The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 28, 1898, Page 4

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL "i‘UESDAY, JUNE 28, 1898. AMERICANS HOLD ALL _ OUTPOSTS AT SANTIAGO LINARES WILL MAKE HIS LAST STAND ONE . “MILE. FRONE TIHE €Y Strengthening His Line of Defenses for the Attack Which Is Near BRIGADIER GENERAL A. R. CHAFFEE, Com- manding the American Forces Nearest the Spanish Outposts Before Santiago. PLANS TO PROVOKE A CRISIS Premier Sagasta Has a Scheme for Securing Peace. Would Proc!dim the Whole Penin- sula in a State of Siege and Then Appeal for Aid. LONDON, Jun e 27.—According to a special dispatch from Madrid published here this afternoon Premier Sagasta is 1 planning to provoke a crisis anc 1 to form a coalition Ministry, drawn from the different monarchial parties, including Marshal Campos and General Polavie claim the wh risons in the > peninsula ir Carlist and repub peace. MADRID, June 27.—An / a. The new Ministry will pro- a state of siege, re-enforce the gar- lican centers, and then appeal to a friendly nation, probably Frar 1wce or Russia, to secure terms of important body, the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona, has notified the Government that at a general meeting its members were in favor of peace and termin- ation of the state of war. LONDON, June 27.—The Rome correspondent Standard says: privately. of the The Pope, disquieted by Carlist rumors, sum- moned one of the leaders to Rome incognito, receiving him The latter assured the Pope that the Carlists had no intention of attacking the reigning dynasty, but were resolved to combat any attempt to procl aim a republic. The Pope lately wrote to the Queen Regent, advising her on no account to abdicate, hecause to do so would be to encour- age the enemies of the dynasty. LONDON, June 28.—The ) respondent of the Daily rment, parallel during Troubles of the gravest kind ing all over the province. Every political and social in- stitution is threatened in turn, and the least nervous among the far-sighted politicians apprehend a complete de- bacle. Spain is in a state of fe without of transition the present ce But the failure of the national de- fense .i8 not alone accountable for this. Incredible as it may seem the majority of Spaniards take absolutely no interest in the war and even display a willingness to forget the past and to endeavor to rub along without colonle: The statesmen responsible for the loss of the colonies are utterly reckless and the indifference to the people’s ruin _manifested by the governing and upper | middle classes is probably unparalleled in history. Hunger and misery are making themselves felt throughout the country., There will soon be 350,000 un- employed in Catalonia, and everywhere else there are similar signs of distress, going from bad to worse, day by day The Government is painfully con- scious and is now taking energetic measures, but all of these are of a co- reive character. ;mve successfully defended the Philip- pines are being massed at all the cen- ters where starvation protests are likely to assume an aggressive form, while money s being wasted on war- ships that will never fire a shot, Troops which might | The press expects to be gagged, but it unanimously declares that no amount of coercion and no degree of dictato- rial despotism will hinder the country from rising and manifesting its will. What is far more serious Is the unfor- tunate circumstance that the dynasty shares in the unpopularity of the Gov- ernment. The people argue that repression is being employed solely in favor of the monarchy, which has remained abso- lutely passive during the terrible na- tional eris On my way to the palace to witness the confirmation of the young monarch I heard the expression given to anti-dynastic sentiments of the most uncompromising character, which bode no good to the boy King. In all other classes the same lack of sympathy is unmistakably manifest. “If Spain's colonies are not worth fighting for,” said one nobleman, “‘Spain’s dynasty is still less so. If our soldiers were not sent to fight the Yan- kees we shall take care that they are not called upon to shoot down Span- iards for the sake of an Austrian.” Appropriation for Medals. WASHINGTON. June 27.—After the | President’s message in regard to Lieuten- ant Newcomb and Captain Hodgson was | received in the Senate to-day Senator Frye introduced a bill proposed at the Navy Department carrying the Presi- dent’s recommendation into effect. The resolution appropriates §1000 for the man- ufacture of medals. Special Cable to The Call and the New York Herald. at Hand. Copyrighted, 1898, by James Gordon Bennett. WITH THE ARMY NEAR SANTIAGO, June 26, by Call-Herald Dispatch-boat Som- ers N. Smith to Kingston, Jamaica, June 27.