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WILMINGTON, N. C, TUESDAY JUNE 28, 1898.
S1.00 PER YEAR.
OL. XXXI. NO. 51.
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FRIDAY'S
Historical Name for the Engagement is "Bat
tle of La Quasina.
AMERICANS WERE AMBUSCADED
They Won a lirilliant VictoryIncidents of the Heroic Conduct of the
Officers and iMen The Spanish Killed far Exceeds That of Our
ArmySplendid Charge That Swept Away the Spaniards.
Thirty Nine Dead Dagos Found and Buried by our
Men Our Dead Buried on the Battle Field.
Solemn and Impressive Ceremonies.
(Copyright by Associated Press.)
Juragua, Cuba, June 25, 4 p. m., per
Associated Press Dispatch Boat Dan
dy, via Kingston, Jamaica, June 26,
10 a. m. The initial fight of Colonel
Wood's rough-riders and the troopers
cf the First and Tenth regular caval
ry, will be known in history as the
battle of La Quasina." That it did not
end in the complete slaughter of the
Americans was not due to any miscal
ulation in the plan of the Spaniards,
for as perfect an ambuscade as was
ever formed in the brain of an Apache
Indian was prepared and Lieutenant
Colonel Roosevelt and his men walk
ed squarely into it. For an hour and a
half they held their ground under a
perfect storm of bullets from the front
and sides, and then Colonel Wood at
the right of Lieutenant Colonel Roose
velt at the left, led a charge which
turned the tide of battle and sent the
enemy flying over the hills toward
Santiago.
It is now definitely known that six
teen men on the American side were
killed, while sixty were wounded or
'are reported to be missing. It is im
iossible to calculate the . Spanish
losses, but it is known that there was
far heavier than those of the Ameri
cans, at least as regards actual loss
of life. Already thirty-seven dead
Spanish soldiers have been found and
buried, while many others are un
doubtedly lying in the thick under
brush on the side of the gully, and on
the slope of the hill, where the main
body of the enemy was located. The
wounded were all removed.
THE AMERICAN LOSS.
A complete list of the killed, wound
ed and missing on the American side,
revised up to 4 o'clock Saturday, is as
-follows:
KILLED .
Captain Allyn K. Capron, First Unit
ed States volunteer cavalry .
Sergeant Hamilton Fish, Jr., Troop
L, First United States volunteer cav
alry. Sergeant Doherty, Troop A. First
United States volunteer cavalry.
Sergeant Marcus D. Russell, Troop
G, First United States volunteer cav
alry. Sergeant Russell lived in Troy,
N. Y., and was formerly a colonel on
Governor Hill's staff.
Private Ieggett, Troop A, First Uni
ted States volunteer cavalry.
Private Harry Heffner, Troop G,
First United States volunteer cavalrjr.
Private Milden W. Danson, Troop L,
First United States cavalry.
Private W. T. Irvin. Troop F, United
Spates volunteer cavalry.
Private Slennoc, Troop K, First reg
ular cavalry.
Private B. Work, Troop B, First reg
ular cavalry.
Private Krupp, Troop B, First reg
ular cavalry.
Private Stark, Troop A, First regular
" -cavalry.
Private .Troop K, First reg
ular cavalry.
Private Kelbe, Troop K, First regu
lar cavalry.
Private Barlin, Troop K, First regu
lar cavalry.
Corporal White, Troop E, Tenth reg
ular cavalry.
WOUNDED.
Major James Bell, First cavalry,
shot in the leg.
Captain Thomas T. Knox, First eav
calry, shot in the stomach, serious.
Lieutenant Bryan, First cavalry.
Private Frank Booth, TroopF, First
'volunteer cavalry.
Private George Brixton, Troop B,
Tenth cavalry.
Private S. F. Ishler, Troop C, First
'volunteer cavalry.
Private Joseph Dole, Troop B, First
"volunteer cav&lry.
Private John R. Keene, Troop L,
rFirst volunteer cavalry.
Private M. L. Newcombe, Troop D,
.First volunteer cavalry.
Private Martin Prell, Troop G, First
tsivalry.
Private Samuel Redd, Troop G, First
cavalry.
Private Arthur Wheeler, Troop B,
Tenth cavalry.
