The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-08
SIMPSONS DISPATCH

To tho Navy Department hnnou nclnE
That lie Had si;enced the sanlingoFor-.
stifcntions =. Officials Deny that Any
Troops Have Been Landed.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 7.-At
7:15 this evening the navy department
received a dispatch from Admiral Samp-
son announcing that between 1880 and
10 o'clock yesterday morning he bonn
barded the, Santiago Notifications and
entirely silenced them. *
WASHINGTON. D. c., June 7.-Start:
Ing out with strong belief that there
had been nothing In the nature OF Il
serious engagement between Simpsons
forces and the Spanish defenses ut San
tiago, the, navy department officials, as
the day wore on. and the full detailed
reports OF the Associated Press from It's
correspondents with the fleet began to
flow In, were compelled to modify their
view, Ind when the day closed they were
about readysto admit that, though with
out official lnformat!onyo on the subject,
1t was evident that Sampson had made
strong attack upon the Spanish force.
The one point upon which. they main
luGl W Elllhl llO
troops had been landed. They were pre-
pared to admit that Sampson might be
clearing the way with his big guns for
the landing OF troops, or that possibly
some marines had been landed tempo
rarily, but that forces had been put
ashore they would not admit, for the
reason that no Information had reached
the war department of the actual dcpar-
ture OF the soldiers from the Gulf ports
OF Cuba, 1t Is not denied, however, that
every effort Is making to put the troops
into Cuba at the earliest possible mo-
ment, and this afternoon 1t Is believed
although no official advIces to that ef-
feet were at hand. that troops have ac-
tually been embarking at Tampa to-day
and may get away tonight.
The reason for this belief Is found In
the admission by officials that the troops
have been under orders to embark for
some time past. The difficulty that pre-
sented itself was the absence OF abso-
lutely necessary supplies. which In most
cases were stored away In some Of the
thousands OF freight cars which blocked
the railroad tracks many miles out from
Tampa. The orders that went forward
yesterday were of O character to cause
speedy breaking of the. deadlock, and
IL the troops now have their supplies,
which is believed to be the case, there
Is no reason why they should not sail
at once for Santiago. 4:
BY the newspaper reports OF the
brcech Sampson has made in the coast
defenses, there la every reason 10 be-
l!eve that little difficulty viii be found
in the actual debarkation Of the troops
particularly If marines are already
ashore to guard the ldnding. A sus-
pIcjon is entertained in some quarters
that Sampson was hastened In his move
ments at Santiago by the news Of the
intended departure OF the troops from
Tampa, nnd made this attack In order
that the navy alone might have the hon
or OF effectIng the first occupation OF
Cuban SOIL 1t is likely that the first
troops of the regular army to take up a
position ashore will be the engineer bnt-
talon, although they, are SO badly ham,
pered by the heavy Siege trains they
carry that they must be greatly delayed
in making a landing.
q. The extent Of Sampson's attack on the
Santiago defenses has brought out one
fact very clearly, namely, that he has
practically unlimited power us to the
tinlc and character OF an attack. and
that hc Is tunhampercd by restrictions
from Washington. The exact nature;
OF his orders has never been made pub
lie, but naval official in n aposition
to know what they arc said that hd-
miral Sampson:had greater power con-,
ferrcd upon him tht had ever. been given
to any chief. 1t was for
him to decide on lhe time for an ut.
tack and the place and manner Of its
execution. He mny attack before
troops arrive or. In his discretion, act
without the co-operatIon OF troops. Or
if circumstances warrant he may re-
frnln from any operations. In, short, It
Ia said ,that Admiral Sampson Is COM,
plete master OF the tnctlcal and strait,
eglc operations by the naval forces on
Santiago. \ 81 Z, 4i % 4; y, 4, 45.2.
K Under these circumstances the naval
authorities here have no means OF
knowing when n battle IL TO be ex-
pectcd or what Tho line of action Is
to be- y i5.5. Y y; sS
1T will bc good news5 for the many
porsonsiinterestcd directly orindlrcctly
lnSclalms against the Spanish Eovcrn-;
ment growing out OF ill-Gentmentl In
Cuba, or loas TO property sustained
there, 10 know thlt the etnte dppart-