The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-05
NEWS HND COMMENT

Captain Whitr ey, of the staff of General
Miles, " no made the military reconnais-
sance of Porto Rico and furnished tho
material upon which the plan of cam
paign was bas ed, owes his life to a young
woman attendant in a photograph gall
lery at Ponce. Whitrey had spent a
month in Porto Rico in various DISCUSSES.
principally az a sailor from a British
merchantmen, and wore shabby sea-
mans dress. He kept his notes and men,
oranda carefully sewed under the collar
on the back of his shirt. One day as he
was making preparations to leave for the
United States he went into a photograph
gallery at San Juan to buy such views
as he could fihd of the harbor and forti-
fcations and various places along the
coast. Watching her opportunity, young
Porto Rican girl who was employed in
the place, whispered TO him that the
Spaniards were looking for an American
spy who was disguised as sailor, and
hinted that he had letter not be seen on
the street. Whitley thanked her for the
information, but assured her that they
could not be looking for him because he
was an Englishman. He made good use
of the warning, however, and concealed
himself until dark, when he rowed out to
an English ship in the harbor and per-
suaded the sailors to stow him away.
The first thing Captain Whitney did when
he returned TO Porto Rico with General
Miles was says W. L. Curtis, who tells
this story, to call upon his unknown
friend in the photograph gallery. She
did not recognize him at first with a sha-
ven face and a gilt-edged uniform, but re-
called the incident as soon as it was men,
toned, and said that she was confident
he was the an the authorities were
looking for and had given him the warn
ing because he- sympathies were with the
Americans.
Spain's war loss is thus estimated:
Twenty-one warshirs.
Two armies defeated and captured.
Cuba, ,655 square miles and 1,GOO,O00 in
habitants.
Porto Rico, $3.50 square miles and 800, =
000 inhabitants.
The Philippines, ll4,326 square miles and
5000, 600 inhabitants.
The Sulu Islands, $50 square miles and
IS. 900 inhabitants.
Stray islands In other groups.
The territory taken under the terms OF
peace means a loss to Spain, in round
numbers, as follows
Cuba $500, 900 900
Philippines Observation-Disclosures. 100000 900
Porto Rico ............'......,.... 10000 400
Cost OF war ....................... l25, 900 600
| Loss of commerce ,.............. 70, 900 600
Thirty ships lost .......,,..,.... 10000 o00
Total 075, ,OOO 900
In round numbers The loss to the United
| States is thus summed Up:
Maine ............. .........,,...... 81 800 0lO
cost OF war Observation-Disclosures. zoo, 900 OOO
| Indemnity to Spain ............... 10000, 900
| -
IOtdl W., ,OuO JUC
| Lives Lost by United States-About 25a
men killed and about 1924 wounded.
| About 1000 men died in camp. These fig
ures do not include the 266 sailors lost
| on the Maine or the men who have died
OF fever after being mustered out
Lives Lost by Spain-About 1900 killed
| and 5000 wounded.
| The probabilities are that the foregoing
| estimate undertakes the war loss of the
| United States if we take into account dis.
| turbance of business, probable cost Of
| pensions, etc" nevertheless the balance is
on the right side.
Not all Spauiards are vindictive Al
| Guayama, in Porto Rico, is a fine old ca.
| thedral the second finest in the island
and it's padre is a benevolent old Spaniart
| greatly beloved by his flock. Trumbut
| White, correspoT ding for the Chicago
Record, narrates this incident concerning
the venerable priest. On Sunday morn
Ing at high mass came a peculiar thing
| At the end OF the service, for a reces
sional, the organist far up in the lof
| touched his keys and through this Ole
Catholic church in an obscure village II
| Porto Rico there sounded "rhe Star-Span
gled Banner" The variations improviseC
were beautiful. The melody itself was
kept little in the background, obscuraC
bit by the f1orid music that accompanied
it, but 1t was there beyond a doubt. Per
haps the Spanish worshippers did not rec
ognize the unfamiliar strains for wha
they were. The Americans did. All oveI
the church there were American soldier,
and officers who had been present as wor
shippers or spectators. When the iden
tity of the music came to them there wer,
heads uplifted and frightening eyes anC
glances of recognition that meant a grea
deal. I hunted up the old padre anC
asked him about It, "Yes." he said, #
was intentional. I asked the organis
IN the morning II he knew the American
national hymn. He said that he did 81
| asked him to play It as a recessional.
thought II would please the Americans.
II did please them, and the old prizes
could not have done a more generous