Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-11
No Report of Fighting in Front Of
Santiago.
OFFICERS BELIEVE IT TO Be GOING ON
Gen. Shafter Tells of His Plan
OF Bombardment.
OF YESTERDAY

| at the War Department that all the dis
patches received from Gen Shafter today
were silent on the point as to the military
movements in progress at Santiago today
Nevertheless Adjutant General Corbin and
other army officers likely to be informed on
! the subject, express the opinion that fight
| Ing is in progress with view to the cap
| ture of the Spanish army.
Although there may be no general en-
| gagement today, 1t is believed that General
Skaters artillery forces are maintaining
steady and deliberate bombardment Of
Santiago with view of drawing the lines
OF investment closer around the peleaguered
city in preparation for general assault at
F! the first favorable opportunity.
Notice from Gen. Shafter this morning
TO the effect that he proposed to begin the
assault and bombardment of Santiago to-
day intensified the interest with which
news from the front is being awaited at
the War Department, and there We're MANY
| Inquiries at the Office of the adjutant gen.
! eral, beginning in the early morning for
the latest dispatches. To an of these but
one answer was returned: Gen. Shafter had
been given free hand to deal with the
situation, subject to but one condition,
namely, that the Spaniards in Santiago
must be captured; and he had not informed
the War Department as to the details of
his plans further than was indicated in the
dispatches received from him yesterday
The belief here is that the affair of yes
terday was of compare lively little conse-
quence, being perhaps but a feint on the
part of the Spaniards to uncover the Amer
lean batteries, to discover some weak
SPOT which might be made the point of at
tack in sortie when it comes to that
Plans for Bomba rdment.
The War Department made public three
dispatches from General Shafter received
in the early hours of this morning and
about l o'clock this afternoon
The following was received at 1:30 a. m.:
PLAYA DEL ESTE.
The navy has promised after the bonn
parchment begins to get in close to the
harbor with some of their light draft boats.
If the bombardment tomorrow 0oday) IS
not quickly conclusive they will make the
attempt. AS soon as Henry's reinforce
ments arrive we will surround the town
and can knock it to pieces with our light
guns. Captain Goodrich of the st. Louis
assisted me very ably in dIsembarking
troops.''
: Twentythree minutes later the follow
ing was received:
MY plans for tomorrow are to keep up
the bombardment of the trenches and city
and complete the investment on the north
west by the troops which have just ar
rived at Siboney, one regiment of which,
the 1st Illinois. has now reached me-"
Soon after noon today the following was
received:
Il regret to report that Captain Rowell,
I'd Infantry, was killed late yesterday
afternoon"
Fear of the Enemy's Escape.
The officials here do not conceal their
apprehension that the enemy may escape
from Santiago under cover Of darkness,
and are consequently relieved each day
when the dispatches from the front show
that they still occupy the town. The Presi-
dent himself was SO much concerned in the
possible escape of the Spanish force that
he directed the sending of explicit orders
to Gen. Shafter to prevent it at all hazards.
This fact, taken in connection with the
generals dispatches of yesterday, formed
the basis for the opinion that was ex-
pressed at the War Department yesterday
that Skaters attack would 1ot be made
Immediately. It was gathered from these
reports that he had not succeeded in ex-
tending his lines clear around the city, and
it was apprehended that If he began the
attack before completing the circumyalla-
tion, the enemy, under the strength of his
attack, might escape through the uncov-
cred northwest section and retreat toward
Manzanillo, over the road traversed by the
reinforcements that last reached Santiago.
Now, however, Shafter reports that he ex-
poets TO complete his lines today, pre-
sumably using for the purpose the REIN
forcements which reached him Saturday
ard yesterday. and it is expected that the
attack will be no longer delayed.
Yesterdays Killed and Wounded.
The following dispatch from Gen. Shaf-
ter was posted at the War Department this
afternoon:
PLAYA, July II, 1898.
AdjutaRt General, Washington:
Headquarters near Santiago, July II.
Following report of casualties in the 1st
Division yesterday afterr oon just received:
Killed-Capt. Charles w. Rowell, I'd In
fantry; Private Peter Nelson, Company A.
I'd Infsntry.
Wounded-Lieut. N. J. Lutz, I'd Infantry;
Charles Janch, Company A, I'd Infantry.
r-ivate: Charles Lentki, Company B, I'd
Infantry. private; Nelson Gilbert, jr, 21st
infantry.
SKATER, Major General.
Several kilograms were received at the
Navy Department over night from Admiral
Sampson. 1t is said that they did not re-
late to the attack on Santiago, but touched
the organization of Watson's expedition
and the movement of certain transports
which had been the object Of inquiry.
Reports Did Not Come.
1t was supposed that Ensign Palmer, who
arrived this morning from Portsmouth, N,
H, where he arrived frcm Santiago on the |
et. Louis, would bring the official report |
Of Admiral Sampson on the fight that re- |
suited in the destruction of Cervera's fleet.
but to the great disappointment of the |
naval officials when the mail bags brought |
by Ensign Palmer were opened it was
found to have closed July 2, the day before |
the great naval battle, 80 that there was
no reference whatever in any of the numer-
GUS reports to that event. It is supposed,
however. that the reports Of the battle
proper will be forthcoming within day or |
two from another source
Trying to Run the Blockade.
Captain General Blanco IL making des-