Private Theodore Bryce, Troop D,
Tenth cavalry.
Private Kelly Mavberry, Troop I.
Tenth cavalry.
Private James Jlussell, Troop B,
Tenth cavalry.
Edward Marshall,, correspondent of
The New Tork Journal ;and Advertiser,
serious.
Private Sehulter Whitey, First vol
unteer cavalry.
Private Nathaniel M. fe, Troop L,
?first volunteer cavalry.
Corporal J. M. Dean, Trtp E, First
volunteer cavalry.
Private J. N. Deal, Trooj. D, First
volunteer cavalry.
Private C. L. Reed, Troop T. First
volunteer cavalry.
Corporal J. B. Rhodes,Troop D, First
volunteer cavalry.
Sergeant Thomas Ryan, Troop' K,
Tenth cavalry.
Private E. J. Albertson, Troop F,
jrirst volunteer cavalry.
Trumpeter I. F. Meagher, Troop L,
First volunteer cavalry.
private George Roland, Troop G,
First volunteer cavalry.
Private F. At 'WMQr, Troop B, Tenth
cavalry. . . .
BATTLE.
Private D. V. Watson, Troop G, First
cavalry.
Private John Damatt, Troop L, First
volunteer cavalry.
Captain James H. McClintock, First
volunteer cavalry.
Lieutenant J. R. Thomas, Jr., First
volunteer cavalry.
Private T. W. Wiggins, Troop B,
First volunteer cavalry.
Private Robert Z. Bailey, Troop F,
First volunteer cavalry.
Private R. W. Reid, Troop G, First
volunteer cavalry.
Private Gains, Troop B, Tenth cav
alry. Private Reilly, Troop B, First cav
alry. MISSING.
Private Merriam Camp, Troop G,
First volunteer cavalry.
Sergeant D. W. Bell, First volunteer
cavalry.
Trumpeter T. R. McDonald, First
volunteer cavalry.
Private N. H. Cochrane, First vol
unteer cavalry.
Private Fred. Chilcot, First volun
teer cavalry.
Private J. S. Miller, First volunteer
cavalry.
Private W. S. Sharp, First volunteer
cavalry.
Private J. E. Steadman, First volun-
, teer cavalry.
f Private D. C. Deniss, First volunteer
cavalry.
Captain McCormick and Captain
Luna, of the First volunteer cavalry,
who were reported yesterday as among
the dead or wounded, were unharmed,
as was also Colonel Wood, whom Ad
jutant Hall reported as mortally
wounded.
DEEP LAID PLOT.
That the Spaniards were thoroughly
posted as to the route to be taken by
the Americans in their movement to
ward Sevilla was, evident, as shown by
the careful preparations they had
made. The main body of Spaniards
was posted on a hill, the heavily wood
ed slopes on which had been erected
two blockhouses, flanked by irregular
entrenchments of stone and fallen
trees. At the bottom of these hills run
two roads , along which Lieutenant
Colonel Roosevelt's men and eight
troops of the First and Tenth cavalry,
with a battery of four howitzers, ad
vanced. These roads are but little
more than gullies, rough and narrow,
and at places almost impassable. In
these trails the fight occurred.
Nearly half a mile separated Roose
velt's men from the regulars, and be
tween them and on both sides of the
road in the thick underbrush was con
cealed a force of Spaniards that must
have been large, judging from the
terrific and constant fire they poured
in on the Americans.
HOW THE BATTLE BEGAN.
The fight was opened by the First
and Tenth cavalry ' under General
Young. A force of Spaniards was
known to be in the vicinity of La Qua
sina and early in the morning Lieuten
ant Colonel Roosevelt's men started off
up the precipitious bluff back of Si
bony to attack the Spaniards on their
right flank, General Young at the same
time taking the road at the foot of the
hill. About two and a half miles out
from Siboney, some Cubans, breathless
and excited, rushed into camp with the
anonuncement that the Spaniards were
but a little way in front and were
strongly entrenched. . Quickly the
Hotchkiss guns out in the front were
brought to the rear, while a strong
scouting line was thrown out. Then
cautiously and in silence the troops
moved forward until a bend in the
road disclosed a hill where the Span
iards were located. The guns were
again brought to the front and placed
in position, while the men crouched
down in the road, waiting impatiently
to give Roosevelt's men, who were
toiling over the little trail along the
crest of the ridge, time to get np .
