Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-07-21


can waters. This announcement is Of
fetal. 1t is expected to remove serl-
Gus obstacle to peace, and to give Spain
the opportunity to take the initiative IN
seeking an honorable settlement.
The irritation Of the authorities over
the friction between the military and
naval commanders at Santiago culmi-
mating in the failure OF Admiral Samp-
son to support General Miles's expedi.
ton in accordance with the orders sent
him last week, has grown very acute
now that General Wilson's force has
gone to sea without armed convoy and
NAV reach the Porto Rico coast ahead
of General Miles and the naval con-
ncent. Secretary Alger expressed
some fear this morning that this would
be the case. He said General Wilson
and his first brigade which left Charles
ton last night would proceed directly
t The east coast of Porto Rico, expect.
,ng to ind General Miles and The navy
already there. If Admiral Sampson
q lables General Miles to leave Guam
tunamo to-day the expedition may yet
reach the rendezvous at Fajardo,
the northeastern part of Porto Rico,
bef,re Gen. Wilson. Secretary Alger
adue /, however, that he had not heard
from Gen. Miles since yesterday and
did not know what the prospects were
for immediate departure. He did not
conceal his apprehension that dangers
threatened Gen. Wilson in approach
ing the Porto Rican coast expecting TO
fad security there, for possibly Span
ish gunboat might be lying in wait for
him. What the navy is waiting at San
tiago for the authorities are perplexed
10 imagine. The war. as far as that
city is concerned, is ended, the block
ade o. been formally removed, and Of.
fcers say there is no earthly use iii
Sampson keeping his big ships there
waen so much work is waiting at Porto
Rico. 1t is understood that the Navy
Department has exhausted every effort
10 find ont the cause of the delay, but
has been unable TO reach the Admiral.
The arrangements for the return OF
| he Santiago prisoners to Spain Is very
satisfactory. Contracting with Spanish
vessels is regarded as very wise
move, as it has relieved the War De-
partment of the necessity of
furnishing conveys. The departure
will. see the prisoners safely on
board and quartered according TO
contract. Naval vessels will escort
them through American lines. The
safe delivery and care OF the prisoners
will then be left to The contracting par
ties who can be called to account by the
Spanish government in case they do
not treat the men properly. American
officers will make careful inspection
of the vessels and their provisions.
Spanish officers will be furnished with
copies of the contract with the steam.
ship companies so that they may insist
on having its provisions fulfilled. OF
the vessels chartered several of the
larger ones are now in ordinary" st
Gibraltar. Orders will be sent to them
TO proceed immediately to Santiago.
Admiral Sampson has informed the
Navy Department that the transport
fleet at Guantanamo will start as soon
ms the cruiser Columbia has finished
cooling, probably to-day. This message
was in response to orders telegraphed
to Admiral Sampson at , o'clock this
morning directing him to furnish a
sufficient convoy for the troopships i'm
mediately Tho orders were sent from
the White House and were the result
of impotence over the delay in getting
the expedition of. 1t appears that
there has been some spicy correspon-
dence between Admiral Sampson and
General Miles, which, however, has
been amicably adjusted. Gen. Miles
asked for an adequate convoy but
Admiral Sampson said that all he
could furnish at that time were the
Columbia and the Yale and later OF
me Cincinnati, ard the New Orleans.
Gen. Miles would not sail with such a
small escort and reported to the War
Department that ne could not leave on
account of the delay OF the navy in fur
nishing conveys. The President took
matters into his own hands and sent
the most positive orders to Admiral
Sampson to comply with Gen. Miles's
wishes so that the transport fleet could
leave Immediately. The escort proper
will consist of the battleship Indiana
and the cruisers Columbia, Cincinnati,
New Orleans and Yale. A number of
battleships and other cruisers will pro.
ceed to Porto Rico as soon as they can
he made ready for service.
The condition OF the Seneca upon
her arrival at New York, Surgeon Gen
eral Stern5erg said to-day, must rest
with the general commanding at San
tiago, who was responsible for the yes
sci when she departed and should have
seen that she was properly supplied
with everything required for sick and
wounded. General Sternberg says
further that the Seneca was never in,
tended for hospital ship and never
should have been used for such pur.
poses. He intends to carefully invest-
gate the matter and place the RESPONSE
bility where it belongs.
The following was posted at the
Navy Department this morning:
Hone KONG, July 20-CAyITE, July
11-Situation unchanged. Second
army detachment arrived to-day. All
we'll on board. The health of the
squadron continues good. No sickness
IL yet. DEWEY.
A Virginia republican here to-day
says his party in mis- State is in any
thing else than good condition; that
the men who had secured the offices
were not popular with the others, and
that the negroes, its main reliance,
were 30 dissatisfied with it that many
of them would help the democrats at
the fall election. He said Mr.. Walker,