—Although only three or four miles now sep- column and the Spanish forces about Santiago, it is likely to be several days before the assault upon the city is made. Owing to the bad condition of the roads machine and field guns can be hauled to the front only with the greatest difficulty. Much of this day has been devoted to this work and the guns now are well on the day to the advanced posi- tion held by General Wheeler. The work hardly can be completed for two or three days, how- ever, and an attack cannot be made before then. Seven thousand American troops and three thousand of General Garcia's forces are en- camped within sight of Santiago and the American flag is still floating all along the way from Baiquiri to the outskirts of the beleaguered city. It is apparent now that General Linares will offer no serious opposition to the concentra- arate General Shafter’s advance tion of the entire American and Cuban forces about the city. He abandoned his last opportun- ity for making serious trouble when he ordered his troops to withdraw from Sevilla yesterday. General Linares, the American officers believe, is devoting all his energies to strengthening the defenses of Santiago, both by land and sea. From several sources the information comes that the Spanish general has a larger force at his command than has been supposed. least 15,000 Spaniards have been gathered at Santiago. Conservative leaders in the Cuban army declare that at It is asserted the city’s defenses have been strengthened to a marked degree and that the capture of the city will not be the easy task so many have expected. Thus far the Americans seem to be more in need of artillery than men, but it is believed the composition of the present land force is due to a plan for the co-operation of the fleet. health of all the troops is excellent. All the wounded are doing well. The General Shafter and his subordinate officers are unstinted in their praise of both volunteers and regulars under fire. Our troops have shown themselves to be brave, cool and eager, and the examples set by the officers are worthy of the highest praise. dispatch the band of the Seventeenth Infantry'is playing Sousa’s marches Six miles away the city lies peacefully in a Envy fillls the hearts of the American Tt is the secret desire of all to possess this attractive As I write this on the heights of Sevilla, in full view of Santiago. most beautiful valley, wholly invisible from the coast. troops as they behold the delightful scene. land and only a speedy advance upon the city will keep the men from becoming impatient. The They took traordinary energ; next fighting will be directly before Santiago. Our troops have swept all before them. Sevilla sooner than they had expected to and without a struggle. of our commanding officers in pushing the men along, coupled with the eager- Owing to the ex- niess of the troops to advance, the American flag was raised over Sevilla during Saturday night. In this village, where General Linares made his headquarters while the American troops were landing, a desperate engagement was expected Spanish troops had been hastening to that point from all directions for several days. It was the last defense between Santiago and Amer- ican troops. Despite its strategic importance, however, the Spaniards offered little opposition. They fired on our troops for some time in a desultory way, but without effect. They then retired from the village, leaving it for the Americans to occupy. Our troops, after making Sevilla their temporary headquarters, pressed on to a point two miles beyond and established themselves within four miles of Santiago. The Spaniards halted in their flight at Caney, a small settlement to the northeast of San- tiago and on the right of our line. Colonel Wagner, who took his men two miles beyond Sevilla, there found the extreme outposts of the Cubans on the bank of Seco River. This detachment of American troops approached to within a few hundred yards of the Spanish patrols, who moved along in front four miles from the city. army is within lines only one mile outside of Santiago. General Shaifter’s next order, therefore, will be to attack the enemy’s trenches. The brush has been cleared for a distance of 1000 yards from the lines, in regular trocha form. He then learned that the main body of the Spanish These are which consist of a series of small forts connected by deep trenches and barbed wire. Five hundred Cubans occupy a position in advance of the Seventeenth Infantry, but the Fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantry are coming along to take the leading position. They started at daylight from Seco River and will go close to the Spanish lines. At the present rate of advance it is quite probable that the two armies will get within range of each other to-morrow. The Second Cavalry is going forward with horses and sixty pack mules. Under orders from Admiral Sampson, the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius continues to hurl shells inside the fortifications, but the Spaniards are devoting themselves assiduously to repair work and the Socapa battery on the western side of the harbor seems to be as strong as ever. The reports are that both food and ammunition are scarce in Santiago, but no one hears reliable information indicating that the Spanish are in desperate straits for food. There no longer is any trouble about furnishing American troops with good food and water. Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt, after carefully investigating, emphatically denied the report that forty Americans were killed in Friday’s fighting. He placed the number of our dead at s e teen, of whom eight were Rough Riders. Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt, who led the way and seemed like a lion in the action, is most enthusiastic in his praise of his men’s dashing courage. BARBED WIRE DEFENSES WILL CAUSE TROUBLE Army in Need of Nippers to Remove One Serious Obstacle to Its Advance. NEW YORK, June 27.—A Washing- ton special to the Herald says: “There is one feature of Santiago’s defenses which does not yet seem to have been considered,” said an army official to me to-day, “and that is the twelve lines of barbed wire entanglement which surrounds the city.” 2 This officer has explored the whole of Cuba, and speaks from personal ex- perience. “To attempt to clear these barriers with guns,” he continued, “results only in throwing them down in a way to harass the men going over them. This will be found a formidable obstacle when the attack is made. The Cuban Junta furnished their troops with nip- pers with which to force their way through the trocha. With these the wires were cut and the problem was comparatively simple. The American army to-day needs nippers more than 1 guns. I ascertained that no nippers had been furnished our army and un- der present conditions my informant says it will be difficult for the United States army to make its way over this outer defense. It is the opinion of many experienced army men that the United States army will not be in a position to attack before Saturday or Sunday next.” An officer old in the navy expressed the opinion to-day that if Santiago were stormed the so-called defenses would be punctured like a bubble, and the Spaniards would take to the brush to the west; but on the cther hand, said the army officer, it is more likely General Shafter will lay siege and try the starvation process. ARTILLERY NEEDED FOR THE ASSAULT Army Officers Realize That a Hard Task Confronts Shafter’s Force. ON THE RIO GUAMA, June 26, via Kingston, Jamaica, June 27.—The ad- vance force of the American army rests on the stream with the city of Santiago four and a half miles westward in plain sight. The top of every hill and moun- tain north and east of Santiago is oc- cupied by blockhouses, whence the Spanish can view the movements of the American army as it advances beyond Sabinella to the eastward of this city. Gashing every knoll and bit of high ground are Spanish entrenchments, A correspondent from an elevation to the right of the American line to-day counted thirty-four of these entrench- ments completely fencing every ap- proach to the eity. The trenches have been dug as the conformation of the ground admitted. Thelr ends overlap where breaks in the line occur, thus securing a comparatively safe retreat from rifle fire in case parts of the trenches are captured. Upon one of these works modern guns havé been mounted. They can be plainly seen with the naked eye. Spies report that inside the entrench- ments are four parallel lines of rifle pits, shoulder deep, and in front of them are marked ranges and several rows of barbed wire fences. No officer who has surveyed the field over which the advance must be made underestimates the task ahead of the GENERAL “JOE” American Army of Americans, although our boys press the most contemptuous opinion of their adversaries. The general opinion | is that more artillery will be necessary by attempt to | the fire nt regiments must neces- sarily be deadly and sufficient to de- moralize any force, no matter how bril- liant is its courage, when halted by wire obstructions. | Some of the officers believe it will be necessary to lay a regular siege to Santiago 1 advance with a line of earthworks until the rifle pits can be shelled with shrapnel by the light ar- tillery. These proce: have an ef- fective shrupnel range of 2800 yards and the Mauser rifles in the hands of the Spaniards are sighted to 1900 yards | and Kkill at 2100 yards. | However gratifying to the national pride is the careless attitude of our en- listed men, the grave fear remains that | they may need a mo ere lesson than the ambush of the Rough Riders before they can realize the deadly pos- sibilities of modern warfare. The problem now confronting the army is the transportation of supplies, for the roads to the front are still im- passable for wagons, but are being im- proved. In the meantime the pack train is being used. The first of these left Juragua