The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-05

that advise the foreign women ana
children that they must leave the city
before 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, le
Is my duty 10 soy to you that this city
will not surrender, and that I WI ln-
form the foreign consuis and Inhanls
tants OF the contents OF your message.
Very respectfully,
(siGned) JOSE TORAIS
Chief Fourth Corps
The British, Portuguese, Chinese and
Norwegian consuIs have come to my
line with Colonel Dorst They ask Y
non-combatants can occupy che town OF
Caney and railroad points, and ask IN
I'll 10 o'clock OF the 9Th Inst, before the
city Is fred on. They claim that there
are between fifteen and twenty thou.
sand people, many OF them old, who VIII
leave. They ask II can supply them
with food which cannot do for want Of
transportation to Capey, which is ht-
teen miles from my landing. The foi-
lowing Is my reply:
The commanding general, Spanish
forces, Santiago de Cuba.
SIR:-In consideration OF the request
Of the consuls and officers In your eity
for delay in carrying out my intention
to fire on the city, and in the interest OF
the poor women and children who Will
suffer greatly by their nasty and en-
forced departure from the city. have
the honor to announce that win delay
such action solely in their interest un-
til noon OF the 9Th, providing during the
Interval your forces make no demon.
stration whatever upon those OF my
own.
am with HYPRak RAlnaNt- R6llF 0lns
Csigned.) W. R. SKATER,
Commanding Major General.
Master OF the Situation.
Skaters other dispatches breathe the
same air OF confidence and determlna-
tion as shown In his demand on the
Spanish commander. The first one
made public during the day stated that
his lines completely surrounded the
town from the bay on the north to the
north to the San Juan river On the
gouth, leaving the city thus enveloped
by a stretch OF water on one side ana
stretch Of frowning American guns
on the other. In another dispatch Gem
eral Shafter epltomized the strength Of
his position by saying;
II feel that am master OF the sltua-
ton and can hold the enemy for any
length OF time"
IN another dispatch General shafter
states that his demand for the surren-
der OF Santiago Is still being conalder-
ed BY the Spanish authorities, which he
dicates that the refusal Of the Spanish
commander to capitulate WaG not hnaL
In any event, 12 o'clock on Tuesday,
marks the limit Of Skaters concession,
and II Santiago has not capltulAted at
that hour, the great siege guns now
brought to the front and in position,
backed by the batteries OF lighter Held
pieces, will begin their work OF destrnc-
lion.
The pressing need OF reinforcing
Shafter is no longer felt, now that the
Spanish feet is out Of the way. A con-
siderable number Of men, however, are
already on the way and others viii tol-
low.
The changed naval situation will
bring no abatement in the activity OF
the authorities here in carrying the
war directly home to Spain.
There Is renewed determination to
get Commodore WatSon'B eastern
squadron away at the earliest moment
for the double purpose Of striking q
blow at the coast towns Of Spain and Of
pursuing Admiral Camar1'S fleet which
has halted at the entrance OF the SueE
canal. Secretary Long made the ohicinl
statement to-day that the feet would
sail at the earliest possible moment ana
although he did not so into details as to
Its purpose It Is well understood that =
viii devote its attention to the Spanish
coast and TO Camara. The destruction
OF the Spanish fleet at Santiago relieves
Admiral Sampson from surveillance OF
this squadron, and he can readily spare
the ships intended for the attack on the
Spanish coast.
win be Admiral tn Fact.
It has been Acting Sampson for some
time, but that It will be Admiral Samp-
ron IN fact as we'll as IN name is the
prevailing feeling In naval circles as q
result OF the victory reported by the
American admiral. Shortly after tha
war broke out Captain Sampson was
made acting admiral in order 90 give
him rank fitting his high command,
although his natural naval rank re-
mains at captain. By singular coln-
cidence his rank was advanced to-day
to that OF commodore. owing to the
retirement OF Admiral Kirkland IN the
event Of his now being made an admir-
al, It would advance him over the ten
commOdores making up the list of that
grade and would place him Just below
that very famous hero OF the war,
Admiral Dewey.
It Is OF course purely coniectural thus
far, but It Is n conjecture which re-
ceIves such common acceptance in ma
val quarters that Il Is most likely to be
realized.
The release OF HobSon and the other
heroes Of the Merrlmac incident 10 ike
lV to be another result OF the events
trRnsplring to-day. II may now come
about either by the surrender OF the
city which would include the surrender
OF Hobson and other American prison.
ers In the city or else by the exchange
OF HobsOn for Admiral Cervera or some
other high ranking naval ofIiclal Until
to-day the possibility Of exchanging
HobEon were slight as this government
had no Spanish prisoners OF high rank
to offer IN his place. Now however,
they have one OF thS foremost admlruiB
OF Spain, and among the 1900 other ma.
val prisoners there are many officers OF
distinguished rank. To exchange a
Spanish admiral for an American ma
val constructor might seem strange tin-
der ordinary circumstances. but Il
would be done without any begrudglng
by the authorities here and would bo
particularly appropriate In view OF tho
action OF CerVera at the time Hohson
surrendered TO him