Evening Star Newspaper, June 18, 1898, Page 1

THE EVENING STAR. SSS SSS PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, JC? Fenneylvenia Avenue, Cor. 11th 8t, by i Com; rine ter ged Kew York Office, 49 Potter Buildin ‘The Evenirg Star ts served to subscribers in the aity by cirriers, on own account, at 10 cents per week. or 44 cents per month. Copies at the ccunter 2 certs each. By mail—anywhere in the United States «r Canada—postage prepaid—50 cents per month. Saturday Quintuple Sheet Star, $1 per year, with fore'gn postage added, $2. be Po t Office at Washington, D. C.. -class mal matter.) 1 mall subscriptions must be pafd in advance. it advertising made known on applicstior. ng Star. No. 14,134. WASHINGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, JUNE 18, A WAR CONFERENCE Discussion Over the Situation at the White House. —_- + EARLY INVASION OF PORTO RICO Expedition on Account of Sailing of Camara’s Fleet. — MORE VOLUNTEERS WANTED + A war conference was held at the White House today, those present being Secretaries Alger and Long and General Miles, who discussed the situation with the President. It is believed that at the war con- ference it was decided to expedite the invasion of Porto Rico and to is- sue another call for volunteers. Secretary Alger is indignant at the published reports that the President and himself were dissatisfied with the course of General Miles, and had de- cided to relieve him of command of the army. The purpose of the administration in recalling General Miles to Wash- ington at this time is to consult with him as to the future conduct of the campaign. The appeal of the government to the steamship companies for trans- ports to be used in carrying the troops to Porto Rico has not met with a satisfactory response. Government officials express cha- grin at the publicity given the ad- ministration’s plans for the invasion of Porto Rico before the investment of Havana. The Navy Department today is- sued advertisements calling for pro- posals for building the three battle authorized by the last naval appropriation bill. The route taken by the Shafter ex- pedition is expected to bring the troops to the place of debarkation by tomorrow unless some unforeseen delay has occurred, and the arrival may be before that. Z An important war conference was held at the White House today. Those who were first with the President were Secre- Later Secretary Leng joined confsrence, and for a short time Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn was present. The conference lasted over two hours. Secretary Alger declined to talk about the conference, and when asked tery Alger and Gen. Miles. the if erders had been issued for troops to 50 south from Chickamauga and Camp Alger refused to repl The presence of the heads ef the two fighting departments ts ecnstrued as certainly meaning arrange- ments for another invasion. Secretary Long remained to lunch with the Presl- dent and continued the conference. cS Gen. Mi € an account of the situa- tion in Florida and of what is needed to get another expedition ready. He talked fully and freely. Every indication today points to the early invasion of Porto Rico. It fs thought that the conference was called chiefly because of the news that Admiral Camara has sail- ed from Cadiz. The officials of the ad- minisiration see in the coming of this fleet her menace to the sailing of an ex- ion to Porto Rico unless that expedi- tion gets away before Camara can reach this side. It is believed that the President Proposes to send an expedition to Porto Rico and relief to General Shafter before the Spanish fleet can get to this side of the water. Importance of Capturing Porto Rico. The capture of Porto Rico will be more important now than before. If the Span- ish fleet succeeds in getting to Porto Rico it can make that island a base of supplies for almost any kind of a campaign. The ships of Camara, while not dangerous, would be continually annoying contemplat- ed and real expeditions. If Porto Rico fs taken from the Spaniards now there will be no base of supplies nearer than th Canaries. : It is not belfeved that Camara will sall straight for Porto Rico. He will be de- tained at the Canaries some time. He may expect to meet an American fleet in that neighborhood. ‘The stoppirg of Camara and his squadron at the Canaries will give the administration fully two weeks to get an expedition safely off to Porto Rico, It now seems necessary that the expedition should get away within that time. : It is said today that the government can- not afford to allow Camara to get to San Juan with his fleet. If Cervera has not then been captured or destroyed he will feel much better that snother Spanish squadron is close enough to him to give him assistance and help him fight his way out It fs said that if Camara gets safely to San Juan and has a harbor and protec- tion, Admiral Samrson will have to divile his fleet to handle both Cervera and Ca- wara and at ihe same time protect the