The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-30
MANY EVACUATED PEOPLE
WHO EAGERLY TOOK THE FOOD Of
FERED BY THE RED CROSS.
Picture of the Country About Jura qua
Many Rough Riders Fell.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.

starving inhabitants and disarmed defend
ers, and they were received, not in fear and
trembling, as conquerOrs are by a fallen
city, but with outstretched hands as de-
l1vererS from famine. For the people of
santiago were starving, rich and poor, mer-
chant, soldier and vagabond The soldier
whose heart had never been in this war re-
Joiced openly that he would soon be returned
to Spain; the civilian gave thanks that no
more bombs would come screaming over the
hills from the ocean; no more dead and
wounded men be brought in from the forts
and trenches outside the city. Everywhere
was seen rejoicing, rather than mourning
or sullen hostility; not a woman wore the
red and yellow colors of Spain or refused
to answer the courteous sautation of the
American newspaper correspondents.
The merchants were affability itself, shak-
ing hands cordially with every departing
patron and responding to "Vive America
with a hearty viva" and a wave of the
hand. 1t mattered not to the people of San
tiago that Spains honor had been furnished;
that old Cortez, who sailed from Santiago
four centuries ago to ravage Mexico, would
have died with his last man rather than
surrender; Santiago had been saved from
starvation and further bloodshed.
The curious people who went down to the
wharves after the surrender had been COM
pleted, expecting to see the terrible Amer
lean war ships sail up to the city, beheld
instead the approach of a black merchant
ship. with a red cross painted on each side.
a red cross flag at her peak, a kindly-faced
woman directing the movements of the YES
sci and other women on the decks. 1t was
the relief ship State of Texas loaded with
food enough to give every one in Santiago
something to eat
The relief ship moored at the principal
wharf, opened her ports and began to issue
food to the crazed people who thronged to
her side. Questions to the applicants were
unnecessary; their emaciated faces and
eager eyes told that they were desperately
hungry. The children were pitiful objects.
They were not as naked as in the newspaper
pictures, but their arms and hands seemed
fieshless, the skin drawn tight over
their pinched faces and their eyes had an
stretched forth their skinny hands tmidly.
and the beSeechlng, frightened look in their
eyes went tc the heart of every American,
The Spanish soldiers did not openly beg for
food; but when questioned they said earn
estly that they were very hungry, and food
given to them they devoured ravenously.
FIRST TO ENTER THE CITY.
The first American to enter Santiago after
lIl6 SURRENDER was d correspondent VI the
Associated Press who had gone among the
refugees at Ell Caney. For the time he
spoke only Spanish. He was one of the first
fugitives to enter the city, and he did not
resume the use of the English language I'M
til the cable office had been reopened, when
his account of the surrender was filed, long
before any other
There are thirty vessels in the harbor to-
las mo- Of ch to
unload their supplies. Some of them had
been waiting off Sboney nearly a. month
for an opportunity to discharge cargo.
Before the war broke out United States
Consul Hyatt, at Santiago was feeding So,
600 persons in and near this city. The relief
work ended at once when Mr.. Hyatt was or
dered to leave the island. In the latter part
of May the United States ships began to
blockade Santiago. The city has always i'm
ported the greater part of it's food supply,
the surrounding country being undeveloped,
Is reasonable to suppose that nearly all of
Consul Hyatt'S people are dead for when
Santiago surrendered last Sunday the rich
A correspondent of the Associated Press
who went through the business section of
the city yesterday found the various stores
closed, having no stock The tobacco mer-
chants have not much stock left In the
market place few of the stalls are occupied.
price. coffee, small fishes caught in the bay
mangoeS, cocoanutS and anoncajo fruit
grown near by At a large warehouse near
the landing place there were a few sacks of
-four, dozens of sacks of raw coffee and
large quantity of American beer and Span
ish liquors. There was no scarcity of liquor
in town, but 1t was not sold openly A few
American soldiers got drunk and were
locked up. There was no offensive display
Of military force by our soldiers. and the
Spanish sentry boxes at the street corners
were unoccupied. The city hall, the theater
where Adelina Patti made her first appear
ance on this continent and other buildings
VxyaVe ind nv mo 6fnrs hn
also kept the crowds off the wharves, that
the transports might have an opportunity
to lard supplies. The local police were on
duty, the cathedral was open as usual and
matters were resuming their normal condi-
ton. The American and Spanish soldiers
fraterniZed at once after the surrender.
THE BAY OF JURAGUA
The little bay of Juragua has been the
army's base of supplies for weeks but to-
morrow the commissary department will
establish headquarters at Santiago. Most
Of the transports which have been waiting
off Juragua to discharge their cargoes are
at anchor in this harbor. They will go up
to the wharves and unload and as much
stuff will he got ashore in one hour here as
could be landed in twenty-four hours at
Juragua The cove at Juragua does not af-
ford even an anchorage. 1t is a mere in
dentation in the rugged coast caused by the
debouching of the Juragua river There is
a quarter mile of beach on which the surf
beats thunderously. The valley of the
Juragua winds back through the hills. To
the westward of the river is a stretch of
land about fifty feet above the sea, which
tries to toss spray up the cliff on to it. On
this land was situated the town of Siboney,
consisting of q few dozen one-story houses
well stocked with disease germs Happily,
the town is no more, having been burned
after it had caused dozens of cases Of yellow
fever.
A little to the east of the mouth of the
river is a wharf made of heavy timbers
bolted together, and which, being in deep
surf One steam lighter discharged sup
plies from the transports at this rude wharf
night and day, which supplies were pushed
to the commisSary building on a car. Many
thousands of men were landed from small
boats in the surf or at this wharf. and here
was landed most of General Skaters ar
tillery. The process was tedious, and while
the men at the front were nursing sores
caused by lack of vegetable food, the crews
of the transports were heaving overheard
hundreds of barrels of potatoes and onions
which spoiled on board.
On the sandy fiat about the mouth of the
river were camped the men who looked
after the supplies of the various regiments
The beach TO the westward contained the
hospital tents, the doctors tents and the
abodes of the newspaper correspondents
and is now occupied by the yellow fever de-
tention camp, guarded and poiced by the
Twenty-fourth (colored) Infantry. The
railroad of the Juragua Iron Company
crosses the Juragua river on an iron bridge,
tinues westward along the cliff top to Aqua