At 7:30 o'clock a. m. General Young
gave the command to the men at the
Hotchkiss guns to open fire. The com
mand was the signal for a fight that
for stubbornness has seldom been
equalled. A instant the Hotchkiss
guns were fired from the hillsides com
manding the road came volley after
volley from the Mausers of the Span
iards. "Don't shoot until you see something
to shoot at," yelled General Young,
and the men, with set jaws snd gleam
ing eyes, obeyed the order. Crawling
along the edge of the road and protec
ting themselves &s much as possible
from the fearful fire of the Spaniards,
the troopers, some of them stripped to
the waist, watched the base of the hill
and when any part of a Spaniard be
came visible, they fired. Never for an
instant did they falter. One - husky
warrter of the Tenth cavalry, "with a.
ragged wound in his thigh, coolly knelt
behind a rock loading and firing", and
when told by one of his comrades that
he was wounded. laughed and saJd:
"Oh. that's all right. That's been there
for sometime."
In the meantime, away off to the left
could be heard the crack of the rifles
of Colonel Wood's men and the regu
lar, deeper-toned volley firing of the
Spanish.
Over there the American losses were
the greatest. Colonel Wood's men,
vflti; an advance guard well out in
front, and two Cuban guides before
them, bC't apparently with no flankers,
went squarely into the trap set for
Viom hv the Spaniards and only the
unfaltering courage of the men in the
face of a fire that would even make
a veteran quail, presented what might
Hv have been a disaster. As it was,
Troop L, the advance guard under the j
unfortunate Captain uapron, was al
most eurrounded, and but for the re
enforcement hurriedly sent forward,
every man would probably have been
killed or wounded. ...
There must have been nearly 1,500 Span
iards in front and to the sides of us
said Lieuteuant Colonel Roosevelt to
day when discussing the sight. "They
held the ridges with rifle pits and ma
chine guns, and had a body of men in
ambush in the thick Jungle at the sides
of the road over which we were ad
vancing. Our advance guard struck
the men in ambush and drove them
out. But they lost Captain Capron,
Lieutenant Thomas and about fifteen
men killed or wounded. The Spanish
firing was accurate, so accurate in
deed that it surprised me and their
firing was fearfully heavy."
'I want to say a word for our men,"
continued Lieutenant Colonel Roose
velt. "Every officer and man did his
flnt v n t tA t "H o VtonHlc "Wit a man f
flinched." , -if
A GALLANT CHARGE.
From another officer who took part
in the fighting more details were ob
tained. "When the firing began," said he,
"Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt took
the right wing, with Troops G and K,
under Captains Llewyn and Jenkins,
and moved to the support of Captain
Capron, who was getting it hard. At
the same time Colonel Wood and Ma
jor Brodie took the left wing and ad
vanced in open order on the Spanish
right wing. Major Brodie was wound
ed before' the troops had advanced 100
yards. Colonel Wood then took the
right wing and shifted Colonel Roose
velt to the left.
"In the meantime, the fire of the
Spaniards had increased in volume,
but notwithstanding this, an order for
a general charge was given and with
a yell the men sprang forward. Col
onel Roosevelt, in front of his men,
snatched a rifle and ammunition belt
from a wounded soldier and cheering
and yelling with his men, led the ad
vance. For a moment the bullets were
singing like a swarm of bees all
around them and every instant some
poor fellow went down. On the right
wing, Captain McClintock had his leg
broken by a bullet from a machine
gun, while four of his men went down.
At the same time Captain Luna, of
Troop F, lost nine of his men. Then
the reserves, Troop K and E, were or
dered up. Colonel Wood, with the right
wing, charged straight at a blockhouse
SO yards away and Colonel Roosevelt,
on the left, charged at the same time.
Up the men went, yelling like fiends,
and never stopping to return the fire
of the Spaniards, but keeping on with
a grim determination to capture that
blockhouse.
"That charge wTas the end. When
within 500 yards of the coveted point
the Spaniards broke and ran, and for
the first time we had the pleasure
which the Spaniards had been experi
encing although the engagement, of
shooting with the enemy in sight."
