The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-15
TREATING WITH TORAL.
Continued from First Page.

strand of gold braid, looking the ideal
soldier, sat on an empty ammunition box
and formed the center of the party.
On the right of Gen. Miles sat Gen.
Shafter and on his left was Gen. Gar
cia in mud spotted white uniform with
heavy riding boots and jingling spurs.
The Cuban general wore a large weather
worn Panama hat and at his side was
silver mounted machete.
Gen. Garcia has strong swarthy face,
with a deep bullet scar in his forehead.
In a general way he is not unlike Gu
ban edition of Gen. Miles.
Gen. Wheeler, with grizzled beard, small
of stature and in a brown campaign uni
form, faced the three officers mentioned,
while about them sat the aides de camp
Of the four generals.
Assistant Naval Constructor HobSon,
the hero of the Merrlmac, who had come
TO headquarters with messages from Rear
Admiral Sampson, was also present.
The situation was discussed with the aid
of a profuson of maps, and at the con-
clusion of the conference, luncheon was
served; 1t consisted of beans, hard tack
and coffee.
After this meal Gen. Miles, Gen. Shafter
and Gen. Garcia, with this staffs, rode off
to inspect the position on the right flank.
They all agreed that Gen. Toral was Sc
curely wedged in and that escape was
impossible, but owing to delays and the
incidental loss of life which was certain to
result from an attempt TO carry the Town
by assault, the danger to our troops from
fever and diseases, and above all the
fact that the Spanish fleet was destroyed,
which had been the real object of the
campaign, it seemed to be the general
disposition to allow Gen. Toral to evacu-
ate Santiago.
This would give us a military and naval
base, permit the starving refugees to re-
md
immediate embarkation Of the bulk of our
army for the Porto Rico campaign.
The rain now falls in sheets every day,
drenchng the soldiers, washing out the
roads and swelling the streams into tor
rents In fact, our base of supplies is act
ually threatened by the mountain streams.
Two bridges were carried away this after
noon after a downfall in which an inch
and half of rain fell. The Aguadores riv-
er is impossible, the water, shoulder deep,
is running like a small Niagara.
A mule ambulance filled with refugees
TO Caney, which attempted to cross the
river, was carried two hundred yards
down the stream, where the passengers
were rescued with difficulty.
Col. Theodore Roosevelt Is one of those
| who believes the army is threatened with
a great disaster unless Gen. Toral and his
troops are allowed to depart.
The situation has been communicated to
Washington, and it is considered proba-
BILE that the conditions imposed in the
American propositions for surrender will
be modified.
Two of Gen. RandoIphs batteries reach
ed the front to-day and were posted in the
center of Gen. LaWton's division on the
extreme right, where they command the
town beyond our lines and over the
| churches hospitals and other public build
ings flying the Red Cross flag at the east
ern edge of the city.
The belief is common among our Of
fcers that the end is close at hand, and
that Santiago win be ours before next
| Monday without further fighting. Already
the movements of the army for the fu-
ture as outlined are based on the fall of
the city. The plans of the generals are
not to allow our troops to enter the city
except a garrison of immunes, which will
remain here proof against the yellow fever.
Until ready for embarkation on the
transports at the city's piers our men will
be camped on the nights surrounding San
tiago where the water is good.
Strict Instructions have been issued to
the soldiers to boil their drinking water,
but owing to the poverty of their equip
ments this Is well nigh impossible.
The rainy weather has accelerated the
spread of malarial and other fevers. In
some of the regiments over a third of the
men are unfit for duty.
Gen. Chaffee in addition to Gen. Duff
field, is suffering from fever.
Gen. Miles was received with great en-
thusiasm all along the line and was
greeted with cheers on all SIDES The
general expressed himself as being ex-
ceedingly gratified at the sire lgth of our
position and al the character OF the works
thrown up. He complimented many of
the commanding officers personally on
The work accomplished.
To a correspondent of the Associated
Press Gen. Niles said he was proud to
command an army which had arried the
lines of hills on which. our center rests.
He added that there was no prouder page
in our military annals than that written
on July /.
In conclusion, Gen. Miles remarked that
he felt satisfied from Gen. Torals manner
and words that he was anxious TO surren-
der