The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-07-01
SKATER AT THE FRONT.
Commanders Quarters Are Now
With General Wheeler.
RUSHING THE HEAVY ARTILLERY

To the Front Is Taxing the Energies of Of
ticers and Men-The Spaniards in Santi-
ago Are Endeavoring to Protect Large
Buildings by an Indiscriminate Display
of the Red Cross Flag-Spanish Forts
Refuse to Fire on Our Warships.
Playa Del Este, Cuba, July lit is
believed that General CaliXto Garcia,
whose forces were taken to the east
border to cooperate with the United
States army in the capture of San
tiago de Cuba, will be sent back with
5000 of his men to stop the advance
of General Pando, the Spanish COM
mander, who, with 1900 troops, many
pack horses and a quantity of cattle
on the hoof, has arrived at a point II
miles from Manzanillo, going east to-
7 WeGds-Santiago de Cuba. According
to information which rcGtneGS &c flag
ship New York yesterday from Colonel
Rios, in command of the Cuban camp,
General Pando started from Manzan-
lilo on June %, and is travelling at the
rate of IL miles a day. The distance
to Santiago de Cuba is 1877 miles, and
the roads leading there are rough and
difficult to travel. The Cubans now op-
posing General Pand,r number only
about 200 men.
General Shafter left his ship on
Wednesday and tool up his quarters
with General Wheeler at the front. His
appearance there gave rise to the ru-
NOR that an attack on Santiago would
occur at once. but the staff officers
say it is impossible to get the army in
shape to strike a blow for several days.
About 1000 troops are camped four
miles east of the city, and the remain
der of the forces stretch along the road
from there to Juragua and Baiquiri.
The advance forces are in a semi
} circle, the left flank resting about two
miles from the sea, under the command
of General Chaffee, with the extreme
right, under the command of Colonel
Miles, about a mile to the northwest.
Beginning with the Twelfth infantry at
the extreme left, the Seventh, Seven
teenth, Fourth, Twenty-fifth and Tenth
infantry extends to the right in the
order named. Beyond them picket
lines are established three-quarters Of
a mile nearer, Santiago city being in
plain sight of General Chaffee's and
Colonel Miles troops.
The forces of the American army are
being modified as rapidly as possible
In the vicinity of Aguadores, -four miles
from Santiago de Cuba. The moment
the tedious task is completed the at
tack on SPANS last ditch in eastern
Cuba will be begun. When that will
be, General Shafter cannot say.
The troops can be moved without
serious delay, and are pushing forward
rapidly, but the movement of the
) pack trains, wagons, ambulances and
artillery is taxing the skill and endur-
ance of the officers and men to the
utmost. From Balquiri, where the ar,
; tillery was landed, to the present point
of concentration. the road runs
through a tangle of tropical under
growth, up and down steep hillsides
and over treacherOus swamp bordered
streams for distance of over - miles
Through this continuous thicket the
ltdl budlu vi nv al IL lo bhAllAl6 llE
way. Engineers are at work ~leveling
the track and filling pits, while a large
force of regulars and volunteers with
axes, aided by Cubans with machetes
/ are hacking down trees and clearing
S out the brush, A few light guns have
already reached this port, but the
seige guns are not yet within five miles
of the vanguard.
0 Much amusement has been caused
& among the officers by the large num-
Der of Red Cross flags flying from the
buildings in Santiago. Seven such
flags were counted Wednesday. They
y are all flying from the largest and most
o prominent buildings, and our officers
say the Spanish soldiers evidently thus
try to protect every place in the city
Offering a good mark for the Ameri-
can artillery.
For the past day or two the landing
places have been without incident
> The hospital corps has finished its
camp, and several patients are already
undergoing treatment, There are quite
q a few cases of measles under the care
of the physicians, but a majority Of
= the cases of sickness result from the
heat and the extreme hardships the
men have undergone, particularly Ii
, waiting for shelter and food durinl
/ the landing off Santiago.
a The fleet lies silently and grimly
, waiting for the moment to come wher