HOW NEWS OF THE BATTLE WAS
RECEIVED.
(Copyright by Associated Press.)
On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Wanda, off Guantanamo,
Friday, June 24, 2 p. m., via Port An
tonio, Jamaica, Saturday, June 25, 8 p.
m. The tidings of the first land fight
in which the American soldiers took
part in Cuba was quick to reach the
camp at Juragua, and to travel thence
to Baiquiri, then to the cruisers and
battleships and within a few hours to
the land and sea forces at Guantana
mo. The interest aroused by the fight
ing was very great and the almost uni
versal query was "Did we win?"
Great sorrow wras expressed for
those who fell..
Speaking of Captain Capron, who
had left Custer's old fighting Seventh
cavalry, to join the rough-riders.
Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt remark
ed on the battlefield: "He was one of
the most accomplished officers I ever
knew."
The wrounded were being brought
down the steep hillside to Juragua
when the Wanda arrived in the road
stead. Already two regiments of the rein
forcing brigade were moving away
over the hills, carrying their dog tents
in a roll over their shoulders with their
haversacks and canteens. The horses
of the cavalry and artillery were only
partially disembarked at Baiquiri, six
miles away, yet three cavalry com
rfiands had pressed forward, dismount
ed, without artillery support, instead
of waiting for an attack.
The Wanda left Juragua at 4 o'clock
in the afternoon, with an accurate list
of the dead and wounded furnished by
the Associated Press correspondent
who had just arrived from the scene of
the fight, for Guantanamo, forty miles
away, to file a bulletin over the cable
at the point. Night was closing as the
yacht entered the harbor. A run was
made alongside the Marblehead, the
flagship of Commander McCalla. "Flag
ship ahoy," shouted the officer on the
bridge. "Compliments of the Wanda,
serious engagement near Santiago; re
quest permission to cable accurate list
of dead and wounded." Three hundred
jackets pressed, to the side of the ship,
peering at the yacht in silence until
the officer of the deck had reported to
Commander McCalla and had resumed
his walk. "Did we win?" Then came
from the sailormen. When told that
the Arnericans held the field and that
the Spanish had retreated, a fierce
cheer came over the water.
Commander McCalla took the press
men to his cabin and quickly read their
short account of the battle, remarking
grimly as he said:
"First fight. Spanish retreated, that's
right. List of dead; yes, men must be
killed. Artillery not up, that's bad.
Machine guns very effective against
Spanish blockhouses; scatters Span
iards like ants."
After fixing his signature to the ca
ble message. Commander McCalla
said: "Good night gentlemen; a safe
voyage."
The seafighter had no sooner finished
than he was proceeding with the prep
aration for the night operations , at
Guantanamo, the details of which may
already have been telegraphed from
there. After a moment at the cable
station the dispatch boat nroceeded to
sea. again for a hundred and twenty- ;
five mile ran Jo Jamaica, where there
are greater cable facilities to file a de
tailed report of the engagement.
"In the two hours fighting during
which the volunteers battled against
their concealed enemy enough heorism
"as shown to fill a volume. One of the
American trcop E., desperately woun
ded, was lying squarely between the
lines of fires. Surgeon Church hurried
to his side and, with bullets pelting all
around him, calmly dressed the man's
wound, bandaged it and walked un
concerned back, soon returning with
two men and a litter. The wounded
man was placed on the litter and
brought .into our lines. Another .sol
dier of troop L., concealing himself as
best he could behind a tree, gave up
his place to a wounded companion and
a moment or two later was himself
wounded.
"Sergeant Bell stood by the side of
Captain Capron when the latter was
mortally hit. He had seen that he was
fighting against terrible odds, but he
never flinched. 'Give me your gun
a minute,' he said to the sergeant, and
kneeling down, he deliberately aimed
and fired two shots in quick succes
sion. At each a Spaniard was seen to
fall. Bell, in the meantime, had siez
ed a dead comrade's gun" and knelt be
side his captain and fired steadily.
"When Captain Capron fell he gave
the sergeant a parting message to his
wife and father and bade the sergeant
good bye in a cheerful voice and was
then borne away dying.
