The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-08
In the Future in Making Invasion of the
Territory Of the Enemy.
OUR SOLDIERS NOW SUFFERING
From the UnpreparednessO o the Comnissary and Quartermaster'sD De-
partment.-No Late News From the ront-.Hastening Departme
of Watson's Fleet.Movement of the Cadiz Fleet a Puzzle.
Capture of the Alfonzo XII-To Raise the Wrecked
Spanish Warships-LMutny of
Spanish Prisoners.

Washington, July 6.-By comparison
with what has COR before, today was
very quiet at the war and navy de-
partments. There were bulletins post
ed in the former department, but there
were none Of more recent date than
yesterday and so far from indicating
an impending battle, the general ten
dency of these bulletins will show
that no forward movement is in i'm
Mediate contemplation. Deep concern
is felt here at the d~eprivations Il
sufferings of our troops lying in
trenches and in field hospitals sur
rounding Santiago and there is every
where a disposition to insist that here
after haste shall be made slowly and
that the equipments of our soldiers,
their commissary and Quartermasters'
supplies containing ammunition and
| their hospital stores shall be complete
in every respect before they advance
| further. This is likely to be the rule
even at the expense of time and in
face Of the criticism Of an element that
has been vehemently insisting upon
pushing the campaign without regard
to cost in blood and money.
Confidence is felt that there will be
no friction between the army and ma
Wy commanders and hat the confer
ence about to take place between them
will result in an agreement upon a
joint plan for the prosecution of the
campaign. In the event that this be-
lief should be not well founded, the
president is prepared to act himself
by orders from first land. There is
much of force in the naval argument
that if Sampson is obliged to enter
! Santiago harbOr before the forts are
captured he will jeorpardize the safe
ty of the whole Of the irOnclad fleet
under his command, since by the sink
ing of one of the ships in the narrow
channel through Spanish mine or shell
the fleet would be left helpless and
exposed to destruction under the guns
of the forts, to which they could
make no reply, owing to the elevation
of the latter.
On the other hand, the army officers
seem to be justified in avoiding the
tremendous sacrifice of lives that
would be involved in again throwing
our soldiers upon the Spanish defenceS
until they have been materially rein
forced in numbers n strengthened
by artillery.
Sampson did not report today at the
navy department, but the war depart
ment sent over a very agreeable mes
sage from Shafter announcing the
readiness of the Spaniards to exchange
HobsOn and his men. 1t is believed
that this was accomplished some time
during the day though notice of it
has not been received.
WATSON'S DEPt RTURE DELAYED
MThe fact that several of the vessels
selected for Watson's fleet were in
the thick of the engagement of July
3rd, promises to delay somewhat the
departure of the eastern squadron for
the shores of Spain. The vessels have
consumed a good deal of coal and
without doubt have expended a large
quantity of their highest grade of am
munitiOn in the furious attack on the
steel warships of the S~paniards. 1t
will be necessary to repleniSh these
stores before the long European voy-
age is begun. However,, Secretary
Long has given r~ush-Orders for the
preparations of this squadron and it
certainly will be off in the course of
q few days.
The movements of the Cadiz fleet
are very puzzling to our experts here.
Weakened as it is by the sending back
of the torpedo bOat deStrOyerS, the
Spanish squadron bound for the Phi
lippines seems destined to go to sure
destruction as did Cervera's unIucky
ships when they headed westward
from the Cape Verde islands. The
Spaniards. without doubt, are fully
aware of the inferiority of their fleet
and why they persist in sending it to
be sunk in the Philippines is a mys-
terry. The navy department was ad-
vised today that the squadron was
passing through the Suez canal and
as the vessels must lave paid the
heavy toll required in advance the in
dications are now regarded as conclu-
sive that the ships are actually bound
for the Philippines. This belief slim
ulates the preparations here for Wat
sons sailing. He will strike straight
after Camara, who in the end is DOOM
ed to be caught between Watson and
Dewey.
The report that the fine ship Yankee,
lying at Tompkinsville, just from Gu
ba, has yellow fever aboard. caused a
good deal of worry at the department
until Captain Brownson telegraphed
during the day that there was abso-
lutely no fever on the ship n that
she was not in quarantine.
CAPTURE OF THE ALFONSO XII.
Secretary Long regarded the report
that the Alfonso XII had been destroy
ed while trying to run the Havana
blockade as the best news of the day.
1t had not come to him in any direct
official way, but through a report from
General Greedy, chief signal officer, who
had received a cipher message stating
briefly that the Spanish ship, had been
overhauled near ,Mariel, while trying
TO get through the blockade, and was
a total loss as a result of the fire upon
her. Both the secretary and General
Greedy regarded the report as anthem
tic, but there was a desire to get more
details, as this h a been something of
a spectral ship b Alfonso XII is
an iron gunboat with one screw, one
funnel and one military mast, barque
rugged, 2SO4 feet long. 4S feet beam and
13 feet draught. She has a displace-
ment of 5000 tons.- She has a speed OF
.sr17 knots at short distances and an
leverage speed of IA 'knoss. She car
ried eighteen large guns. III machine
guns and five" torpedo tubes. Her
Officers and crew numbered so men,
Secretary Long is quite hopefuf thai
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