The times., 1898-06-22


the 1900 troops under Gen. Shafter at
Santiago.
The Government was officially inform
ed Of the arrival of the troops about 10
O'Clock Monday night. The news came
directly by the French cable from
Guantanamo to Gen. Greely, the chief
signal officer of the Army, and it
was at once communicated to the
President Mr. Mckinley sent the mes
sage TO Secretary Alger at about II
o'clock, and early yesterday morning it
was officially given out TO members of the
press by Secretary Alger, Gen. Miles,
Adjt. Gen. Corbin, and Gen. Greely. The
facility with which the news was obtain
ed is due 10 the efforts of Gen. Greely
and his signal corps.
The Government several weeks ago in
trusted TO him the re-establishment of
cable communication with Santiago He
was ordered 10 open negotiations through
the proper channels for the opening of the
French cable line running to Guantanamo.
It was necessary TO avoid any implica-
tion in the proceedings which would
give offense TO the French government
by presuming that that government
would not be acting consistently with her
declaration Of neutrality in granting the
request.
The negotiations with the French Cable
Company, controlling the line between
Guantanamo and Haiti, were at last
successful. The French Cable Company
was allowed 10 restore communication
with Guantanamo and send dispatches
under a strict military censorship
Lieut.. Col Allen, Of Gen. Miles's staff
and formerly the press censor at Key
West has been busily employed in making
the connection. Col. Allen picked up the
cable about o'clock Monday afternoon
and landed it on the French neutral yes
sci ManeeI. He then sent a message 10
Gen. Greely announcing the opening of
communication. Gen. Greely carried the
information 10 Mr. Mckinley.
The President Immediately expressed
a desire TO hear from Gen. Shafter and
his transports. and Gen. Greely directed
Col. Allen TO obtain the information and
transmit il as soon as possible.
Commander McCaIla, Of the Mar5lehead.
at Guantanamo. who was asked TO send
a boat 10 the feet Of Admiral Sampson
for the purpose Of obtaining the informa-
tion returned early Monday evening and
cabled that the transports had reached
Admiral Sampson on Monday morning
and that Gen. Shafter was then with
Admiral Sampson holding a conference
relative TO landing the army.
Col Allen has informed Gen Greely
that he viii take the end Of the cable at
ashore as soon as possible He has fifty
miles Of cable with him and as soon as
shore connections are established, he will
connect Guantanamo with the point Z
which the main body Of troops will land
and which VIII be temporary headQuar-
terH
me news Of the safe arrival of the
transport fleet and Of the establishment
OF direct cable communication with Ad-
q.
thCslasm among Army and Navy Off
Gals al the War Department yesterday.
permanent cable station viii be es-
tabIshed at Caimanera. near the end Of
the railroad which extends from that
point up the west side Of the bay TO
Guantanamo. Arrangements have been
made for the prompt transmission 70 New
York by the Haiti Cable Company OF
messages sent from Guantanamo TO Mole
St. Nicholas Haiti So perfect are the
arrangements for telegraphing that a
message fled in Caimanera can be de-
hvered TO the Secretary Of War or the
Secretary of the Navy within fifteen
minutes. The message that announced
the arrival Of the army came in fifteen
minutes. The cable company claims thai
in a tight pinch il can wire a message
direct from Caimanera in ten minutes
time. Arrangements are being perfected
whereby newspaper correspondents at the
The cost OF sending messages from
Guantanamo by way Of the new cable
viii be about S-69 per word. The Gov
ernment messages viii be sent at half
rate. Secretary Alger has directed the
press censor, Col Allen, in view of the
competition Of war correspondents TO
allow every correspondent fair play. The
first TO arrive at the telegraph office will
be served first. There viii be no holding
the wire or other tricks known TO cor
respondents. If TWO or more correspOn-
dents arrive at once one of them will be
allowed TO transmit one hundred words
and the other viii follow in the order in
which they arrived Government mes
sages viii take precedence over all others.
Gen. Miles said yesterday morning that
he thought a landing ought TO be accom-
plished in forty-eight hours time when
once it is under way.
No fighting Of Importance is expected
for several days. Hard fighting may take
place after Friday. After that time i'm
portant news may be expected momen-
tarily.
The reports last received from Col. AL
len speak of the satisfactory condition of
affairs, and particularly draw attention
to the continued good work being done
by the Cubans. The admiral says he now
has about lo01 Cubans, fully armed, en-
gagged in the bushwhacking work which
has proved so effective in protecting the
American troops
This force Of Cubans is quite apart
from the regular force under Gems Rab-
bi and Garcia. and IS detached body OF
guerriilas which is cooperating with our
naval forces rather than with the army.
The extent to which the Cubans have
been exposed 10 action is shown by the
report reaching the Navy Department
that thirty wounded Cubans have beer
placed on the Solace. This is believed Il
be considerably more than the wounded
from the American marines.
Surgeon General Van HeyDen, of tn,
navy has directed the chief surgeon OF
the Solace TO receive Cuban wounded and
give them the same treatment and IA
cilites accorded to our own men.
Later, however. the hospital ship Relic
VIII receive the Cuban wounded, as III,
Relief Is an army ship. and the work o.
the Cubans is looked upon as more prop
erly coming under the direction of tn,
army, but pending the arrival of the Re
lief. no distinction viii be made between
Americans or Cubans army or navy II
the relief which the Solaee is TO extend.
She viii wait for fun load of sick AM
wounded before coming North as the de
sire Of the department is TO take ava!
all OF the disabled before the most sever,
period Of Summer heat comes in.
Steam Engineers Meeting.
AT a largely attended meeting of tn
National Union of Steam Engineers heI
last evening Il was decided that as
rreaf many OY ifs members u-a,,ld he ay