Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-19
LEGlTIME'S WAR.
Cape Hayti Shelled by His
Fleet.
TERROR STRICKEN INHABITANTS.
Hours to Leave the City.
The Usurper Losing
Popularity.

1 associated Press DISPATCHES to the HERALD
NEW YORK, December l8.-Captain
Kelly. of the steamer Saginaw, which
arrived to- day from Hayti, will not make
any report of Haytian affairs. but it is
learned from other sources that the
steamer Haytian-Republic was still in
the harbor of Port-au-Prince when the
Saginaw sailed Passengers by the Sagl-
nav bring important news from Haytl.
On the morning of the 5th OF December,
go the passengers state, as four of Legi-
times's men of-war, the Dessalines, Be-
lize, Toussaint, L'Overteure and one
other, bombarded Cape Hayti. The gun.
boats dropped anchor four or five miles
off shore, lying broadside out Of the
town. Guns we're fired with blank
cartridges to give notice OF war-like
intentions. The foreign consuls in the
city sent out petition to the comman-
der of the feet, asking time to get out OF
the city. They were given thirty-six
hours to evacuate the town. People fed
into the hills taking all their possessions
they could conveniently carry. The
supply of pack mules being limited to
| fifty or sixty, animals were in great de-
mand and fabulous prices were paid to
convey single mule load OF the more
valuable effects of the wealthy residents
to.a place of safety. Those of the poorer
classes, who were fortunate enough to
own mule preferred renting it out to
usirg the animals to save their own
goods.
Shortly after daybreak on the second
day after the arrival of the fleet, the
Haytian officers turned their guns on the
town, and the bombardment commenced.
| Operations were begun at this early hour
because favoring tide enabled the four
vessels to lay broadside to the town.
The Toussaint fred the first shot, which
went whistling through the air and
buried itself in the sand on the beach
just in front of the frail thatched bamboo
houses of the poorer natives. The other
vessels followed suit, and fred wildly.
In few minutes, however, the shots be-
gan to tear through the town, demolish-
ing the frail structures. The bam-
boo huts succumbed easily, but
the stone buildings in the central
and more elevated portion of town were
not so easily destroyed, the heavy walls
resisting the fire for several hours. De-
spite the warning they had received to
leave the fated town, many of the resi-
dents clung to their habitations. In
fact it was impossible 10 remove many
OF the sick in the city within the time
allotted by Legitime. On top of every
to be white flag was placed, but the
shot and shell were no respectors of the
appealing emblems.
! Mona of tho pocpla vybn rri uoJ IN. Iax,
could estimate with any degree of ac-
curacy the number killed, but it was
thought fifteen or twenty at least sue
cumbed to the deadly fire. Legitime is
by degrees losing the confidence of the
people and almost all the sympathy is
with Northal.
The agents in New York of the steamer
Haytian-Republic are much surprised
at the report that their vessel will sail
from Hayti to-day in charge of the
American crew which sailed from here
last week on the Atlas lines ship Alene,
to be delivered at an American port, SUBJ
ject to the disposal of this Government.
Mr.. Austin, one of the agents, says
81 don't see what either Hayti or the
Atlas people gain by this. l doubt
very much whether they can bring the
Haytian Republic up here. She has no
stores, no fuel or anything else on board,
and she must be in bad condition. They
say she will leave this morning. The
Galena ought to be there to-day and will
probably reach them before she can sail.
1 suppose the Galena will take posses.
sion OF her at once"
Mr.. Morse, one OF the owners, is on
the Galena, and he will take charge OF
| his vessel.