kade off Havana. The situation will pt be as secure as now, and the war may go on for many weeks. Camara will prob- same tactics as Cervera. He ill keep his movements secret. His cb- fect is thought to be the carrying of aid Blanco, but the American navy will 0 idea of where he may appear, and cur ships will have to be divided so as to cover many points. The prospect now ts that to avoid all the phoyances Which loom ahead heavy rein- forcements will be rushed to Gen. Shafter so as to push the capture or destruction of Cervera. At the same time a large army will be immediately gotten ready to move te Porto Rico. A New Flying Squadron. It is suggested this afternoon that, in addition to hurrying an army of invasion (Continued on Second Page.) GEN. MILES’ COURSE Published Reports of Dissatisfaction j Denied. INDIGNATION OF SECRETARY ALGER Interest in the Landing of the Shafter Expedition. a PORTO RICO TAKING ALARM Secretary Alger, accompanied by Major Gen. Miles, went over to the White House this mcrning to see the President. The Secretary was indignant at the published reports that the President and himself were dissatisfied with the course adopted by Gen. Miles end had decided to relieve him in the command of the army. The Secretary said in the presence of Gen. Miles to a representative of the pre: “There is not a word of truth in it,” mean- ing the statement to which his attention had been attracted. As a matter of fact, the purpose of the acministration in recalling Gen. Miles to Washir gton at this time is to consult with him as to the future conduct of the cam- paign. It is plain that the campaign itself has grown far away from the original Ires on which it was drawn, and recent developments have led to a belief on the part of the President that the plans might be amended somewhat with benefit. ‘The War Department is profiting by the ex- perience gained in the organization and dispatch of Gen. Shafter’s expedition; by the cencentration of troops in the great military camps: by the development of weak places in the staff systems, and it is desired that future operations be con- dveted with a view to avoiding friction, improving the methods of equipping the volunteers and generally facilitating the organization of an effective army. To Have Ample Camp Facilities. It has been suggested that owing to the heavy demands for troops, which have far exceeded the number originally believed to be sufficient, there will be occasion to is- sue another call for volunteers. Having in mind the length of time required to change raw material into seasoned sol- diers, as revealed by the experiences at Chickamauga, Tampa and Camp Alger, there is no doubt the President will be fore- handed in this matter and that upon the existence of a reasonable doubt as to the sufficiency of the present military force, he wiil take steps to organize an addi- ticnal force. But before any effort is made to gather more troops, the War De- partment will see to it that the amplest camp facilities are provided, and that the equipment will be ready for the men. The material secured under another cal! would not include National Guardsmen, and the men would not only be absolutely green, but 1d be wholly without military equipment of any kind. The prep- arations being made by the War De- partment to meet any possible demands in the future, as revealed in the very thor- ough report of the board, headed by Maj. Hopkins, appointed to look after suitable camping sites, have undbubtedly given rise to the stories coming from different points that additional military camps are to be established. The department has put things in trim to establish at short notice several additional camps® but so far it has not ordered any troops to them, and is not like- ly to unless there should be a further call for volunteers. Relief for the Cubans. The projected dispatch of the relief ex- peditions with focd and supplies to the suffering Cubans fs not a new feature of the campaign, as seems to have been sup- posed in some quarters. From the first the President has had in mind the probable sufferings. of the poor reconcentrados, whose lot was likely to be made doubly hard by the war unless our people came to their relief. It was his purpose to lose no opportunity in sending supplies to these people, aad the reported preparation of ex- peditions in Florida to carry these are nothing more than the natural execution of the Pres!dent’s plans. Difficulty in Obtaining Troopships. It begins to look as if the War Depart- ment might have some difficulty in obtain- ing the necessary transports for the Porto Rico expedition unless some of those which have been sent to Santiago are utilized for that purpose. An earnest appeal was made to the coastwise companies to favor the War Department and submit proposi- tions looking to the charter of such vessels belonging to them as had not already been secured by the government. The replies to the government's tele- grams, however, have been far from