The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-12
FALL
NOW
NEAR.
Capture of Santiago Almost
Completed.
Fighting Continued All Day
Yesterday.
AMERICANS ADVANCE
Steadily But Surely Through
out the Day.
Find Wooden Guns in Spanish
Trenches.
SOME SLIGHT FE A e
That the Bulk of the Enemy
Has Escaped
And That Little Will Be Left
Worth Having.
OMESLIGHT FEAR
That the Bulk of the Enemy
Has Escaped
And That Little Will Be Left
Worth Having.

Copyright. 1899, by Associated Press.)
Gen. Skaters Headquarters, July II.
p. M, via Kingston, Jamaica, July L.
Fighting continued during the day
and at this hour, it is believed that the
city Of Santiago will be captured by the
American forces within the next "A
hours.
The Americans have advanced
steadily all day. In several of the
Spanish trenches, our troops found
dummy wooden guns and no Spanish
soldiers.
There was a very weak fire from the
Spanish troops and the American troops
have received further evidence of the
great distress existing in Santiago.
Fear Spaniards Are Gone.
Washington. July. 12.-The expecta-
tion was general today that Santiago
would be ours very soon. The main
source of apprehension today was that
the Spaniards may have succeeded to a
considerable degree In evacuating the
town before the American lines were
completed so that when the Americans
entered the city, it would be found
empty with perhaps nothing more than
d desperate rear guard of Spaniards
left to protect and conceal the retreat
of the main body of troops. There were
several indications of some such move,
which is supposed to have been in pro-
gress for the past three or four days.
Gen. Shafter himself reported under
date of Sunday that the Spaniards have
evacuated a small town on the west
side Of the bay, one of the suburbs of
Santiago, while the Associated Press
dispatches of yesterday referred to the
departure of a body of Spanish troops
from Santiago towards HOlguin. OF
course these facts are not conclusive
that the town has been evacuated by
the Spanish army, but the fact cannot
be concealed that there is some appre-
hensiOn entertained that the main re
suit Of the Investment of Santiago,
aside from the important achievement
of driving the Spanish squadron to it's
destruction will be the inheritance by
Gen. Shafter of several thousand
wounded Spanish soldiers and many
more thousand hungry mouths in San
tiago.
Gen Miles who arrived at Siboney on
the Yale yesterday made the following
report to Secretary Alger today:
Arrived at noon Had consultation
with Admiral Sampson and with Gen
Shafter by telephone. Troops brought
from Tampa Charleston New York.
arrived and leaving for the front. Line
of investment being extended (Signed)
MILES"
Miles Will Not Interfere.
Gen. Miles has not taken and will
not take charge Of the operations now
being conducted against Santiago
Whatever credit is to be derived from
the capture of that city to come from
the present plan of operation by Gen.
Shafter will rebound to that officers
credit, for Gen. Miles has declared ex-
pressly that he does not assume the
conduct of these operations. He is
simply in his capacity as commanding
general of the army to look over the
field and ascertain whether the OPERA
tions are going along as they should.
But with his appearance comes very
substantial assistance for Gen. Shafter
With him on the Yale were more than
1000 men and considerable artillery
while the Columbia, which formed mart
of his expedition, is expected to renor+
her arrival at any moment with the re-
mainder of the troops. AS Gen. Shat
Ter mas FeIerreo 70 the thlnnesS of his
lines, it is expected that these rein
forcements will be very gratefully re-
ceived.
Eyes on the East.
The naval officers regard their part
in>the operations at Santiago as at an
end practically and are looking around
Tor new worios to conquer. Their eyes
are turned to the east and they are