"Sergeant Hamilton Fish, Jr., was
the first man killed by the Spanish fire.
He was near the head of the column
as it turned from the wood road into
range of the Spanish ambuscade. He
shot one Spaniard who was firing from
the cover of a dense patch of under
brush. When a bullet struck his
breast he sank at the foot of a tree
with his back against it. Captain Cap
ron stood over him shooting and others
rallied around him, covering the
wounded man. The ground this after
noon was thick with empty shells
where Fish lay. He lived twenty min
utes. He gave a small lady's hunting
case watch from his belt to a mess
mate as a last souvenir.
"With the exception of Captain Cap
ron all the rough-riders killed in yes
terdal's fighting were buried this
morning on the field of action. Their
bodies were laid in one ling trench,
each wrapped in a blanket. Palm
leaves lined the trench and were heap
ed in profusion over the dead heroes.
Chaplain Brown read the beautiful
Episcopal burial service for the dead,
and as he knelt in prayer every troop
er, with bared head, knelt around the
trench. When the chaplain anounced
the hymn, "Nearer My God to Thee,"
the deep bass voices of the men gave
a most impressive rendering of the
music. The dead rough-riders rest
right on the summit of the hill where
they fell. The site is most beautiful.
A growth of rich luxuriant grass and
flowers cover the slopes and from the
top a far-reaching view is had over
the tropical forest. Chaplain Brown
has marked each grave and has com
plete records for the benefit of friends
of the dead soldiers.'
DISTRESS IN HAVANA.
Hunger Eyerywhere No Food Arrlv
. lug From the Southern Port Adven
ture of a Party of Refugee on a Brig
Key West, June 25.-10:30 a. m.
A two masted vessel, the Amapala, of
Trujillo, Honduras, was brought in
here this evening, flying the American
flag and in charge of Ensign Zeen, of
the Vicksburg. She was captured yes
terday afternoon at sunset, while leav
ing Havana and attempting to run the
blockade. She was quickly overhauled
by the Vicksburg and wras found to
have over thirty women and children
and a number of men on board, crew
and passengers, all refugees. There
was no sickness on board, but she is
detained in quarantine.
The Amapala is a small wooden
brig arid belongs to Mauel Montesino
Monteres, of Trujillo, Hondas. She had
been lying at Havana since before the
blockade. Her crew numbers eleven
men, besides the captain, but almost
all were male refugees.
Gerome Baze, a French citizen, who
three years ago was a leading ex
change broker in Havana, chartered
the vessel and got together over forty
people eager to embrace any chance to
escape from Havana. He is in charge
of an expedition, made up of all na
tionalities, including Spanish, French,
Venezuelans, Cubans and Turks. They
fully expected to be captured, but the
conditions in Havana were so dread
ful for the poorer classes that any
risk was preferable to starvation. The
Amapala came out of Havana openly
and offered no resistance. All of the
captives are confident of release.
Hardly any provisions were on board
at the time of the capture and no car
go or contraband articles were found,
and she may not be held as a prize.
They report everything quiet at Ha
vana, which looks like a deserted city
since business and traffic are at a
standstill. The banking firms of H,
Upmann & Co., J. M. Borjes & Co.,
Varcisco, Ruez & Co., and N. Gelats
& Co. are the only ones doing any bus
iness. All other firms are either clos
ing up or dragging on, waiting for the
end of the war, having discharged all
employees. Hunger and starvation
stare the lower classes in the face, the
well-to-do having laid in three months'
stores. After they are exhausted dis
tress will be general, as there is no
further source of supply.
The stories regarding the relief
through southern ports are denied.
Nothing has gone , into Havana for
over a month, and the situation, con
sequently, is very grave. Murder and
robbery are of daily occurence in Ha
vana, prompted in every case by want
and hunger.
Had Typhoid FeTer.
"My system was very much run down
by typhoid fever. I began taking
Hood's Sarsaparilla and the effect was
most invigorating. It gave me a new
lease of life, and I have enjoyed good
health, ever since taking it, and have
been able to follow my usual business."
J. A. Conner, Jr., Rockbridge Baths,
Virginia.