satis- factory, as the steamship companies feel they already. have gone as far as practi- cable In surrendering their ships and that to release those still in service would sub- ject them to great loss and bring their business almost to a standstill. In this dilemma the department has been compelled to resort to ships of foreign reg- ister for the trausport service and a num- ber of English bottoms are now under in- spection. Congress will be asked to give an American register to vessels so secured. They will be materially benefited thereby, as after the war they may engage in the coastwise trade in competition with Ameri- can built vessels, Lack of Supply Ships. The lack of availabl3 ships to carry the supplies is just now delaying the award of the contracts by the commissary depart- ment of the army for furnishing refriger- ated meats for the army in Cuba as well as for the starving natives. The commissary general prefers not to close the contracts until ships for carrying the supplies are in such condition as to be rzady promptly for transportation purposes. Some difficulty is being encountered by the department in ob- taining vessels, and It may be that resort to impressment will be pecessary. Tha pro- posals received by General Eagan Wednes- day from the various meat-dressing estab- Vehments of the country contemplat2d that the government should furnish the vessels. After they have been obtained refrigerat- ing apparatus will have to be installsd to keep the meat fresh and palatable during end after its shipment to Cuba and until it is furnished to the troops. .Gencral Eagan says refrigerated meat only can be satis- factorily us3d for feeding the troops, as ex- perience has shown that cattle killed the day before and left over night is not edible. Landing the Shafter Expedition. For the moment the landing of General Shafter’s army of invasion on Cuban soil 1898—TWENTY- FOUR PAGES. TWO CENTS. A PIGMY ATTEMPT TO WIELD A CZAR’S GAVEL. Czar Reed: “Guess you are not quite equal to it.” 1g the subject of principal interest in army and navy circles. Despite conflicting re- ports, it is stated with positiveness by high officials that the big transport procession has moved eastward around Cape Maysi, and not by the western route, first indi- cated, around Point Antonfo. The route taken {s expected to bring the troops to the place cf debarkation by tomorrow at the latest unless some unforeseen delay has occurred, and the fleet may possibly arrive this afternoon. How the troops will land, whether under fire from the Spaniards or without molestation, is the chief topic of speculation among military men. Some of the officers who have just come from ‘Tampa and are famfliar with General Shaf- ter’s plans, say that preparations have been made to meet either contingency, a peaceful landing or one under fire. In case of a landing under fire, consider- able dependence will be placed upon Gen- erals Garcia and Rabi of the Cuban army. ‘The specific instructions sent by General Miles to Garcia covered in detail the land- ing of the American forces. Garcia was to harass and engage the Spanish bands and see that reinforcements were not sent to Santiago and the points where the American trocps will land. Another im- portant thing suggested by General Miles was to gain possession of suitable points around the landing, on which artillery might be placed. The ordnance will be de- barked soon after the landing, in order to give adequate protection to the troops, if such a necessity should arrive. The landing proper, it is calculated, will take at least ten or twelve hours after the army engineers have done their work. : Work of the Engineers. This work of the engineers will: como first, and will consist in putting together a pontoon bridge, much more elaborate than that usually employed for the crossing of rivers, and amounting to a temporary pier. Officers who took part in the departure of General Shafter’s forces say everything was calculated to facilitate the debarka- tion, The arrangements of divisions, and of individual ships in divisions, was made with special reference to keeping regi- ments together, and getting their supplies to them, when the landing was made. When part of a regiment is on one ship, the other part will follow on the next ship. S80 the supplies, pack trains, etc., are as near as possible to the troops requiring them. The officials have not even omitted to calculate on a failure to work the pon- toon pier, by reason of the fire of Spanish landing through the surf if need be, al- though this is not anticipated. The beach is low and sandy, shallow far out, and is, therefore, well calculated for such a land- ing. S Officinls Chagrined at Leaks. The officials here are somewhat chag- rined at the very full publicity that has been given to the intentions of the govern- ment with respect to Porto Rico. For some reasons it was regarded as eminently desir- able that the Spanish in the peninsula, as well as those in Porto Rico and