The record-union., 1898-06-22
LOOKING FOR A LANDING.
Not Determined Where the Disem-
harkation Will Take Place.


Not Determined Where the Disem-
barkation Will Take Place.
ON BOARD THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS DISPATCH BOAT DANDY
off Santiago de Cuba, Monday night
June 20 (via Kingston, Jamaica, tues
day. June u, II a. m)-(Copyrlght
1898. by the. Associated Press.)-As
soon as the fleet of transports had ar
rived at a point about twenty miles
off Santiago de Cuba this afternoon the
steamer Segueranca, having on board
General Shafter and his staff, left the
other vessels lying to, and steamed 10
the fiagships of the American fleet, IL
order TO visit Rear Admiral sampson
The General went on board the nag
ship. and the Segueranca then went 10
AcerraderOs, about seventeen miles
west of Santiago. and near which place
General Garcia is ercamped with o,UOI
soldiers.
General Shafter and his staff and
Rear Admiral Sampson went ashore and
proceeded to General Garcia's head
quarters, about mile inland, where
they spent several hours in consulta-
ton with the Cuban General. At the
conclusion of the conference General
Shafter and the other officers had lit
tie or nothing to say regarding the
plans for landing the American troops
and for the cooperation Of the Gu
bans The best information obtaina-
bic is that there will be no attempt
to make a general landing for two OF
three days, but small bodies of troops
will be put ashore probably tomorrow
ct several points, both east and west
of Santiago. including Acerraderos
This will give General Shafter an OPP
portunity to become more familiar
with the work before him, and to as
certain the best place for general
landing.
The transports and the warships
which conveyed the troops here came
close in shore this afternoon, in full
view of the lookouts on MORO Castle,
and they will lay tonight fifteen miles
out from Admiral SIMPSONS fleet,
which is guarding the entrance of the
harbor of Santiago
The result of Rear Admiral Samp-
sons investigation of the various pro-
posed landing places was also laid be-
fore the army officers, but General
Shafter is not prepared to announce a
definite selection without investigating
the matter further himself. General
Garcia gave the Americans assurances
that they need have no fear of con-
tracing diseases on the southeastern
coast of Cuba, as the climate there is
not unhealthy. only extremely hot at
this season of the year The Cuban
General declared that his. own troops,
i'll fed and poorly clothed as they were,
We're in good health, and therefore the
Americans need not fear fevers or other
serious ailments.
General Shafter examined the condi-
ton of the Cuban soldiers during his
visit, and was impressed with their
hardy and soldierly appearance, though
he recognized the fact that they need
clothes and provisions. both of which
We're given them during the day.
The interview closed with the under
standing on the part of both. Generals
that small bodies of troops are to be
landed at once at several points along
the coast, where they will be safe from
attack by the Spanish. and these will
be able to keep the enemy in doubt. for
the present as to their ultimate inten-
tions
Among the troops that will be landed
first are a number of men from the
Engineer Corps, who will begin work
at once preparing for the movement
of the main body.
Generals Shafter and Garcia will con-
suit further tomorrow.
1t was nearly dark before the Off
GERS returned to the Seguranco, and
then she steamed back to the flagship
and took up position for the night
Before nightfall all the other trans
ports and the conveying warships had
drifted nearer to the shore, and the
Spanish soldiers, watching from the
bluffs on both sides of the entrance of
Santiago harbor, must have been i'm
pressed by the great array of vessels
standing off shore. There were nearly
sixty of them, including the troop ships
and the men-of-war, comprising Rear
Admiral SIMPSONS fleet and the
squadron of Commodore Schley. The
5000 Spanish soldiers and perhaps
1000 Spanish sailors guarding the city
and harbor of Santiago de Cuba doubt
less concluded that there is but small
chance of overcoming the force of
American warships and some 10000
American soldiers and sailors which
will be hurled against them before
the present week is over.
The dispatch boat of the Associated
Press left the fleet for the cable station
just at nightfall, when the warships
had taken their positions in a semi
circle in front of the harbor entrance
with the troop ships further out. The
sea was comparatively smooth, for the
first time in several weeks, and the
great fleet was almost motionless.
The soldiers. most of whom beheld
their lives. watched the steep mount
ain sides through the gathering dark
ness.