Hood's Pills cure all liver ills. Mail
ed for 25c. by C. I. Heed & Co., Lowell,
Mass. j
THE SEAT OF WAR.
How the War Officials at Washington View
the Situation in Cuba.
PLEASED WITH SHAFTER'S WORK.
The Cuban Invasion Progressing to Suit the President and the Secretary
of War No Important Developments Were Looked for Yester
dayThe American Armv Moved Forward and Ready to
Attack Santiago Blustering News From Spain has
no Effect-Shafter will Connect Have his Head
quarters With Washington by Wire.
Washington, June 26. Though there
were the usual number of officials for
a Sunday at the war and navy depart
ments, there did not seem to be any
expectation of important news from
the seat of war. Secretary Alger ex
plained this readily. In his view the
army has been removed to one of these
stages incident to the progress of a
campaign and is now affecting a new
formation. The reports show that
there is only one, road, and that a
poor one, from the sea, where the
troops landed, leading to Santiago.
Along this the army necessarily has
been obliged to move in a single col
umn. Strong reconnoitreing forces
were prunently thrown out ahead and
it was these that engaged in the action
of Friday morning. They developed
the presence of the enemy in force
directly ahead and drove in their ad
vance guard.
Before the undertaking of a set battle
our own army must be formed in reg
ular battle array, not single column
front as it advanced along the road,
but in broad open order across the
country, the only feasible manner of
conducting a battle successfully. As
part of this plan, the advance must
halt and wait until the rear guard
comes up. In the secretary's opinion
this work was going on yesterday.
The forces left at Baiquiri were being
hurried to the front near Sevilla,
where the Spaniards are supposed to
be in force, the field artillery was be
ing dragged up the rough mountains
roads and the quartermaster was hur
rying along the stores as fast as they
could be landed from the transports.
All this is very necessary work but,
not such as would call for an offi
cial report from General Shafter.
PLEASED WITH SHAFTER'S PROG
RESS. To say that the president and secre
tary Alger are gratified with the suc
cess that has so far attended the nrog-
j ress of General Shafter's campaign
j would be stating the case mildly. The
president in quick appreciation of Gen
eral Shafter's energy has sent a cable
gram congratulating him and the men
composing his army on the excellent
work they have rone. The message
could not be obtained here, the offi
cials taking the ground that it would
be proper for General Shafter alone
to make it public, but it is known to
be. couched in terms of praise.
Secretary Alger added, his tribute
today in the course of a short talk
with an' Associated Press reporter.
He said he felt sure that Shafter would
prove himself to be a wise, brave and
prudent general. He was particularly
impressed writh one short statement in
Shafter's dispatch received yesterday,
stating that he wanted nothing, which
the secretary regarded as an evidence
of the self reliant character of the
man. Nevertheless the secretary is
sending along reinforcements with all
possible promptness. It is a good deal
better to have 1,000 too many soldiers
than one too few, in his opinion. He
believes that General Duf field's troops,
to the number of 1,300 which embark
ed four days ago from Newport News
will arrive at Baiquiri tomorrow and
within four days 3,000 more troops,
which leave Fortress Monroe today
will be at the scene of action. In ad
dition there will be a further move
ment of troops to Santiago Just as
soon as the men and transports are
ready. Possibly General Miles may go
with these. If the troops are not need
ed when they arrive, nothing will be
lost, for they can be very well em
ployed elsewher and will have the ad
vantage of seasoning.
The secretary took occasion to state
again that General Shafter is being al
lowed the widest liberty of action un
restricted by unneccessary orders
from Washington. He thinks the wis
dom of this course is amply Justified
by the results so far obtained. For
this reason it is not possible to accu
rately foretell General Shafter's plan
of operation against Santiago, the
matter being largely In his own hands.
SHAFTER'S FIELD TELEGRAPH.
General Greeley, chief signal officer,
received a dispatch last night from
Lieutenant Colonel Allen, In charge of
tl'3 signal corps with Shafter's army.