Cuba, should be kept from a knowledge of the purpose to attack San Juan before the in- vestment of Havana. Such is still the pur- pose even now, after it has become a mat- ter of common knowledge, for notwith- standing all that has been said to the con- trary, the President is finally determined to adhere to his original plans and to re- frain from dispatching the great force of 100,000 men, which will be thrown against Havana» until the danger from yellow fever shall have diminished or disappeared, and, further, until the army itself shall be in perfect condition as to equipment, dis- cipline and drill. But it has come to the knowledge of the’ officials that, acting upon the full warning given by the newspapers of our intention, the Spanish military strength at Porto Rico has been considerably developed within the last month, so that the fortifi- cations which might easily have been re- duced then would be difficult to destroy now. ‘This after all concerns the fleet immediate- ly, but, in addition, the Spaniards have been copying the example set by Btanco at’ Havana and constructing entrench- ments, rifle pits and other strong accesso- ries that if properly availed of by the de- fenders will cost our troops much trouble to overcome, if the city is, according to the original plans, to be attacked simultaneous- iw from land and sea, THIRD MANILA EXPEDITION Me HE General Merritt Designates the Troops Which Will Cofipose Tt. — eee The Command Wifi Probably Get Un- der Way the Latter Part of Next: Week. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., June 18.—Major General Merritt, U. 8. A., has issued an order to General. Olis designating the troops that are to compose the third Phil- ippine expeditionsswhicls.will be command- ed by Brigadier General King. The order names the’troops as follows:- ‘The two battalions of tle Idaho volunteers, the 13th Minnesota Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, two battalioné North Dakota volunteers, the 7th California Regiment of Volunteers, the Wyoming battalion of vol- unteers, the two batteries, G and I¥ of the United States Artillery, commanded by Capt. B. J. Randolph and Capt. W. 5. Birkhimer, respectively. These troops will be transported by the steamers Morgan City,<City of Para, Ohio, Indiana and Valgycia, all of which are be- ing put in readinéks as rapidly as possible under the directiop of Major Long, the de. pot quartermasteg: who is rushing the c and supplies on bard in the expectation of having this worksgompleted by next Wed- nesday. The exag date of sailing has not Yet been fixed, but it will probably be not later than the engof next week. The commisicae fe various com- mands have beem¥ingtructed to report to Colonel ee a commissary, what supplies are necesghrygto be taken on board the transports. < General Merritt ja1 with this expedition, 2 ter under consideratign’ for some little time and he is anxioug-¢o @epart, and is making every effort to arrange his affairs that ie can go. he Maj. R. E. Thdapsdn, chief signal officer of the expeditionary forces, will sail with General Merritt, and_is now preparing to take his departure at’an hour's notice. The Signal Corps is yet ldeking in its required quota of expert felegraph operators, who will perform an ighportant part in the con- quest and the government of the Philip- pines. Fifteen are coming from St. Paul, to be followed by others from other east- ern cities. Major Thompson will leave an officer in San Franctgco to enlist men for the corps and forwar@ them, together with necessary supplies, to. Manila. Major General Otis will arrange the de- tails of the felth expedition and will probably remaim“here until all the troops ‘are embraked. “¥ts1s hoped he will accom- plish this on or ‘b@fore July.2. % Bis staff may sail 6 has had the mat- Another Tranaport Chartered. The Secretary. of Wer has chartered the steamer Valancfa, b@pnging to the Pacific Whaling Company, fer-use in the trans- portation of trodps toithe Philippines. This vessel is now at Sag,Frawcisco. She has accommodations f¢ men. ‘The other tranpgorts now on the coast ready for service, svig., the Ohio, Indiana, Morgan and City of dPera,sswell the total to five vessels, which: wilk.constitute part of the third itiég to the islands, THREE ay BATTLE SHIPS. 