The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-08-11
PRISONERS OF WAR.
Hiss Huse Gives an Interesting Ac-
count Of the Spanish Prisoners and
Their Daily Amusements.
Bull Fights in Prison and Some Men
in Irons Beautiful Scenery if
They Enjoy It.

OF New Castle and Kittery me. J, al
ways replete with interest from his
toric and artistic point of view, is
doubly attractive this summer in its
Seaveys Island and the Spanish pris-
Oners thereon. And we succeeded in
''getting there" in spite of the predic-
tions to the contrary. They are very
strict in regard to the admission of
visitors, no one being allowed on the
island without a pass and these very
difficult to obtain, but it was our good
fortune to have a friend who is quite
prominent there and under his escort
we passed the guard without question
and 'bearded the lion in his den.''
The first ''specimen'' we saw was
one of the convalescents at the hos
pital, swinging in a hammock, his legs
hanging over either side, and singing
at the top of his voice. Others gazed
at us from some of the upper windows
with the strangest expression Of coun-
tenance-half wonder, half amusement
we imagined.
The buildings where the sick and
wounded are confined are new, we'll
ventilated, and rest upon supports two
or three feet above the ground.
Through the courtesy of DR.. Morris
we were allowed to peep into them, and
the long rows Of cots so comforta bly,
furnished, the white-robed attendants,
so scrupulously clean, evidenced the
fact that nothing in the way of atten-
ton is lacking. All seemed resting
quietly, though there were some pa
thetic chances reached us from faces
which told all too plainly what their
sufferings had been. One poor fellow,
a sergeant in the Spanish marines,
paced back and forth, his face bound
up so that only small portion was
visible, shot through the eye, the at
tending surgeon told US.
It is said that some are finding fault
that they are being so we'll treated.
Surely we should forfeit all claim to
being christian nation could we treat
the sick and he'll pless under our charge
otherwise than we'll. We saw several
OF those brave marines of ours who
held the ground against such odds at
Guantanamo until help arrived, and had
some conversation with one of their
members, Sergeant Boyd, who kindly
gave us his autograph and also told US
the correct pronunciation of the name
of the town, placing the accent upon
the second syllable instead of the third
as we had DONE
We were shown through the cook
rooms, eating-rooms and sleeping uar-
tiers of the marines and then climbed
the heights overlooking the stockades
where the main body of prisoners num-
bering 1900 men or more, all those out
side the hospitals, are confined. A
tight board fence eight feet high sur
rounds the enclosure on all but the
sides toward the water and fifteen feet
outside OF this is a barbed wire fence
still higher. Terrific gatling guns,
capable OF shooting six hundred times
in minute, command the heights, so
that If the prisoners should ever make
dash for liberty and by any possible
means succeed in scaling the fences,
not one would eyer live to tell the tale.
They looked, however, as if nothing
could be further from their minds as
they filed out to get their evening ra-
tlons and ate, many Of them in long,
open pavilion, afterward drumming on
their dishes and playing like lot of
children as they ran to the water to
cleanse them. Indeed, the majority
looked like boys and there is said to be
one lad among them, an officer's son,
only twelve years of age. Their daily
diversion is sham bull fight. one of
their number DOMINIC horns to person
ate the animal, another Haunting the
red rag, and into this sport they enter
with all the zest of real battle.
The enclosure contains ten or eleven
buildings furnished with hammocks.
large building for the officers, the
pavilion before mentioned and cook
rooms containing twenty-seven ranges.
Outside are the tents of the guards
and in one of these was prisoner con-
fined in irons for striking one of his
own officers. This was the first fla
grant breach of discipline, we believe,
but since then we have read of a mum
Der who have been thus punished. If
the poor fellows have any eve for
beauty, the location of the prison is an
ideal one. The view is superb, sweep
ing the harbor with it's forts and light
houses away to the Isles of Shoals and
bounded by the picturesque old towns
of Kittery, New Castle and Portsmouth
with the o. S. navy yard in close
proximity We saw the cottage where
Lieut.. Greeley was CHARTERED while in
Portsmouth harbor, the building on
the navy yard where carrier-pigeon
are bred and trained and many other