Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1898 — MRMY AT SANTIAGO [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MRMY AT SANTIAGO

Transports Arrive in Front of Beleaguered City. SEEK LANDING PLACE Sampson and Shafter Arrange for Dis* embarkation of Troops. American Army of Invasion Arrives Off Santiago— Marines Show Great Enthusiasm When the Troopships Are Sighted—Admiral Sampson Con* sere with Gen. Garcia on Board the Flagship Attempt to Assassinate Blanco in Havana. Waahlngton special: Advices received Monday afternoon announced the arrival off Santiago of the first division of the American army of invasion, under command of Major General William R. Shafter. No attempt was made during the day, according to the report, to land the American troops. General Shafter, soon after his arrival had a conference with Admiral Sampson. They discussed at length the information obtained by Admiral Sampson’s scouts as to the most available landing places in the vicinity of Santiago, and sent further scouting parties along the coast,, who inspected the points considered by Admiral Sampson to be most advantageous. Tremendous enthusiasm was awakened among the men with Admiral Sampson’s fleet, by the arrival of the troops. They gave cheer after cheer, and their enthusiasm met with a hearty response from the troopships. Repeated delays in the departure of the army from Tampa had made the men with the fleet impatient and they awaited the coming of their allies with great eagerness. For more than ten days they had had practically nothing to do aside from preventing the escape of Admiral Cervera’s fleet from the harbor. Officers and men, the fleet having done all damage possible preparatory to landing the troops, wew anxious for more active warfare. From an early hour on Sunday morning every vessel in Admiral Sampson’s fleet wns on the lookout for the transports. The admiral had been advised from Washington that the troopships probably would join his fleet some lime during the day. General Garcia and his personal staff were picked up at General Rabi’s camp, eighteen miles west of Santiago, and brought to the flagship Sunday afternoon by the gunboat Vixen. There the grizzled and wounded patriot had a long consultation with Admiral Sampson regarding the operations for the investment of Santiago and the co-operation of the American and Cuban troops. General Garcia*/ is very enthusiastic. lie says the Swnniards are starring and cnnimt holdtojjt long, and that the war in the island twill

end in a few months. It is estimated that over 300 Spaniards have been killed or wounded since the landing of marines. The Spaniards seem satisfied that they cannot dislodge the Americans and have withdrawn. The upper bay will be occupied immediately. Lieutenant Delehanty, with an expedition, has been at work removing mines from the river connecting the upper ami lower bays. When this is clear the ships will move up the channel and take the town of Caimanera, whose forts were demolished by the Texas. AUGUSTI GIVES UP. Notifies Spain He Is Behind Walls of Manila. The State Department has received information, whieh is thought trustworthy, that soon the Stars and Stripes will be floating over Manila. Secretary Long is in possession of information which justifies him in informing the President that Admiral Dewey would be in control of the Philippines capital in a few days. An official dispatch to Madrid from Manila indicates that the situation there is worse. Augusti wires that he has.retired within the walls of Manila. If Captain General Augusti is obliged to take refuge in the citadel he will be entirely cut off from communication with the outside. Many Dons Desert. There are about 16,000 Spaniards on the Cuban coast between Matanzas and Cardenas. The Spanish volunteers and soldiers of late have been deserting in considerable numbers from the forces around Matanzas and joining the Cubans. The Cuban force in this neighborhood numbers about 2,000. They have arms, but lack food and ammunition.

WRECK AND RUIN. Bombardment of Santiago Thursday Spreads Destruction. A careful inspection of the fortifications along the crest of the hills defending Santiago harbor by the Associated Press dispatch boat after the bombardment Thursday morning showed that the American gunners spread wreck and ruin everywhere. Some of the butteries were demolished beyond repair. The vultures which circled on level wings over the hills ns thick as swallows around a chimney for hours after the tiring ceased furnished grewsome evidence of the fatality among the Spanish soldiers. Hundreds of troops could be seen from the ships digging in mounds of earth piled up by the explosions of the projectjjts from the heavy guns for bodies, while their heads were fanned by the wings of the black scavengers of the battlefield. There were two spots, one on the east and the other the west otf the harbor entrance, which were denuded of the foliage. The hilltops seem literally blown away. These marked the places where the 2QO-pound charges of gun cotton blown by the Vesuvius landed. There was evident demoralization among the Spanish troops during the bombardment. Officers eould be seen with drawn swords driving the men to the guns, but even then they eould not be forced to stay so long as our guns were directed at them. The fifteen minutes’ night work of the Vesuvius had shattered their nerves. The aim of our gunners was superb, and not only were the coast forts annihilated, but the batteries on Cayo Smith, up the harbor, were destroyed. Had all the ships used smokeless powder, as did the New Orleans, there would remain no signs of guns or fortifications to indicate that there had ever been any defenses there. * The Spaniards were evidently surprised while strengthening their fortifications. The first shot of the New York landed full and fair on the top of the hills to the east, where the gunners were already at work erecting new pieces. The earth seemed to rise in a cloud, and when the twelveinch shells of the lowa and the thirteeninch batteries of the Oregon landed squarely and fairly, a great cheer went up from the ships. There were no casualties in the fleet, although the ships held a fixed position, as if inviting the Spaniards to tire upon them. The halfstripped ships’ gunners never worked with more enthusiasm. In thirty-eight minutes the order was given to cease firing, and the message went to each ship from the admiral, "Well done,” and the officers and men turned in for breakfast. Every detail of the engagement had been executed to the letter, from the opening of tire by the New York to the last shot from the lowa.

BIG ARMY FOR CUBA. War Council Decides 170,000 Men Will Be Needed. A third call for 75,000 volunteers will result from the council of war at the White House Monday. The operations in Cuba planned by the President and his advisers will find use for 170.000 men—the number for which Gen. Miles asked. Havana, with its garrison of 65,000 Spanish soldiers behind the fortifications, will require 100,000 American besiegers. For the capture of Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Sagua, Bahia Honda, Cardenas and Mariel the rest of the troops are needed. The call may be expected in ten days, when the work of bringing the troops raised under the second call into the army shall be completed. Japs Are with Us. Lieut. Fujita of the Japanese navy said at Seattle that his countrymen were not opposed to America occupying the Philippines, and desired an alliance with England and the United States.

GEN. WM. B. SHAFTER.