late last night and others left to-day. she officers and men were completely out of rations yesterday. | The Seventh received half rations and to-day they receive nothing. The boys are complaining bitterly, but are paci- fied with the assurance that the pack train will be here to-night. Should a night attack occur our soldiers would fare worse than did the marines at Guantanamo, as the attack- ing force here would not 1 the dis- advantage of having to charge up hill. The Cubans with the advance forces, in spite of the good behavior of their comrades at Guantanamo, seem to be utterly worthle All day they sit in the shade of their palm-thatched camps and at night they smoke cigarettes and | gorge on Uncle Sam's rations, while in sight of them Uncle Sam’s boys, with empty stomachs and rot a bit of to- bacco for their pipes, build roads all day under the blazing sun and sleep on their rifles under the starlit sky at | night. The Spaniards are using bra; sheathed lead bnuets and the bra rips on touching and tear horribly, while the small bra splinters cause blood poisoning. They are prac- | tically explosive bullets and are used in the Remingtons. They also cut a small cross through the end of the Mauser | bullet, so that it mushrooms on strik- ing, with a similar result. | SITUATION AT SANTIAGD | ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT HOPE | It Is Believed Cervera Will Attempt | 11 ex- | S | the flesh the Harbor. Spectal cable to The Call and the New York Herald. Copyrighted, 1895, by James Gor- | don Bennett. | WITH SHAFTER'S ARMY, June 27. —I heard to-day it is possible Cervera | will try to break the blockade. Samp- son is taking special precautions every | night to prevent his escape. I believe | one of your powers too much. power which their feet. energy. WHEELER, LB to Break the Blockade Before Jk | idly making up a_pack train to The big, glorious manhood which be the lot of every one. weaklings—there would be no puniness. because of errors which you have committed, decide to be a full-powered man again. You would not be weak if you had not taxed at least some in the Advance With the Invasion in Cuba. anish naval and the position of the military forces at Sa ly without hope. OFF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, June 26. via Kingston, Jamaica, June 27.—It is believed Admiral Cervera contemplat- ed making a dash out of the harb toward the mouth of the harbor, late to-night. Four columns of smok were seen at sundown advan and two small boats, believed to E torpedo-boat destroyers, were observed in the ne hborhood of the sunken c lier Me m; Consequently Rear Admiral Sampson ord d extra pre- cautions to be taken. The torpedo boats Ericcson and Porter stood very close into the harbor all night, but no ships came out. © midnight the dynamite vius fired three gun-cotton shells in the direction Morro Castle. They exploded on the ridge behind the eastern hills. The dan e done is not known. NOT TO GIVE BATTLE UNTIL WELL PREPARED ‘When General Shafrer Attacks It Will Mean the Fall of Santiago. HINGTON, June 2 m received by Ge from one of his signal with the army under Sha that came to the W r Department last night or te-d y related entir to the r the telegraph and cont as to the move- ments of the mi Therefore it is assumed at the de eral Shafter tment that Gen- imply carrying out his plans of bringin his troops from the sea coast and concentrating | them at points of vantage on the heights surrounding Santiago. His army is not to g 1 every precaution that f nce can suggest has been taken to assure the s the movement, for no one General r appreciates the tr mendous moral advantage that wou accrue to Spain from even a temporary check of American a s at this time HURRYING SUPPLIES TO THE ADVANCE FORCE ABOARD THE ASSOCIATED S DISPATCH BOAT DAUNT- June 26 (via King- ).—General Shaf- ter expects to move his headquart from Baiquiri to Juragua this ever Transports rapidly landing th supplies of forage and muniti the last of the four light batt arted this afternoon road. The ordnance o s impracticable for sie guns and that the landing facilities for them are inadequate. About 500 mules are still corraled here. The military authorities are rap- fo ard rations. The men ashore have days’ supplies. but supplies for ten are needed, as a D u n inst a sudden move. da a the few of the earth enjoy should Did men not go to excess there would be no If you are a half man to-day “Hudyan” makes up for the loss of you ‘have sustained by compelling nature to over-exert herself. “Hudyan™ has placed thousands upon thousands of men on Ask for testimonials about it. gladly to you without cost in any way. surpas;ed in the world, too, is yours if you will but ask for it. And all this without cost. Be a man. Get back your youthful strength and They are sent freely and Medical advice that cannot be | HUDSON MEDICAL INSTITUTE. Stockton, Market and Ellis Sts., San Francisct.