The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-05


obtained their water supply. Il was rid.
died with the shells Of the Dolphin
whom Captain Lguns was helping Gap
tain Elliott Of the marines to rum the
6paniards 10 cover. The we'll. which
mad been f1iied with stones, was still
useless, no effort having been made by
the Spaniards to dig IL out
(. 1t was between the blockhouso and
the windmill that the first corpse was
expected to be found, as Spanixh lieu
tenants body had been seen there the
day before BY some Cuban scouts. The
expedition was too late. however, as the
body had been freshly buried 1t was of
course not disturbed and the party NOV
cd carefully into gorge that cut In
two the eastern slope of the basin.
Skirmishers ram ahead to guard against
surprise, and the grewsome work began.
Not many steps were taken before the
first body was found. 1t was far gone,
the vultures having done their work
well. The grinning skull was already
bleaching. 80 that the doctors work
was easy. With "a bayonet knife he
quickly severed it, and, pushing back
the remaining shreds of scalp. showed
just where the well aimed bullet of
some marine had entered. There was
no fight up this gorge. for tSie Span
iards were already ON the run when
they reached 1t, their first act and most
desperate stand having been made on
the other side. The wound in the skull
showed that the ball had entered the
back Of the head and come out in front,
causing comminuted fracture at both
the entrance and exit.
The hole Of exit was larger than that
of entrance. The range at which this
man was killed, according to Captains
Elliott and Spicer, who were in COM
mand Of the marines on the day of the
fight. must have been about 700 yards,
and the Spaniard's skull shows that up.
to that range the modern rife bullet
has an explosive effect. Twenty yards
beyond another body was found shot
through the skull in almost the same
manner. the bullet having entered the
back Of the head as he was clambering
up the gorge. The effect was identical.
Only those whose bones were struck
were of service in this examination, as
there was little flesh left, but another
corpse was found in which ball had
entered the mans ribs and broken two
Of them, showing again the explosive
effect.
It has been maintained by some au-
thorities that the Lee rife, which our
navy uses, did not have this effect ex-
cept at closest range, but DR.. Edgar's
examinations have at least convinced
him that those who hold to the contrary
theory are right He says, however,
that at anything over 1000 or perhaps
1900 yards range the bullets, having
lost some Of their velocity, would not
cause such brutal wounds.
While DR.. Edgar was picking over
his corpses the rest of the expedition
were skirmishing for relics. Every one
wanted mnchete or a Mauser, but the
Cubans went carefully over the field on
the day Of the fight, SO that tho search
for these was fri 0|tless However, there
were plenty of Mauser cartridge clips
and empty shells, straw hats and Span
ish cockades.
One find was Spanish officers field
COT 1t was much nicer than any in use
in our army, having steel legs and steel
head and foot boards. The marine who
found it was the envy Of all his COM
rades. They threw the yellow fever
scare into him, but he wouldn't drop it
and sweated all the way back to camp
with it. After the gorge had been thor
oughly explored every one had enough.
The field where most Of the fighting
had taken place had not been visited,
but the Cuban guides declared they did
not know the road to it. The vultures
could be seen lowering over and plung-
ing into it in great numbers, but with
out locating the path. 1t is impossible
to make ones way through the cactus.
No one was particularly anxious to
hunt for it, SO the order was given to
return to camp. II the way over had
been long, the way back was longer. It
was o'clock in the afternoon now,
and the sun was doing its best. Can
teens were empty, legs were heavy and
feet were sore, but, like horse making
for home, no time was lost on the re-
turn. Camp was reached little before
4 O'Clock, and as the tired band crawled
over the breastworks the men who had
not been in the fight realised for the
first time what those men had to suffer
that day when they had not only to
march and cliynh but f3Uht M well