The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-29
MORE TROOPS
FOR SHAFT TER
Wire Fences as a Factor in
Modern Warfare.
THEY MUST BE CUT
TROOPS SPECIALLY EQUIPPED
FOR THIS SERVICE.
SHAFTfR HAS MADE RAPID PROGRESS
He is at Point Where the Road Forks, One
Branch Going to Ell Moro, the Other
to Santiago City.

Washington, ID. c.. June SIT was
very late in the day when the first dis
patch within two days came to the War
Department from General Shafter, but
the news was regarded as SO good that
there was no disposition to complain. 1t
disclosed very satisfactory rate of
progress on the part of General Shafter
toward the town of Santiago itself. and
apparently he has gained all this ground,
and has come within three miles Of San
tiago without suffering any losses since
the bloody skirmish of Friday last. Al
together the performance is regarded as
very gratifying by the department Of
hcialS here. AS near as can gathered
from the brief dispatch the American
army is now at the fork in the road,
one branch of which leads to Santiago
and the other to MORO Castle at the en-
trance to the harbor. General Shafter
is thus free to move in either direction
according to the demands of the cam
paign. With the 1,300 men who rein
forced him yesterday on the Yale and
the additional brigade that will reach
him by tomorrow, it may be possible to
make even more rapid progress in the
advance upon Santiago. as these men
can be relied upon to relieve the main
body of troops from the necessity of
keeping open the line of communica-
tion between Shafter and his base at
Baiquiri. Meanwhile further rein
forcements are being prepared and dis
patched as rapidly as the best energies
of the department can direct and it
is believed that several thousand men
sailed from Tampa to-day directly for
Santiago. The department has had in
mind the difficulties of the campaign that
are just developing to the public eye,
such as the use for the first time in
civilized warfare Of barbed wire fences
as means of defense, and acting upon
the advice of some of our army officers
who were i'm Cuba while the fighting was
confined to the Spaniards and the insnr-
gents a certain number in each regiment
have been provided with wire cutters and
charged with the duty of cutting down
these fences so as TO permit the advance
of the troops.
1t probably will be necessary to shell
out the force defending these wire che
vaux de frise before they can be cut
unless the men in charge Of that duty
are to be unduly exposed TO danger.
This will involve a larger use Of field ar
tillery than would be required in ordi-
nary warfare. The officials here have
been fOrehanded as to these details, and
in fact have provided for the use OF
barbed Wire by our own forces, having
sent about $50 tons of this wire with
General Merritt's expedition.
The lines are being tightened around
Cuba, and it will soon be impossible for
even small quantities of food or war
supplies to reach the Spaniards there
The proclamation issued to-day extend
ing the blockade to the south coast and
to San Juan it is believed will accom-
plish this result. On the south coast the
Isle Of Pines will be cut off rs trans
fer depot for cattle and food supplies
coming from Jamaica and Central Amer
lea. BY closing San Juan harbor the
Spaniards will lose the last chance of
smuggling war supplies to Cuba and the
future operations of the army and navy
looking to the occupation of the Island
of Porto Rico will be materially ad-
vanced by the establishment of sue
cessful blockade.
There was no further word from the
CadiZ fleet to-day, though II is known 10
be still at Port Said under preteXt of re-
pairing one of the torpedo boat destroy
ers. The delay on the part of the Span
ish feet has not stopped the preparation
for the sending of the Eastern squadron
under Commodore Watson to the Span
ish shores. The commodore is Fastening
with all speed southwark on the Newark
to join and confer with Sampson off
Santiago.
1T has been known to our government
for some time past that the Spanish
government was trying to obtain posses
sion Of the splendid modern armored
cruiser O'Higgins. Our agents. how
ever. have watched these negotiations
carefully, and our government has been
finally satisfied that they have failed.
Ii is needless to say that the result
was agreeably received here as the
gravest complications might have resuI-
ted from the sale of warship by a
neutral power to Spain.