Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-06-16
LEAVES KEY WEST.
First Expedition of the Invasion
Under Leadership Of Shafter.
Next Movement to Porto RIcO-Gen. Miles
Gives Detailed Instructions to Cop
PLACER and Lee - Combined
Attack on San Juan.

PLACER and Lee 49, Combined
Attack on San Juan.
WASHINGTON, June t3. Under COM
mand of Maj. Gen. Shafter the First
division of the United States army
sailed yesterday from Key West for
Santiago de Cuba, to besiege and cap
ture that town. The army transports,
80 in number, left Port Tampa Satur-
day and stopped at Key West. The
conveying warships, numbering be-
tween is and 10, we're ready when the
transports arrived at Key West, and
with this powerful force there is no
longer reason for apprehension that
the transports can be attacked sue
cessfully by any Spanish warships,
even II some should have escaped the
vigilant search of the naval command
ers at Key West and off Havana.
Every precaution has been taken by
the government to insure the safety of
the troops en- route to Cuba. The
naval war board was in session yester-
day, making the final preparations for
the disposition of the guard ships.
The transports will be kept as closely
together as safe navigation will per-
nit and the warships will be disposed
ahead, astern and on either flank. The
feetest running vessels will be thrown
far out in advance of the transports
and, in order to insure against an at
tack from the rear, some OF these ves-
sells, such as the ST. Louis, perhaps,
will linger far astern, ready to signal
the heavily armed cruisers at the first
sign OF an approaching foe. The
stately battleship Indiana, 1t is eX-
pected, will lead the procession of
ships, which will be the most numer-
GUS gathered in American waters since
the civil war.
The troops should arrive off Santiago
by Wednesday night, supposing the
feet proceeds ut eight knots speed, and
landing operations should begin by
Thursday, for Gen. Shafter will not
keep his men cooped up on shipboard
moment longer than necessary. 1t
is not believed that they will be landed
at Caimanera, the point on Guanta-
namo bay, where the American flag
now flies over the heads of SIMPSONS
marines, as that place, while well
adapted to serve as a naval base and
as harbor of refuge for the Ameri-
can warships, is not particularly we'll
suited for the beginning of military
operations.
In ten days time, unless unforeseen
obstacles are encountered the move
ment upon Porto Rico will begin.
The war department has been in close
communication with Gen. Miles at
Tampa, and all of the necessary in
structions have been given to the COM
manding general for the preparation
Of the military forces to be used in
this part of the campaign. Cen. Miles,
in turn, has been consulting Gems.
Coppinger and Lee at Jacksonville,
giving the necessary detailed instruc-
tions, and all is so near ready that,
were some essential supplies on hand,
the expedition could start within ~
hours.
The navy department has been ad-
vised of the purpose of the army, and
the war board yesterday was making
arrangements for the supply of the
conveying fleet This will be of a
more formidable character than that
which goes with the Santiago eXpedi-
ton, for the plans contemplate joint
attack upon the San Juan fortifica-
tions by the army and navy, and these
Notifications are so powerful that
heavily-armored ships only can be
sent against them at the beginning.
Therefore, it is believed that Samp-
sons battleships will head this fleet
Now that Sampson has taken up a
position ashore in Guantanamo bay it
is expected at the navy department
that he will soon be in direct cable
communication with the department,
which will greatly facilitate the COM
bined operation of the navy and army.
The cable he cut just before landing
the marines was buoyed, and as soon
as cable operators and instruments can
be gotten over from Hayti, the cable
will be opened again.