The Mena star., 1898-07-27
SK|RM|SH AT PORTO RICO
Gen. Miles Lands His Troops at Guanica After a Little Brush
 with Spanish Troops.
A MOVE MADE TO CAPTURE A RAILWAY.

Ponce Only About Ten Miles East of Guan-
 lea and Not Much Resistance Is Expect
 ed In Taking the City, as the Garrison
 Does Not Exceed 2,Ob0 men--A Post
 master Appointed for Porto Rico.
 Washing ton, July 20. The govern ment is waiting to receive confrma- tion of the reported debarkation of Gen. Miles troops The war depart ment did not expect tp hear of Gen. Miles landing near Ponce, as men toned in newspaper dispatches, but it is admitted that Gen. Miles is master of his own movements, and it is en- tirelv conceivable that he acquired in- formation since the original plans were formed for the campaign against Porto Rico that led him to modify them at the moment when they were to be put into execution. While the distance from Ponce to San Juan is much greater than from the point originally selected for Miles landing, there is, according to the military in- formation charts, splendid l4-foot macadamized road leading directly across the island to San Juan on the north shore. Such road as this, if it is properly describe in the archives of the war department, would be very little affected by the torren- tial rains of this season, so that it might be possible for our troops, ac- companied as they will be by field ar lo between Ponce and San Juan in less time than would have been required to cover the much shorter distance be- tween the capital and some of the other points that have been named as the landing place for the troops. Wherever the landing may have been made the war department expects to hear from Gen. Miles very soon, for he has been long enough on the coast of Porto Rico to have established himself somewhere ashore and to have for warded some communication to the government. There will be no diff culty in the prompt transmission of any dispatches the general may file over the cable from St Thomas It is probable that in the beginning the government at Madrid will be in advance with the news This is because there is cable rum ming from Ponce around through 8 group of the West India islands to Kingston, where communication with the transatlantic cable can be had. Thus the conditions at Ponce so far as cable connections are concerned ap- proximate those existing at Santiago at the beginning of the campaign, when the Spanish government was able to communicate directly with the Spanish general in the town while Gen. Shafter's communications were subject to a delay of about 24 hours However, all this will bc rectified in the course of few days and Gen. Miles will be in quick communication with Washington.
 Gen Miles Landing Near Ponce
 Washington, July e6.--The dis patches received here last night to the effect that Gen. Miles was landing his forces near Ponce indicate that he is following out his original plan, which was to seize Ponce, one of the largest towns iu Porto Rico, for 8 base, and, after he has captured it. get his army in thorough shape before proceeding to San Juan for the largest under taking before him. It is not his intention to push forward for San Juan until all his forces have landed at Ponce. Although Ponce is the sec ond city of Porto Rico in population nd If fo 1afa l. and it's garrison is small Not much resistance is expected. The city of Ponce proper has no military defenses, but on the hills to the north of the town a series of earth intrenchments have recently been constructed. West of Ponce, where the railroad and mili- tary road touch the shore, earthworks have been constructed to guard this strategic point. There are about 30 mountain howitzers in Ponce available for the defense of the city and rail road. The regular garrison at Ponce does not exceed in number 2, 900 men.
 A Landing Made After Skirmish.
 Port of Guanica, Porto Rico, July 25, via St Thomas, D. w. l., July 26.-The United States military expedition un. der the command of Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles. commanding the army of the United States which left Guan tanamo bay during the evening of Thursday last, July 2i, was landed here success fully to-day, after skirmish with de tao ment of the Spanish troops and crew of 30 belonging to the launch of the United States auxiliary gunboat Gloucester. formerly Mir. J. Pierpont Morgan's steam yacht Corsair. Four of the Spaniards were killed and DO 1