The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-07-21
ON TO PORTO RICO.
There Will Be Plenty of Transports
Available for the Expedition. :
But Little Remittance is Expected-It 10
Thought That the Surrender of San.
tiago VIM Have Depressing
Eject at San Juan.

WASHINGTON, July 15-The govern
ment is now turning its attention TO
the occupation of Porto Rico. There
will be plenty of transports available
for the expedition, as the government
has devised other means of removing
the Spaniards captured at Santiago to
Spain than by carrying them on these
transports. That the navy is ready to
do its share at short notice goes with
out saying. Porto Rico is not expect
ed to offer a very formidable resist
ance. 1t is believed that the moral
effect of Thursdays surrender at Sam
tiago will be to discourage the
defenders of San Juan. There is, how
ever always the prospect that peace
may ensue before hostilities have
| progressed against Spain's eastermost
West India island. Rumors were afoat
Thursday afternoon to the effect that
the Spanish government at last had
made overtures in that direction. but
| their basis probably was the current
belief that one more reverse to the
| Spanish arms would be sufficient to
compel the Spanish government to
sue for peace, and this reverse was
furnished by the surrender of Torai's
army. The navy department has not
been affected by these rumors to the
extent of relaxing any of its precau.
tions or abandoning any of its plans,
for Secretary Long stated unequivoc-
ally Thursday that Commodore Wat
sons eastern squadron would certainly
go to Spain as soon as it could sail.
The territory surrendered to us by
Gen. Toral makes about 5000 square
miles. The Spanish soldiers to be sent
to Spain is estimated at 10, 900 men.
Maj. Hopkins, the military aide to
Secretary Alger Thursday afternoon
had spread before him huge map of
Cuba showing the surrendered zone
turned over to the American troops.
The line begins at Asseradores. about
then runs due north about 25 miles to
Palmo Soriana Had the line contin.
ued due north it would have passed
west of Holquin thus TAX.
ing the Spanish garrison at
that point Evidently Gen.
Toral wished to avoid the inclusion Of
Holquin, so the line turns abruptly to
the northeast of Palmo and runs to the
coast town of Boca del Sagua on the
coast The extreme length of this sur
rendered tract is about 10 miles and
the extreme width about so miles,
tapering to less width, making in all
about 5, 900 square miles.
The navy department had not heard
up to the close of office hours to what
extent the American fleet was partici-
pating in the Spanish surrender With
Santiago in our hands the way will be
clear for Adm SIMPSONS fleet to en-
ter the harbor and proceed up to the
wharves, as soon as the torpedoes and
mines at the harbor entrance arc re.
moved. The Notifications of MORO Cas-
tie, Socapa, Cayo Smith and others
are included in the surren-
dered zone The possession Of
these fine fortresses, particul-
ly Moro castle, will afford valuable
garrison points for large number Of
men. The terms under which these
strongholds are surrendered is not yet
known in detail.
Great attention will now be given to
the care of our sick and fever stricken
soldiers on the island In the opinion
of the army surgeons the sick can be
best treated by removal to the high
ground back of the southern coast,
where the heat is less severe, and
where recovery could proceed without
the fear of communicating disease to
the army. Secretary Alger is anxious
to bring the entire army back as soon
as it can be done with safety to the
men themselves and without jeopardy
to the other troops in Florida and to
the general public The active prepa.
rations made to deal with the emer.
gency are such that it is felt the Ques-
tion OF disease can be coped with
successfully, now that the mill
tary situation has been simplifed
in the matter of transports, the
department is fully prepared for the
next move. The acquisition recently
OF number of transatlantic liners
capable of carrying several times as
many men as the smaller transports,
has put it on an excellent footing, and
it was announced Thursday that no
more ships were being bought for
the Atlantic coast. Many of the
transports which carried soldiers To
Cuba are now being used for other
purposes, chief among which is that
OF bringing the sick and wounded to
the United States The ships available
by the department are distributed
about as follows: TWEEN y-fve at San,
tiago. twelve at Tampa, three al
Charleston, four at New York, four at