The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-19

officers mentioned, while about them
sat the aides-de-camp of the our gen.
erals.
Assistant Naval Constructor Hob
son, the hero of the Merrimac, who
had come to headquarters with mes
sages from Rear Admiral Sampson,
was also present.
The situation was discussed with the
aid of a profusion Of maps and at the
conclusion of the conference, luncheon
was served. 1t consisted Of beans,
bareback and coffee. After this meal
General Miles, General Shafter and
General Garcia, with their STATS, rode
off to inspect the position on the right
flank. They all agreed that General
Toral was securely 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 as
sault, the danger to our troops from
fever and disease and above all the
fact that the Spanish fleet was de-
stroyed, which has been the real OBJ
ject of the campaign, it seemed to be
the general disposition to allow Cen
eral Toral to evacuate Santiago. This
would give us a military and naval
base, permit the starving refugees to
return to their homes IN woul al
low the immediate embarkation Of the
bulk of OUR army for the Porto Rico
campaign.
HEAVY RAINS.
The rain now falls in sheets every
day, drenching the soldiers, washing
out the roads and swelling the streams
into torrents. In fact our base of sup
plies is actually threatened by the
mountain streams. Two bridges were
carried away this afternoon after a
heavy downfall Of rain. The Aguadores
river is impossible. The water, should
er deep, is running like a small Mag
ara. A mule ambulance filled with
refugees en- route to Ell Caney, which
! attempted to cross the river, was car
! ried 200 yards down stream where the
! passengers were rescued with diff
! Guilty.
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt is one
of those who believe the army is
threatened with a great disaster I'M
| less General Toral and his troops are
allowed to depart. The situation has
been communicated to Washington and
it is considered hat the conditions
imposed in the American propositions
for surrender will be modified.
Two of General Randolph's batteries
reached the front today and were
posted in the centre of General Law
tons division, on the extreme right
where they command the town beyond
our lines and over the churches, hos
pitfalls, and other public buildings fly
ing the Red Cross flag at the eastern
edge of the city.
Already the movements of the army
for the future as outlined are based on
the fall of the city. The plans of the
generals are not to allow our troops to
ente city except a garrison of i'm
mum. Which will remain here, proof
against the yellow fever. Until ready
| n nno ho IL {inn m tho =
the city's piers, our men will be camp
ed on the heights surrounding SANTA
go, 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
equipments, this is almost impossible.
SPREAD OF FEVER.
The rainy weather has caused the
spread of the yellow and malarfial fe-
yer. General Chaffee, in addition to
General Duffield, is suffering from fe-
yer.
General Miles was received with
great enthusiasm all along the line
n was greeted with cheers on all
sides. The general expressed himself
as being exceedingly gratiied at the
strength of our position and at the
character of the works thrown up. He
cOmplimented many of the command
ing officers personally on the work &C.
complished. - = Il 49,. . 81
To a correspondent of the Associa-
ted Press General Miles said he was
proud to command an army which had
carried the line of hills on which our
center rests. He added thai there
was no prouder page in our military
annals than that written on July LIST.
In conclusion, General Miles remark
ed that he felt satisfied from General
TOraPS name and words that he was
anxious to surrender.