Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-07-19

the Amerlean pulse leap and the Anleri- can heart thrill with joy.
 At the same instant the sound of The distant booming of Captain Capron g battery, firing salute of al guns, drift. ed in When the music ceased, from all directions around our line came floating across the p.aza the strains of the regi. mental bands and the untitled, hoarse cheers of our troops. The infantry came to "order arms q moment later. after the flag was up, and the band played Rally Round the Flag. Bows. J Instantly General McKibbin called for three cheers for General Shafrer, which were given with great enthusiasm the band playing, 1.-The Stars and Stripes Forever" The ceremony over, General Shafter and his staff returned to the American lines, leaving the city i'll the possession of the municipal authorities subject to the control of General Nc. Kibbin.
 Amid impressive ceremonies the Span. ish troops laid down their arms between the lines of .se Spanish and American forces at g o'clock Sunday morning.
 General Shafter and the American di- vision and brigade commanders and their staffs were escorted by troop of cavalry and General Toral and his staff by 100 picked men.
 Trumpeters on both sides saluted with hourishes.
 General Shafter returned to General Toral the latter's sword after it had been handed to the American commander.
 Our troops, lined up at the trenches, were eye witnesses of the ceremony. General Shafter and his escort, aeom- panied by General Toral, rode through the city taking formal possession.
 The Thirteenth. and Ninth regiments of infantry will remain in the city to enforce order and exercise municipal au- thority The Spanish forces are to en- camp outside of our lines about two miles from the city.
 At 1 o'clock Sunday morning stream of refugees began pouring into the city, some naked and all hungry, skeletons and footsore Many had fallen by the wayside.
 Twenty thousand refugees had beer qnartered at Fl Caney, 50o0 at Firmesa and 50G0 at Cubitas Fl Boniato and San Vineents, where they have been living for q fortnight.
 In one case 50O0 were crowded into one building, which was horrible pig sty, with horrible steneh. They used the water from the river, where soiled cloth ing was washed and all manner of filth is floating.
 The docks are crowded by incoming refugees ill starving condition, await ing the arrival ill the harbor of the Red Cross society's steamer, State of Texas, as there are no eatables to be bought in the city.
 The entrance of the refugees was quiet and peaceful, they viewing their ruined homes philosophically as the fortune of war.
 Admiral Simpsons last bombardment of Santiago wrecked 57 houses in the city, causing heavy damage.
 The town of Santiago presents dis nal sight. Most of the houses have been sacked and the stores have all been footed and nothing to eat can be had for love or money In the streets of the city yesterday morning, at the entrench- ments, at the breastworks and at every 100 feet or so of the barbed wire fences were living skeletons of Spanish soldiers.
 Among the arrivals Sunday were the German, Japanese and Portugese con- suls and their families, the British and French consuls having arrived day be- fore yesterday.
 General Pando was never here, but $500 men from Manzanillo arrived on July 3, making total garrison here of 1000.
 The contact mines ill the harbor were removed the day Admiral Cevera left, two chains of electric mines, one from Estrella Point and the other from So- capa, are still down.
 Steam launches from the New York, Brooklyn and Vixen entered the harbor yesterday morning and examined the batteries, the wrecks of the Merrimac and the sunken Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes, and the torpedo firing station.
 They discovered six Spanish merchant steamers and one small gunboat in the harbor and a prize crew was placed upon the latter.
 Sunday afternoon the torpedoes were taken up or exploded, after which the Red Cross steamer State of Texas entered to give assistance to the sick and wounded in the city. The warships may not enter the harbor for several days, probably not until after the ar rangements have been completed for