El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-07-12
SANTIAGO
Terrible Effect of the Bombard-
ment.

still contains the telegraph station
Gen. Miles arrived at the front thii
morning. Fighting has been resumed
Shafter now has reinforcements. The
battle will be pressed with vigor il
surrender is not made in few hours
WASHINGTON, July 12.-The follow
ing was received at the war department
this morning: Playa del Este, vis
Hayti, July 12.-Adjutant general,
Washington; Headquarters of Fifth
Army Corps.-It has been very quiet,
with but little fighting. Under q flag
of truce since 2 O'Clock the enemy have
been considering the proposition of
surrendering.
I now have the town surrounded on
the north line. This was completed at
5 P. M. by Gen. Ludlow right down to
the bay. The line is rather thin, but
we will have it strengthened in the
morning by General Henry, who has
just arrived at headquarters. There
have been three or four csusalties, one
killed as far as I can learn.
expect to have the new batteries in
position tomorrow. There is q great
deal of suffering among the people who
have gone out of Santiago. I am doing
my best to relieve it. SHAFTER.
WASHINGTON, July 12.-From dis
patches received this morning it is evil
dent that yesterdays firing was most
destructive, and that Santiago is at the
mercy of the Americans.
simultaneously with the havoc
caused by the shells of the bsttleships
the army batteries in the rifle pits
poured in their deadly fire. One hun-
dred and one of the LOG shells from the
ships landed squsrely in the city, over
six miles distant from the ships. Many
of the finest buildings in the city were
reduced to dust.
The slaughter and devastation be-
came so sickening to the sight that
Shafter again sent word begging the
surrender of the city before it was en-
tirely destroyed. The Spaniards
fought like demons. but were driven
back at every attempt that savored of
q sortie.
y
distance between the rifle pits of our
men and those of the Spsniards. It is
the judgment of all non-combatantsa and
newspaper men and repre- sentatives of
foreign governments that the Span
iards are already defeated while the
Americans have just begun the fight.
WASHINGTON, July II The arrival
Of Gen. Miles at Santiago affords the
greatest relief to the president and the
authorities at Washington who have
been harrassed by great anxiety dur
ing the past week due for the most
part to Skaters serious illness, which
prevented him from giving close per-
sonsl attention to all details of the
operations which is considered an es-
sential to military success.
Fortunately Skaters condition has
materially improved within the past
few days, but he is handi-
capped by his excessive ply
sicsl proportions, together with in
experience in such vast campaign
as is now threatening, and the sutho-
rites are glad he is to have the advice
OF the commanding general OF the army
in the crisis which is now at hand.
Ofcourse Gen. Miles will not assume
direct personal control of the troops
just now, unless Shafter should become
altogether incapacitated, but of that
condition, by virtue of his high
Office and seniority, Miles has become
sole Judge. He will probably not is
sue any formal orders to Shafter un-
less convinced that the latter cannot
be trusted with all responsibilities.
Unless Gen. Miles interferes, Shafter
will have full sweep of authority, just
as if Miles remained at Washington.
But in case Miles sees affairs going
wrong he will be compelled to exercise
the prerogative of commanding
general of the entire military force.
Tho United States regulations fix the
responsibility of defeat on the senior
officer present.
WASHINGTON, July 12.-Secretary
Alger weyt to the white house soon sf-
ter IL o'clock for the purpose of
consulting with the president in refer
ence to the last dispatch from Shafter.
The message is supposed to have
contained some statements which were
not given to the press, and it is prob
able that some new proposition would
be submitted by the Spanish general
in command of the forces at Santiago.
Whatever the terms were, there is
no probability that the government
will accept any proposition which
implies anything but unconditional
surrender.
| WASHINGTON, July 12.-Hearty sa-
tisfaction is left by the war depart
ment over the official news that the
American lines now completely sur
round Santiago, even though these
lines must be strengthened before ab-
solutely shutting in the Spanish gar.
risOn.
This strengthening process is doubt
less being effected today, and the fear
of the administration that the troops