Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-12-19
THF ISLAND WAR.
Legitime's War-Ships Batter Down a
CitY-The Feeble Left to Their Fate.


NEW YORK, December 18th Captain Kelly yof
the steamer Saginaw, which arrived to day
from Hayti will not make any report of Hayti-
an affairs, but it is learned from other sources
that the steamer Haytian Republic was still in
the harbor of Port auPrince when the Saginaw
sailed.
Passengers by the Saginaw bring the import
ant news from Hayti that on the morning of the
5th of December four of Legitime's men-of-war
the Dessalines, Belize. Tousssint l. OuyeIture and
one other, bombarded Cape Hayti. The gun
| boats dropped anchor four or five miles off
shore, lying broadside on to the town. Guns
were fred W tn blank cartridges to give notice
of their warlike intentions
The foreign Ccnsuls in the city sent out pc
tition to the Commander OF the feet, asking for
time to get out of the city. They were given
thirty-slx hours to eyacuate the town.
The people fled into the hills, taking all their
posse sions they could conveniently carry. The
supply Of pack-mules being limited to fifty or
sixty, animals were in great demand, and fabu-
lous prices were paid to convey single mule
load OF the more valuable effects of the wealthy
residents to place of safety. Those of the
poorer classes who were fortunate enough to
own a mule, preferred renting it to using the
animal to save their own goods.
THE TOWN BoMBARDED.
Shortly after daybreak on the second day af-
ter the arrival of the fleet the Haytian officers
trained their guns on the town, ana the bonn
bardment commenced. Operations were begun
at this early hour because a favoring tide ena-
bled. the four vessels to lay broadside to the
town.
The Toussaint fired the first shot, which went
whistliug through the air and buried itself in
the sand on the beach Just in front of the fral
thatched bamboo houses of the poorer natives.
The other vessels followed suit, and fired
wildly. In few minutes, however, the shots
began to tear through the town, demolishing
the trail structures.
The bamboo huts succumbed easily, but the
stone bui dings in the central and more elevated
portion of the town were not so easily de-
stroyed, the heavy walls resisting the fire for
several hours.
THE SICK LEFT IN THE CITY.
Despite the warning they had received to
leave the fated town. many of the residents
clung to their habitations In fact it was i'm
possible to remove many of the sick in the city
within the time allotted by Legitime. On the
tops of all the houses in which sick persons
were known to be white flag was placed, but
the shot and shell were no respectors OF these
appealing emblems: None of the people who
| arrived to-day could estimate, with any degree
of accuracy the number killed, but it was
| thought that fifteen or twenty at least sue
cumbed to the deadly fire.
! Legitime is by degrees losing the confidence
| OF the people. and most all sympathy is with
! the north.
THE SEIZED STEAMER.
The agents in New York of the steamship
| Haytian Republic were much surprised at the
| report that their vessel would sail from Hayti
| to-day i'll charge of the American crew which
| sailed from here last week on the Atlas line
| ship Alene, to be delivered at an American port
subject TO the disposal of this Government
| Mr.. Austin, one of the agents. saws al don 4
| see what either Hayti or the Atlas people gai1
! by this. doubt very much whether they car
| bring the Haytian Republic up here. She hat
| no stores, no fuel, nor anything else on board
and she must be in bad condition. They say
she was to leave this morning. The GalenS
| ought to be there today, and will probably
reach there before she can sail. l suppose tho
| Galena will take possession of her at once''
Mr. Morse, one of the owners, is on the Galena
| and he viii take charge of his vessel.