7 Bids Asked for Is to Be Com- pleted in Thirt-Thzee Months. The Navy Departnient today issued ad- |vertisements calling for proposals for build- ing the three great battle ships authorized by the last naval ap, riation bill. These bid8 will be openda at the department Sep- tember 1, and thirty-three months will be allowed for the completion of the ships. after contract. That fs the maximum, but bidders are invited te specity the time with- in which they mplete the construc- tions, wi c , Indicates the pur- Request for of thirty-three months is considerably in excess of the time required in the best rit- ish shops and ship yards for building battle ships, yet there has been a steady reduction of the time limit by our shipbullders that promises to soon put them on an equality with the British in this respect as they now are in nearly all others pertaining to warship building. Generally speaking, the three big ships are to be patterned closely after the Illinois class, such as are now building at Newport News. In the judgment of the@epartment experts, the best feature of those magnifi- cent warships, the Iowa and the Indiana, have been combined in this class. Further substantial improvements might have been made, especially in the matter of speed, but to include the details in the specifications and-designs would have required a general recasting of the lines and internal arrange- ments of the ships, involving not only some additional expense, but a considerable loss of time in the letting of contracts. It was this last consideration that Influenced the bureau chiefs to omit the improvements re- ferred to. The advertisements calling for the build- ing of agnumber of monitors are withheld, owing to the difference of opinion among bureau chiefs as to the turrets to be placed on these monitors. One element favors a vertical turret, while another, led by the chief constructor, insists that nothing less than the best and most modern inclined turret will serve. ———— RECKUITS’ ASSEMBLING POINTS. They Will Be Determined by ernors of the States. Adjutant General Corbin said today that the state rendezvousing points for the troops apportioned to them under th2 sec- ond call would be determined upon by the governors. This decision is in accord with the practice followed under the first call, when the War Department adopted the rec- cmmendations made by the executives of the states and territories. ‘These rendez- vousing points, it is understood, are to b3 used for thé new organizations called out. The men recruited to fill regiments already existing are promptly shipped from the lo- cality in which they are recruited to the central point at which tha regiments are stationed. ‘The department officials hope that the experiences under the first call will not be repeated under the sz:cond, when innumerable appeals were made and much pressure brought to bear for changes in the apportionment as at first determined. The consequence was that considerable confu- sion and much annoyance arose in connec- tion with the matter. Later on, when the troops are r2ady to rendezvous, mustering officers will be appointed and operations will proceed as under the first call. —_—_—__-- © +______. CAUCUS OF DEMOCRATS. the Goy- a Call Circulated by Representative Bailey. A caucus of the democrats will probably be held Monday night. A request for a call has been ¢irculated by Mr. Bailey of Texas,has been signed sufficiently and will be placed with Chairman Richardson. The caucus-will be held to consider the question of making in the futuré caucus action upon public’ questions binding upon all partici- pants. Since the war democratic caucus action has been advisory rather than man- datory and members have been permitted to participate in caucuses and left free to vote in their discretion regardless of the caucus action. Se ES Insignia for Volunteers. By direction of Major General Miles the prescribed collar device arrangement will be the same on the recentiy adopted blouse with the falling collar as that described for the blouse with the standing collar, and will be the same for officers or sol- diers of the volunteer army as for that of officers of the regular army, except that in the case of the volunteers the letter V will be added to the U. 8., and the designation of the state, in abbreviated form, will be worn below the intersection of the crossed ———___-+-______ ‘The Speaker in the House Again. Speaker Reed, who has been for several days unwell from cold and slight fever, ap- peared today in thé House of Representa- tives, - ‘ } _ #0 as Ingland."” ‘ THE STAR BY MAIL. aan Persona leaving the city for any Period can have The Star mailed to them to any address in the United States or Canada, by ordering it at this office, in pertion or by letter. Terms: 13 cents per week; 25 cents for two weeks, or 50 cents per month. Invariably in advance. Sub- scribers changing their address from one Post-office to another should five the last address as well as the new one. oo TOO MUCH RED TAPE Takes Long Time to Get Military Business Attended To. UNNECESSARY DETAILS OF MEN Effective Force of the Companies * Depleted by It. ARRIVALS AT CHICKAMAUGA CHICKAMAUGA NATIONAL MILI- TARY PARK, Tenn., June 18.