The news & observer., 1898-06-17
DEL EPARTMENT mute
As to When Shafter viii
Land in Cuba.
NEWE0 ACTIVITY
GENERAL MILES EXPECTED TO.
DAY FROM TAMPA.
WILL CONFER WITH THE PRESIDENT
Lieutenant Hobson to be Given his Choice Of
PromoOn--To bo Advanced Ten
Numbers or 10 be Transfer
red to the Line.

red to the Line,
Washington, ID. c., June 1G.-ln the
way of actual events there WAS little to
record today; no word came from Samp-
son at Santiago or from Dewey ut Ma
nila. This absence Of affirmative news
from the respective seats of war gave
rise to no apprehension. The officials
are resting secure in the BELIEF that the
marines at Guantanamo can easily main
tain themselves until the troops arrive,
and the worst that can be feared AT VIA
Mia is not harm to Dewey, but to span
iards in the city. The officials Oh the
War Department do not care to give
out any specific information as to when
General Shafter with his troops VIII
land in Cuba, but from certain signs 81
restleSSncss exhibited by them 1t is eVi-
dent that they would not be surprised to
have some very important news within
the next twenty-four or thirty-siN hours.
The naval officials are confident Samp-
son will have established cable connee-
tion within that time SO that news of
the arrival of the American troop trans
DELAYED than the time required for
dispatch boat to make the run of forty
miles eastward along the coast to the
shores of Guantanamo harbOr where the
cable will be working under the pr0tcc-
ton of Colonel Huntingt0n's marines.
There was an exhibition of fresh activity
at the War Department today so pro-
nounced as to attract attention even in
. s,4f
that renewed efforts were making TO
complete the equipment of the troops
already gathered at the concentra ton
points and that preparations are in prog
resS to move number of troops. So
far, however it is stated that no orders
have gone out for the actual movements
and what has been and is being done i'll
that direction is merely preparatory,
Very likely definite action will follow
conference which Secretary Alger and
the President will have with General
Miles who is expected to arrive here to-
morrow from Tampa. The general is
better aware of the exact state of fitness
of the troops mt the Southern rendeZ-
vous points than anyone else. and the
President and Secretary Alger, in all
probability, will be bound by what he
has to say in deciding upon the further
disposition of troops. If General Miles,
as is thought to be probable, recommends
Il further concentration of troops on the
Southern seaboard, the new camp at
Fernandina, Fla, will he made ready for
the reception of the additional troops
The officials have been forehanded as
to this camp. prOfiting by the experience
gained in the establishment of the two
great camps Mt Chckamauga and Camp
Alger. The President has not yet de-
cided what measure of reward shall be
mcted out TO Lieutenant Hobson for his
brave achievement. The men he led
have been taken care of; Secretary Long
attended to this because it was a matter
entirely within his authority. and they
have been made warrant officers, the
ideal of a sallor's ambition. Hobson is
to be advanced. that is settled. The De
partment called upon Sampson for a
recommendation in this case. but in adj
vance of its arrival had about decided
to advance HobsOn ten numbers, which
would have placed him just below Con
structor Linnard, when a doubt arose
as to whether the young man would not
prefer transfer to the line. His rea-
tives We're consulted among them his
uncle, Representative Pearson, of North
tarollna. and it was decided to allow
HObson to make his choice as between
IL" line and staff.
Steps accordingly have been taken to
acquaint him with the Departments pur-
pose and ask his pleasure in the matter.
The Navy Department has sent to the
hattieship Massachusetts a complete
new brccch mechanism for one of the
13-inch guns of that ship. This was due
TO report reaching the Department
about Il week ago that the breech Of
one of the guns was out of order. The
new mechanism will be delivered in n
day or two and can be readily substi-
tuted for the old breech
The condition of this 13-inch gun gave
rise to rumor today that the Massa-
chusetts had suffered rather severely
during the first action off Santiago and
that two of the big guns were disabled
and a gunner killed.
There was no basis for the rumor be-
yond the disorder referred to.