II said nothing about the military op
erations but stated that he was about
to extend his line of telegraphic com
munication westward from Playa del
Este to Aquedores which is only half
a dozen miles east of Morro castle and
very much nearer the advance of the
American army. This will be done by
a short cable, which already exists be
tween the two points. A field tele
graphic service, has already been dis
patched from Tampa, so that In the
course of a few days at most General
Shafter will have a telegraphic instru
ment In his own tent putting him in
direct communication with Washing
ton. The little band of signal corps
men has been doing some of the most
energetic and exhausting works of the
campaign. The cable operators are
also deserving the the greatest praise.
There are only two at the cable ter
minues which means turns of twelve
hours each of the hardest kind of
work under the moat trying: condition
of weather. General Greeley already,
has taken steps to have thorn assist
ed by other operators as noon an the
latter can be gotten there,
rence of such gravity. Probably tho
sole foundation for this story was the
attack made about a week ago by,
Sampson upon the forts at the en
trance of Santiago harbor In which
the Spanish cruiser Relna Mercedes
was sunk and one of the Spanish tor
pedo boats disabled.
The report originated from ft Span
ish source and the officials of both'
the war and navy departments are ex
pecting that number of such canards
will be put afloat throughout the cam
paign. The Spaniards proved their,
alertness at this work yesterday.
The war department, following the
satisfactory example set by the navy,
department, has Instituted a system
of bulletins for the benefit of the pub
lic, giving quick and concise Informa
tion of important happening. The
first of these bulletins made Its ap
pearance yesterday, giving Shafter's
brief account of the driving In of tho
Spanish outposts. The newspapers
had scarcely received this Information
before the Spaniards got out a bulle
tin from Captain General nianco an
nouncing the repulse of the American
forces. The war department officials
are somewhat discouraged at the pros
pects of having to meet this sort of
bulletin service with a simple recital
of cold facts.
A SUSPICIOUS CRAFT.
Through its agents In the West In
dies the state department has discov
ered a suspicious craft lying at Fort
de France, Martlnque. She Is a collier
and presumably Is trying to convey
coal either to Cervera at Santiago or
to Blanco at Havana via the Isles cf
Pines and Hatabano. Captain Sigsee
of the St. Paul and some of the other
commanders of the American scouting
vessels have been notified and are ex
pected to defeat this purpose.
SAN JUAN BLOCKADED.
Captain Slgsbe yesterday warned n
British ship from seeking to enter the
harbor of San Juan de Porto Rico, on
the ground that it was blockaded. No
formal notice has yet been given of
the blockade of this port but the cap
tain's action Is In line with the con
struction of International law publish
ed by the navy department, namely,
that a blockade may be initiated with
out formal notice by simple warning
from a naval commander. It is fully
expected that this construction will b
combated if the Spanish government
can interest any of the European pow
ers to do so, but tho navy department
Is sure of Its ground, having had tho
aid of the best minds In the state de
partment In framing the blockade reg
ulations. CAMARA'S WILD GOOSE CHASE.
Notwlthstand the report of the ar
rival of Admiral Camara's squadron at
Porto Said, the westerly entrance to
the Suez canal, the officials here still
doubt that the vessels are bound for
. T tit V .
I me x'niJippinep. iiumora reacn nere,
unconfirmed as yet, that the only Iron
, clads In the squadron, the Pelayo anl
the Carlos v., have left the squadron
and returned to Spain so that Camara
no longer posesses a force that would!
threaten Dewey. If this be so either
the Spaniards have rellized the folly
of leaving their home ports unprotect
ed or they have received Information
from the English government that the
navigation of the Suez canal cannot be
Jeopardized by allowing such deep
draft, unwieldy Ironclads to attempt
the passage.
Some attention has been attracted at
the state department by the dispatch
from Madrid to a Brlt:sh paper stating
that 'Camara's purpose Is not to attack
Dewey but to seize and hold with hi
ships and troops another Island In tho
Philippine group: It Is suspected that
If this be so the object Is purely dip
lomatic, the Spanish gtrrernment being"
anxious to truthfully assert. In tho
event that peace negotiations are forc
ed upon it. that the United States Is
not In such complete occupancy of the
Philippines as would Justify a demand
for their retention as one of the terms
of peace.
1km toyaJ Is Um Mgfcrt
Actmmt tt4 akmw Jt
third fertfcw Um mmj tW fcr Mi
Absolutely Puro
M3VM. mtma reweca eo., mi vom. '
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