—The Ist Regiment Georgia Infantry, 1,000 officers and men, in twelve companies, under Col. A. R. Lawton of Savarnah, arrived in the city at an early hour this morning, ani shortly after breakfast was transferred to the park. The regiment has been encamp- ed at Griffin, Ga., for several weeks, and is in first-class shape. The men are well uniformed and fairly well equipped. Battery A of the Ist Georgia Artillery accompanied the regiment. The members of this command are all well equipped and in good shape. They have been constantly engaged in exercises and drill for several weeks during their encampment at Griffin. This is one of the crack southern batteries, being organized from the old Atlanta Ar- tillery, which saw hard service and be- haved with great gallantry during the civil war. Inquiry among the regiments at the park has developed that the system of carrying requisitions and requests to army head- quarters through a long list of subheaJ- quarters is causing delays which often hemper the commanding officers and dis- courage cherished plans. Endless Red Tape. A prominent regimental officer who was questioned about the system said that in his opinion there ought to be more short cuts to bring about prompt results. He illustrated by taking one item which a regiment might be in need of, an item the Prompt receipt of which would be highly beneficial to the progress of the regiment. To obtain it there is almost an endless round through which the papers must go. Perhaps by the time a reply reaches the command the war is half over and every- body has been worsted. Instead of hav- ing time to get in efficient work in train- ing the volunteers, it is suggested that the time is taken up in answering papers and in attending to the routine of clerical work. The regiments are also fecling rather se- riously the detailtng of so many men to the hospitals and to the various headquarters for duty. Principally for this cause, in one regiment yesterday only twenty-eight men:bers of one company were able to re- port for duty. Fifteen cars of cavalry and artillery horses which arrived last night from Chi- cago were distributed to various commands this morning. The work of inspecting the 1st Division, 1st Corps, which has been going on for some time, is now complete. Major Rogers, inspector gereral of the di- vision, inspected the 3d Tennessee yester- day, which completed the work of inspect- ing the entire division. Recruits Continue to Arrive. Recruits continue to arrive by the score. It ts estimated that between 400 and 500 come daily. The new men are put in awk- ward squads immediately after their arri- val, and the work of making soldiers out of them is prosecuted without delay. The indications are that the recruiting work will be finished in a much shorter time than was at first expected. It is now un- derstood that no movement of troops will be made for some time, but that Chicka- mauga will be drawn on just as may be needed for the various expeditions that may hereafter be ordered against Cuba and Porto Rico. Today is clear, with a mild temperature. Hard drilis are being undergone by all the regiments. Joshua Levering, the noted prohibitionist and ¥. M. C. A. lecturer, is now at work in the camp. He will address the Ist Pennsyl- vania Regiment tonight. ——— ITALIAN CABINET KESIGNS. Members Will Retain Office Till Re- lieved by the King. ROME, June 18—In the chamber of depu- ties today th? premier, the Marquis Di Rudint, announced that the ministry, which was formed only on May 31, has resigned. Amidst considerable excitement, the Mar- quis Di Rudini said that after considering the parliamentary situation, and in order not to prejudice a grave public question, the ministers had placed their resignations in the hands of the king, who reserved the right of decision relative to their accept- ance, a remark which was greeted with murmurs, Continuing, the marquis safd the ministry would remain in office for the present in order to attend to routine business and safe- guard public order. He then begged the chamber to susp2nd its sittings. The re- quest was met with shouts of “no,” “no.” ‘The premier added that the chamber could confer on its president the power of resum- moning the deputies when it was consid- ered necessary to do so for approving a vote on account for a short period. Loud dissenting murmurs followed this sugg>s- tion, + -——_ JAPAN WANTS AN ALLIANCE. Would Join England and America in ‘Triple Contract. SEATTLE, Wash., June 18.—According to the advices received by the imperial Japanese steamship Kinshiu Maru, which left Yokohama June 1, the Japanese favor a triple alliance between England, United States and Japan. Her vernacular papers, both subsidized and independent, are filled with arguments in favor of the proposition, Closer relations, commercially and other- wise, with the two great English-speaking nations is demanded by her public men. Lieutenant Fugita of the Japanese navy, who came here to superintend the con- struction of the two powerful cruisers which Japan is having built at San Fran- cisco and Philadelphia, says: “Public opinion in Japan is all in favor of a better understanding between Japan and the United States. We are not op- posed to your country holding the Phitip- Pines and annexing Hawaii. We expect America to become a factor in the east. commerciaily and otherwise. Japan, Amer- fea and Engiand should be fast friends. ‘We are democratic in our ideas, as much CUTTERS IN A FIGHT Hot Brush With Spaniards on Shore Near Morro Castle. VIXEN AND TEXAS TAKE A HAND —$_ No Casualties Reported on Side of the Americans. YANKEE HAS A CHASH (Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.) OFF SANTIAGG DE CUBA, Friday, June 17, per the Associated Press dispatch boat Wanda, Kingston, Jamaica, Saturday, June 18.