, 1873-12-31

vossol, wllcre scarcely ray Of sunlight could
struggle iu. Tho afr wag poison tho darkness
WAS almost continuous; tho food they ate wnB
wretclod IN quslity and insufficient III qunntity;
tho Wntor they drRnK waB what ronlAinod in tllo
BUCKETS aftor tho dumb nnimats on board wore
aAtisfod. Tl1oso animals consisted 1nainly Of
horses and mnloH. They wore kopt OH lilo dock
alovo tho Virgininn prisoners, and woro thus a
croatrrcs con!lnod below. 1t Ia said that III tho
midst Of all this filth nnd slforiug tho prisoners
wore not allowed to vaah willie u,l board tho
I3aznn for period Of ten days, aud tint
their arms wore pinioned bohtud them tlo larger
portion Of tho voyage. They wero occasionally
boatou Oil tho slightest provocntion, and aomo-
times on no provocation at all. These punish.
lncntA, however. Bocm not to have bonn Of d 1la-
On. the return to sau.iego,. they woro re-
mandod to jail, md Commander Grimos was
nllowel to viHtk some of the American prisoners
10 ma1io thom aomo slight presents md to OK
tnnd to them honog OF speedy rescue Evon
md ito communication wns aftorward allowed.
4 Hhort tmo before thoir delivery, the prisoners
woro removed from the jail lit Santiago to tho
Moro. several mi'cn below, whcro tticir 'front.'
mont was no better than hoforo. This march Of
half dozon miles was also performed by night
and many Of Tho prisoners suffered severely on
tho way. Tho motive, Leading to tllis courao of
action was undoubtedly tho fnnclol insecurity Of
tho prisoners in the Santlago jail. Tho United
omlny, and tho Niobe Of tile nnyy OF aroat
Dritni, wore lying in tho llarbor, and tho threats
made by tlloir commanders woro received with
respect by tho easily~dauuto1 inhabitants Of tho
city:
Tho Spanish soldiers arc regarded rather
ofllcors aud thoy hnyo not fonrod o to
express shoir op'nlons freely, Il waa feared
: naval ollleors might bo carried into execution.
and THO priaonors could easily hayo boon rescued
from thoir for1nor quartora. In tho Murro ti,er
treatment was similar 10 what Ind preceded,
though. their experience here was short. Tho
orders from Madrid demanded that they should
bo delivered on tho 18th OF December. Many
have condemuel Durriel for his delay in surron-
dering tho pEisoncrs. but tho officers Of tho
Juninra declare that ho soeuls to havo done "a
we'll as fo was able. Ho was in readiness on tho
10th inst to treat with tho Unltod stases officers
concerning tlolr delivery. It WIS not till tho
18th, however, that all tic arrangements wero
completed, aud that was tho day tixod for thor
| trausfer to tho Junntn.
It WuB ut sunrise on tho morning OF Thursday,
Dec. 10, that tho rennining prisoners Of Ito Viz
gininE wero led forth from thoir duugeon ns they
| expected, to mcct tho fnte of thoir companions
Ileir innunaan captora wero still deceiving thom
| both In body mud mind They Ind boon told tLlnt
| morning to prapara for death tlo priests Ind
| entered the prison, and had administered tho
solemn duties Of their ol1ico. aud thoy were then
led forth iu the sano manner az Ryan and Fry
had boon fow weeks before. Some Of the nurn-
bor wero still hkeptical however, as to 30 speedy
q doom, for the frequency Of the SpaliBh
| threats had rasher deprived them of their
| terror. Even on tho march to tho waters
| edge. the Bpaniards continued their tllreats
aud deviucd now means OF torture. They woro
at length I'LL placed OIL board Hcow OF largo raft
and slowly towcd out into tho stream. The
Juniata WINS lying short distance away, with
! tho Stars aud btripoe loating above bo,. Her
arful glasses wero Btraining their eyes to catch
| tho changes OH tho oountonances OF tile prison-
| cra. They saw the steamer. but for long time
Hoomcd not to roaliZo thai tloy wore destined 60
| speedily to Hsand upon ler deck. Slowly tho
| Spanish tug dragged itself long. nnd III elo up
proachod nearer aud nearer tho faees oil the pris-
| oners were aeen to change. Still, howevor, it
| Aoemcd rather tho inspiration Of tho Stars and
Strlpee than the hope Of spoedy freedom thut
| A moment Inter, aud tho Rtupondous ucow
swung around under tho stern OF the United
States Bteamer, mud tho prisoners were no longer
masters Of their own emotions IA ono Of their
number stood out prominently among his conl-
rades, and as tho truth flashed upon him, lie
| gnve ono triumphant shout, aud swung hiy hut
+ wildly In tho air. 1t whB tho single spark needed
to fire rnagazno, mud his shout had not died on
tho mir when it was taken up mud echoed md re.
| echoed by Ills companions, and tho shores and
tho harbor Of Santiago rang.with cheers for the
looked on In moody silence, but. mado no
other demonstration Of their .tlisap-
proynl. Like madmen. tho liberated captivuB
| rushed upon tho decks Of tho Juniata. Like
children. they cried when they found them.
| selves FREQ from their barbarian persccutoru.
They wore hungry, aud many uf them nuarly
Naked They were clothed only With the thin,
tattcred garments Which had formed their
priaon-garb. Thora On tho deck were raugcd
| tho, abundant stores .whch,the foresight Of the
oficofH Of tho .Juuiahi lsd provided, .nnd tho
| neods Of all we're abuhdantly ysuppiod. Many Of
| them clung to their ragged prison-sarmonts
most tcnaciousiy, md. looked on with almost
| mournrul oyca' when they uaw tlean thrown
| awGy. SAID I'll otcer OF the Junlata !:
1t was ono Of the saldest nnd gadde6t
| Sights I evor saw. when We gave them
clothing, which they hardly know what to. do
with, al!d thoy chung to their rags as if'thoy
| Upon tlloir reception they wero provided with
quarters as comfortable aB possible oil bpnrt
bne Juninta, and were furnished means for batA-
ing and clothing themselves in decent garments.
Or course, the accommodations on BOARD tho
Jnniata were uone Of tho nmplest, but thoy llna
boon accustomed to 80 much denEe pnciiug
that they coupidolod tho!r quartors regal On
tho evening of the day on which thoy woro
taken OIL l,onrd, the Ju,iiatn weighed anchor ard
dropped quietly oul OF tho harbor Of Santiago.
l. HISTORY or THE ViRClNl1S.