The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-06-17
WAR OFFICIALS
EXPECT BIG NEWS
Skaters s ops viii Land in
CubSF thin "a Hours.
col! IS S ''Na7oN's MARINES.
Cay sly Hold Their Position Until
the Soldiers Arrive.
AN EXHIBITION OF ACTIVITY
At the War Department Attracted Un-
usual Attention Yesterday.
RENEWED EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE
To Equip the Men Gathered at the Concen-
trating Points and Preparations Are
Under Way to Move Large
Number of Troops.
At the War Department Attracted Un-
usual Attention Yesterday.
RENEWED EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE

Washington, June 16.--In the way of act
ual events there was little to record today.
No word came from Sampson at Santiago
or from Dewey at Manila 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
maintain themselves until troops arrive,
and the worst that can be feared at Ma
nlla is no harm to Dewey, but to the Span
iards in the city.
The officials of the war department do not
care to give out any special information as
to when Gen. Shafter with his troops will
land in Cuba, but from certain signs of
restlessness exhibited by them 1t is evident
that they would not be surprised to have
some important news within the next
twenty-four hours or thirty-six hours.
The naval officials are confident Sampson
will have established cable connection with
in that time, SO that news of the arrival
of the American troop transports off San
tiago should not be longer 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
protection of Col. Huntington's marines.
Feverish Activity
There was an exhibition of feverish activ-
ity at at the war department today so pro-
nounced as to attract attention even in
these stirring times. 1t was APPARENT that
renewed efforts were being made to COM
plete the equipment of the troops already
gathered at the concentrating points and
tAak
a number of the troops. So far, however,
it is stataed that no orders have gone out
for the actual movements and what is done
in that direction is merely preparatory.
Very likely definite action will be agreed
upon when Secretary Alger and the presi-
dent have conference with General Miles,
when he arrives here tomorrow from Tam
pa.
Hobson's Reward
What measure of reward will be meted
uto to Lieut.. Hobson is still undecided. The
men he led have been taken care of; Secre-
tary Long attended to that himself, be-
cause 1t is matter entirely within his au-
thority, and they have been made warrant
officers, the ideal of a sailors ambition,
Hobson Is to be advanced that is settled.
The department called upon Sampson for
recommendation in this case, but in ad-
vance of its arrival had about decided to
advance Hobson ten numbers, which would
have placed him just below Constructor
Linnard, wien debate arose as to whether
the young man would not prefer transfer
to the line His relatives were consulted,
among them his uncle, representative Pear
son, of North Carolina, and 1t was decided
to allow Hobson to make his choice as be-
tween the line and staff teps accordingly
have been taken to acquaint him with the
departments course and ask his pleasure.
Was Massachusetts, Injufed
The navy department has sent to the
battleship Massachusetts, a complete new
breech mechanism for one of the big 13-
inch guns of that ship. This was due to a
report that reached the department a week
ago tha. the breech of one of the guns was
out of order The new mechanism will be
delivered in day or two, and can be read
lily substituted for the old breech. The con-
dtion of this 13-inch gun gave rise to ru-
mors today that the Massachusetts, had
suffered rather severely during the first
action off Santinago, and that two of the
big guns were disabled and gunner killed.
There was no basis for the rumor, beyond
the disordered breech mechanism referred
to.