The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-06-09
ANNOYSALGER
newspaper Statements PurpOrt-
ing to Detail Movements
of Troops
Might Do Great Injury if They
Should Happen to Be
True.
The Secretary Declines Positively
to Give Out Any Infor-
nation
As to Whether Troops Have Left
Tampa--The Report of
Sampson.

WASHINGTON, June g. - Secretary
Alger positively declined to say whether
or not the United States troops had
sailed yet from Tampa. He-holds that,
Notwithstanding the bottling up OF the
Spanish squadron in Santiago, there
are still good and sufficient reasons
why every precaution should be adopted
10 prevent the Spanish from obtaining
information as to the departure of our
troops, the point selected for their de-
barkation, and the strength Of the ex-
pedition. He was good deal annoyed
at the attempt Of some of the news
papers to indicate the very point Sc.
Aected for landing the troops and siege
guns in the neighborhood of Santiago.
Ii 1t were true that the department. had
selected a place where there is strong
wharf upon which the vessels may dis
charge the heavy siege train directly,
the publication of that fact, if anthem
ticated, might very naturally lead the
Spaniards to
Destroy That Particular Wharf
ssand thus seriously hamper the opera.
fions of the troops. Careful inquiry at
Dh~AOA pASASOo IL tAO "sSA W.
where information as to the movement
OF troops might naturally be expected,
developed the TACT that no word had
yet come of the departure of military
expedition from Tampa.
1t is deemed probable they will get
OF some time during the day and that
notice to that effect will be the next
news received at the Department.. -
No further word from Admiral Samp.
son was received at the navy depart
ment. TIE bulletin made public by
the department. in confirmation of the
press reports of the attack upon San
tiago last Monday is believed to be
merely a skeleton statement Of Admiral
sampson cablegram, which, it is sur
missed, contained a good deal more in.
formation than it was deemed prudent
TO make public. OF course, to protect
the naval cipher, the matter published
was paraphrase, and it was said
at the department. that the
term used in the bulletin, "silenced
rworks quickly without injury
sat any time,'' was based upon state
ment in the original dispatch broad
enough to indicate that the ships had
sustained no injuries, and that there
had been no casualties among the per-
sonnet Of the American feet.
One Important Object secured.
Naval officers expressed the belief
that about all of the force landed Mon.
day, from SIMPSONS feet were marines,
and that their purpose was not so much
etake military possession Of the land
ing as. perhaps, to spike some guns and
destroy some batteries that might have
kbeen reoccupied by the Spaniards
TO advantage after the retirement
OF the American feet from the
action. One object of Admiral sSamp-
sons attack which has escaped general
observation, though exceedingly inn
portant, was pointed ont at the navy
department. This was to prevent the
;6paniards from making a successful at.
tempt to remove the obstruction of the
channel. caused by the wreck of the
Merrimac. Having silenced the forts
at the entrance Of the harbor, which,
while elective, obliged the American
Aeet to lie many miles ont at sea to
keep ont of range Of their guns, Samp-
SON will now be able to place one or
more of his ships close to the mouth of
the bottle, where it will lie in compare
tive safety and yet be able to command
easily with its guns the wreck Of the