The Somerset reporter., 1898-06-23
Latest from the Front.

Inc war department mas received Il
dispatch stating that the Cadiz fleet has
returned to Spanish port.
August wires Madrid that he has re-
tired within the walls of Manila and will
be unable to communicate further with
the government.
| There is persistent report from Ma
drd that the Queen Regent proposes to
abdicate in consequence of the critical
condition of the country.
A special from Washington, announced
that the Portland signal corps which is
stationed in that city, has received or
ders, and will leave for Tampa for active
service at the front.
The third military expedition for the
Philippines, will leave San Francisco,
Monday next, on six transports, namely
the Ohio, Indiana. City of Para, Morgan
City, Valance and Newport.
The forwarding of reinforcements to
Gen Shafter at Santiago de Cuba begun,
and yesterday, at o'clock, the first
body of troops left Camp Alger for
Newport News, there to take transports
| for Cuba.
A special dispatch from Paris says an
Austrian agent has returned from Ma
drid, where he delivered to the Spanish
authorities via. the Pyrennes, 5000, 900
empty cartridges and 120 tons of ex-
plosives, derived from French, Austrian
and Belgian sources.
Blanco will not allow exchange of
Lieut.. Hobson and companies. He
claims that they would use their knowl-
edge of Spanish defences. He refuses
to receive flags of truce in Havana har-
Dor, and states that American ships
bearing them will be fired upon if they
come within six miles of the fortif-
cations.
Secretary Alger, Wednesday night,
Este. saying that a large body of troops
had been successfully landed at Daiguri.
The navy department has advices from
Admiral Sampson stating that the land
ing of troops is going on successfully,
while the vessels bombarded Cabanas 10
divert attention. The Texas had one
man killed.
General Garcia and his personal staff
were picked up at General Masso's camp,
Is miles west of Santiago and brought to
the flagship, Sunday afternoon, by the
gunboat Vixen. There the grizzled and
wounded patriots had a long consulta-
ton with Admiral Sampson regarding
Cuban troops. General Garcia is very
enthusiastic. He says the Spaniards are
starving and cannot hold out long and
that the war in the island will end in a
| few months.
Gen. Skaters army arrived at point
about 20 miles off Santiago, Monday.
Gen. Shafter Immediately took the
steamer Seguranca and visited Admiral
Sampson on his flagship. Gen. Shafter
and his staff and Rear Admiral Sampson
went ashore and proceeded to Gen.
Garcias headquarters about mile in
land, where they spent several hours in
consultation with the Cuban general
At the conclusion of the conference
Gen. Shafter and the other officers had
little or nothing to say regarding the
plans for landing the American troops
or for the cooperation of the Cubans.
The best information obtainable is that
there will be no attempt to make a gen
eral landing for two or three days; but
small bodies of troops will land at sew
eral points, both east and west of Santi-
ago, including Acerraderos. This will
give Gen. Shafter an opportunity to be-
come more familiar with the work be-
fore him and to ascertain the best place
for general landing.