The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-06
GROWING IMPATIENT,
NAVAL OFFICERS TIRED OF THE
SLOWNESS OF MOVEMENTS.
They no Not Believe Troops Have
Decn Landed mt Point Cabrera.
None Are on the Way.

Washington, June 5.--Thls was tho
since the outbreak of war No dispatches
had come over night and IT was said that
none were expected The situation at San
tiago is such in the opinion of the officials
that no DEVELOPMENTS are to be expected
Immediately and the next news looked for
from that quarter is of the arrival of the
troops. AS far as can be gathered, in spite
OF all reports to the contrary, these troops
have not yet started. and tho naval Off
Gals are impatiently awaiting for the
movement II Is possible that a small
advance detachment has gone forward, but
1t is felt here that even that. composed Of
an engineer battalion with siege train, Is
lying off Key West. There Is much dis
appointment at the slowness of movements
in the South owing in large part TO the
slender means of the position and the
chronic difficulty encountered in getting
anything done down there in a hurry.
In army circles 1t seems TO be expected
that Sampson is to furnish sufficient
force to convoy the troops there, but it is
not known where he is TO supply this
forca from In the first case there would
be considerable delay owing to the length
of time required for the warships to make
the passage around from Santiago TO Key
West.
The officials do not credit the cable re-
port that troops have been landed at Point
Cabrera. half dozen miles west Of San
tiago bay, and they are inclined to the
opinion that there has been no landing in
that vicinity.
Secretary Lcrg was busy today making
what preliminary arrangements We're POS
sible for the exchange of Spanish prisoners
for the brave men who risked their lives to
block the entrance to the Santiago h1rbor
aud are new held as prisoners by Admiral
Cervcra
The exchange effected at Havana was
conducted through the British consul gen
o,al Mr. Gallon, with the aid of the exist
ing cable, but It is not likely that there IS
now any cable communication with SAM
tingo. The preliminaries must be arranged
directly through Admiral Sampson, time
consuming operation.
The war department officials were them
selves surprised at the number of Spanish
officers held captive at Fort Mcpherson,
and it will be seen there Is no lacl; OF ma
tcrial, as vas at first feared, for equal OK
Two officers have already been
exchanged. namely. Colonel Vincent dc
Cortijo of the Third cavalry, Principe. and
Surgeon Major Isidore Garcia Julian of the
corps There are about twenty Of
ficers and privates of the spanish army at
Fort Mcpherson.
Great admiration is expressed at the de-
partment at the cool pluck and discretion
shown by the young cadet, George Powell,
who took command OF the New York's
steam launch and lay under the batteries
for many hours until he was satisfied from
his own observation that the Merrimac had
gone down before he returned to the flag
ship. Young Powell was known as 'one Of
chickens
When Hobson Joined the squadron he
permission to take with him three
young naval cadets from Annapolis They
we're included In his own class OF naval ca
diets at the academy, and he wished 10 take
ttein with him to supplement tic thee. ct
ical force by practical experience in the ef-
feet OF explosives on ships.
Powell was appointed from New York IN
May, 1893.