forward to as likely to be
the bloodiest in the history of the cam
paign, and when soon after 2 o'clock
this afternoon Admiral Sampson re-
cfe ha Gen.
ToraI had surrendered the admiral and
his officers scarcely credited the story.
Whether Morro castle and the bat
teries above the harbor will also sur
render is at 8 O'Clock this afternoon
matter of conjecture. At that hour
the Spanish flag still hoated above
Morro and the Spanish forces still clus-
tered above the earthwOrks and bat
teries
With the American army controlling
Santiago however further resistance by
the harbor batteries would be absurd
and their surrender undoubtedly will
quickly follow Gen Skaters occupa-
tion of the town, if indeed the sea front
fortihcations and all others are not in
cluded in the city's capitulatiOn.
When Gen. ToraI on Monday last alb
solutely refused to consider the terms
of unconditional surrender and when
Gen. Shafter announced negotiations at
an end, it was believed that the taking
of the city without further fighting was
an impossi bility. The artillery of the
federal forces was ordered to be rushed
to the front the investing line was ex-
tended to hem in the town completely,
and every preparation was made for
the final assault.
Acting under instructions from
Washington, however. Gen. Shafter
again postponed the attack, and at
conference at which Gen. Miles and
Gen. Toral We're present it was pro-
posed to allow the Spanish officers to
retain their side arms and the Amer
lean commander offered to send the de-
feated army to Spain under convoy and
on parole.
Gen. TOraPS announcement that the
matter would have to be referred to
his government convinced the majority
of the officers at headquarters that
nothing further would come of the ne
gOtiations and an order was issued to
prepare for a general attack at noon
armistice expired. The men at the
front made every preparation for bat
tie, the fleet gathered around the little
bay of Aguadores. ready to hurl shells
over the hill and into the city, and the
combined army and navy forces quietly
and grimly awaited the word of Gen.
Miles.