—A hot bresh between come Span- ish troops and a reconnoitering party, in steam cutters, occurred at daybreak this morning in a small cove west of Morro Castle. The Massachusetts’ steam cutter, in charge of Lieut. Harlow, entered the cove to take soundings and reconnoiter. When well inside the inlet a detachment of Spanish infantry opened fire upon the cutter from a block house. The fire was vigorously returned by the marines in the Massachusetts’ boat and also by marines who were in the New York's cutter, which was in charge of Naval Cadet Powell, and which had followed in. The New York's cutter was hit ten times and a marine In the cutter of the Massachusetts had the stock of his rifle shatiered, but by great gocd luck no one was hit. Texas Shelled the Hills. The Texas opened fire with her six- pounders en the hillside and the Vixen steamed right into the cove and peppered- the blockhouse with her rapid fire guns. Eventually the Spaniards retreated to the woods, and the two steam cutters withdrew. The Yankee arrived here yesterday and Captain Brownson reported that on Mon- day last, while off Cienfuegoes, a Spanish gunboat came out to meet the Yankee, evi- dently mistaking her for a merchant ves- sel. The Spaniard, however, soon saw his mistake, turned tail and opened fire, which was hotly returned by the Yankee. The latter chased the gunboat until the Span- jard took refuge in the harbor, whose forts opened fire on the American vessel. There- upon the Yankee engaged the eastern and western batteries. But seeing no chance of catching the gunboat, Captain Brownson returned. Landsman Kennedy Hit. During the engagement a Spanish shell burst over the Yankee and a falling frag- ment struck a landsman named Kennedy, formerly an insurance clerk in New York city, inflicting a severe flesh wound on his right shoulder. He is expected to recover. The Spanish gunboat chased by the Yan- kee was of about 500 tons and 200 feet long. The naval reserves who man the Yankeo fought well. ——_>——_ EXTRA PAY OF AN OFFICER. Important Decision by the Seeretary of War. The Secretary of War has made a deci- sion in regard to the allowence of extra pay for exercising command above that pertaining to an officer's grade, in whith he says: Inder se:tion 7 of the act of Congress approved April 26, 1898, an officer is not en- titled to the pay and allowances of the grade appropriate to a command exercised by him above that pertaining to his grade, except when ‘serving with troops operat- ing against an enemy’ and exercising the command of the higher grade ‘under as- signment in orders issued by competent au- thority.” It is held that troops serving within the limits of the United States at a time when there is no foreign army with- in said {mits are not operating against an eremy, notwithstanding the existence of war conditions. For the purpose of re- stricting assignments to command under this section to ‘competent authority,’ it is decided that such authority can be exercis- ed only by the Secretary of War or by the commanding general of an army ‘operating against an enemy.’ ” whis decision restricts extra compensa- tion to officers of the army serving on the expeditions to the Philippines and to San- tego, those being the only troops officially recegnized by the War Department as “operating egainst the enemy.” SS ee SPANISH STEAMER RAN BLOCKADE, Portsima Manzan: meepcion Reported jo, Santingo Province. (Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.) KINGSTO! Jamaica, June 17.—A dise patch from Manzanillo, province of Santt- ago de Cuba, received here today, an- nounced the arrival there of the Spanish steamer Purisima Concepcion, which sailed frcm Kingston about 2 o'clock Thursday morning with food supplies for the Spanish trcops, and carrying, it is understood, $10,- 000 in gold. at ——— MOVEMENTS OF WARSHIPS. Cruisers Columbia and Topeka Ready to Sail Tomorrow. NEW YORK, June 18.—The collier Han- nibal, in command of Captain Colby, left the navy yard today. The vessel is bound south with provisions and stores for the American fivets. The cruisers Columbia and Topeka are in readiness for service and wiil leave the navy yard tomorrow. Today the last gun was placed in position on the Topeka. It is a 5-inch rifie and mounted on the vessel's forecastle. ‘The steam yacht Kanawha has arrived at the yard. This is the first wooden vessel that has been purchased by the govern- ment for use as an auxiliary, and she will be converted into a patrol vessel. “ The yachts Stranger and Eugenia were placed in dry dock today. —->——_ THE USUAL SPANISH ACCOUNT. i Last Bombardment of Santiago Re- sulted in Their Favor.