Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-07-21

coast tOWn Oh bOSH uet Dag ud oA tho
coast. The extreme length of this sur
rendered tract is about ITO miles and
the extreme width about so miles, taper
ing to less width, making in all about
5000 square miles. 1t is q rugged.
mountainous country with very few
towns of any size. Santiago with Its
fine harbor is the main point, while
Guantanamo is second in Importance.
just Home from Santiago.
Mr.. Ii. ]. Allen, of Kansas City, who
had just come from Santiago, was with
Secretary Alger during the afternoon,
and gave him some interesting details
as to the character OF the country now
surrendered to our troops. He said
that the country was so wild and
rocky that it afforded no camping
ground for a considerable number OF
troops, and, in his opinion, there was
not point in this sweep of country
suitable as a base of operations for
an army.
No Spanish Troops Within the Surrendered
Zone.
Except the Spanish force at Santiago,
numbering about 10, 900 men, Mr.. Allen
says there are no Spanish troops within
the surrendered zone, as 1t has been
overrun by Garcia's forces. The Span
ish garrisons are at Manzanillo and
Holguin, to the west of the surren-
dered zone. Mr.. Allen says these
Spanish garrisons do not exceed 5000
men. This, he says, is Gen. Garcia's
estimate. Mr.. Allen left Santiago
only last Saturday. At that time he
says there were two suspicious cases
thought to be yellow fever in the hos
pital at Siboney.
Not Known What Part the Feet Took.
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 Admiral SIMPSONS
fleet to enter the harbor and proceed
up to the wharves as soon as the tor
pedoes and mines at the harbor en-
trance are removed. The fortifeations
of Moro Castle, Socapa, Cayo Smith
and others are included in the surren-
dered zone. The possession of these
fine fortresses, particularly Moro Cas-
tie, will afford valuable garrison points
for a large number of men.
The Terms of Surrender.
The terms under which these strong
holds are surrendered are not yet
known in detail, but it is regarded as
likely that their big guns pass with
the surrender.
While the fleet will soon be free to
move up to Santiago city, some doubt
&c ~, a, !, l,a,
any good could be accomplished by
such a move, as it might subject some
of our sailors to the contagion existing
within the city.
Attention to Be Given to the Care of the
Sick.
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 south of the city
where the heat is less severe aid
where recovery could proceed without
fear of communicating the disease to
the rest of the army. Secretary AlgeI
is anxious to bring the entire army
back as soon as it cun be done with
safety to the men themselves, and
without jeopardy to the other troops N
Florida and to the general public.
The active preparations made to deal
| with the emergency are such that it is
| felt the question of disease can be
| coped with successfully.
Fully Prepared for the Next Move.
Now that the military situation has
been simplified in the matter of trans
ports, the department is fully pre-
pared for the next move. The acquisi-
ton, recently, of number of transat-
lantic liners capable of carrying sew
eral times as many men as the smaller
transports, has put it on an excellent
footing, and it was announced yester.
day that no more ships were being
bought for the Atlantic coast. Many
of the transports which carried SOL
diers 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 avail
able are distributed about as follows:
Twenty-Five at Santiago, twelve at
Tampa, three at Charleston, four at
New York; four at Key West and 9TH
ers en- route to and from different
points.
VIII Invite Bids for Carrying Spanish Sol.
diers Home.
The plan of the war department for
returning the surrendered army OF
Gen. Toral to Spain will not necessi.
tate the use of American vessels. It is
the purpose of the department to ask
for proposals from all steamship COM
panies which desire to compete for
transporting the Spanish troops to
Spain, and the most advantageous bid
| will be accepted. The advices of Gen.
| Shafter state that the number of Span
ish prisoners will be between $4,000
and $1,000.