Evening star., 1898-07-25
SEIZURE OF PORTO RICO,
All the Troops Expected to BE Land
ed by the End of the Week.

Maj. Gen. Brooke, commanding the 1st
Army Corps, sails today from Newport
News to join Gen. Miles at Porto Rico.
The general embarks on the ST. Louis,
and, as he will proceed Immediately with
out waiting for the whole of his command
he should arrive by this fleet ship off Porto
Rico some time Friday or Saturday The
ST. Louis will be accompanied on the run
down the coast by the st. Paul, on which
will be the headquarters of Gen. Hains.
The remainder Of the troops In Chicka-
mauga will be embarked at Hampton
Roads as rapidly as possible, and 1t is ex-
pected that the last of them will be aboard
ship by Wednesday.
The reported boarding of German
steamer off San Juan de Porto Rico by a
launch from an American naval vessel is
taken at the War Department to confirm
the belief that Gen. Miles has arrived
there 1t is recalled, however, that some
OF the vessels of the auxiliary fleet have
been blockadng San Juan, and it may be
that II was a launch from one of these
vessels instead of one from MILES fleet
that was seen by the German vessel. How
ever, the department has manner of
dcL 5t that Miles is off Porto Rico, and, as
all of the details of the expedition are
moving with precision, there is every rea-
son to believe that the troops will be all
ashore by the end of the week. Col. Heck
er, who is directly in charge of the trans
portation arrangements here returned to
Washington by the morning boat from
Fort Monroe, entirely satisfied with the
progress being made there in the embarka-
ton of Gen. Brooke's command.
The War Department received the fol-
lowing from Gen. Rodgers at Tampa Sat
urday night:
THE transports Arkadia. Whitney, Mil
ler, Flotilda and Cherokee, with Gen.
Schwans headquarters, sailed between 10
and 23O today, with two light batteries,
7th Artillery. one troop I'd Cavalry, two
companies 11th Infantry, full regiment
10Th Infantry and two sections of the gen.
eral pack train. The Mohawk, which can
easily oyertake these boats, cannot sail
before 10 o'clock tomorrow. It will carry
ten companies of the 11th Infantry, about
600 pack animals, the brigade ambulance
train and Red Cross ambulances."
The quarter1naster general has received
a telegram announcing the safe arrival at
Santiago of the construction boat Panama.
Sk will proceed at once to Porto Rico to
10 the feet there.
Southern Troops Selected.
Orders were issued today for the 1st
Florida Infantry, the I'd Georgia Infantry
and the 9th Maryland Infantry to prepare
for immediate departure for Porto Rico
They are now attached to the 4th Army
Corps, and have been in camp at Tampa,
Fla They will start to Join Gen. Miles
forces in Porto Rico as soon as transports
are available for the trip. This action of
the War Department is said to be due to
recent criticisms that southern volunteer
troops were being Disseminated against In
the matter of selection for active field
service.
Batteries A and C OF Pennsylvania, now
at Newport News, have been ordered to
Porto Rico. There was some doubt about
the destination of these batteries, and It
was not until this morning the decision
was reached to send them to join Gen.
Miles. where they will be used In the at
tack upon the defenses of Porto Rico.