Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-08-03
CAPTURE OF PONCE.
Porto Ricans Receive the Amer
leans With Open Arms.
MILES'S ARMY'S TRIUMPHANT MARCH.

render, Pad Their Backs With
Stolen Goods and Strike Out For
the Hills-Mayor of the City Had
Been Imprisoned For Singing
"Yankee Doodle;" but Was Re-
leased by General Miles.
Ponce; the first city of Porto Rico
in population and commercial impor-
tance, fell into the hands of the Amer
leans last Thursday without a struggle.
The people were more than anxious
to surrender, and instead of meeting
the invaders with bullets, met them
with presents and shouts of joy.
They now want the island annexed
to the United States.
How the American army landed at
Guanica bay, took possession of the
town with very little resistance, built
wire fences and sat down to quiet en-
Ijoyment, has already been told. AS
remarkable as was the capture of
Guanica hay, the capture of the city
of Ponce was considerably more so.
Ponce is located about Is miles east
of Guanica, and is connected with that
place by rail. It was not considered
advisable to send troops across the
country to attack Ponce; but it was
decided, instead, to send some warships
to the harbor to capture large num-
Der of lighters, known to be there, and
which would be useful in the disem-
barkation. of the troops.
Accordingly, late Wednesday after
noon, the Wasp, Annapolis and Dixie
started for Ponce. The city is three
miles inland, and it was thought that
it would be necessary to throw some
shells into it. When the warships ap-
preached off the landing, therefore,
they, were cleared for action, and
sandbags were piled around their guns
to protect the gunners from expected
rifle fire. But it soon developed that
there was to to be no firing.
The Wasp was the first vessel to
arrive, and thousands of people were
down at the landing waiting for her.
Many of them had been there since
they first heard of the arrival of
General Miles, five days before. There
were men, women and children, all in
holiday attire, but no soldiers. The
Wasp did not know what to make of
the situation, and while keeping on
guard against treachery, steamed up
close to the harbor front, with all
guns loaded and shotted and the gun
ners standing ready to fire at the
word. But the people did not give
back little bit. They only shouted,
"Viva los Americanos," "Viva Porto
Rico libre."
After considering the somewhat Gu
rious situation, Lieutenant Ward and
Executive Officer Wells sent Ensign
Rowland Curtin and four men ashore
with a flag of truce. Ensign Curtin
is little man but has plenty of sand,
and be put ashore without any appar-
ent suspicion of treachery, while the
gunners stood ready to clear out the
assembled people on a moments
notice.
AS Ensign Curtin's boat approached
the shore, the people swarmed down
to the edge of the water. Their hands
were filled with cigars, cigarettes, ba-
nanas and other articles. These they
threw at the ensign as soon as the
boats came within range, and they
also heaped them up on the sailors.
Then they gave three rousing cheers.
Ensign Curtin introduced himself and
said that he had come to demand the
surrender Of the port and the city.
The bystanders told him that the city
was under the military command of
Colonel San Martin who had $50
troops, and suggested that the ensign
go to see the colonel. "I'll do moth
ing of the kind" said Ensign Curtin.
"He must come to me, and that quick !"
The people were alarmed, and they
told Ensign Curtin that the colonel
could be communicated with be tele-
phone, "Then,' said the ensign, "go
to the telephone, and tell him that if
he does not surrender within half an
hour, I will lombard the city of
Ponce" With that Ensign Curtin got
into his boat and went back to his
ship.
Soon the city was in an uproar.
The Spanish soldiers began looting
the dry goods stores. They stuffed
clothes, cloth and other articles up
their backs until they had bumps on
them like those on buffaloes, after
which they took to the woods. The
back stuffing operation was as pro-
lection against the bullets they feared
would be fired at them as they ran.
Shortly afterward the Spanish CON-
mander sent note offering to surren-
der on conditions that the garrison
should be permitted to retire, that the
civil government remain in force, that
the police and fire brigade be permit
ted to patrol without arms, and that
the captain of the port should not be
made prisoner. He also asked that
the American army should not ad-
vance on Ponce within 4S hours.
Commander Davis Of the Dixie. who