The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-05
AFLOAT ON A
SPANISH PRIZE
The Daily Life of the Dous Who are
Prisoners of War.
SHIPS ARE FLOATING PALACES.
The Furnishings Elegant, and the
Best OF Everything tO Eat-A DE.
scription OF a Dinner on the
Miguel Joyer.

kEN WEST, May 4. - some OF 'he
Spanish seamen detained here on the
captured vessels live like princes OF
large inheritance and entertain their
guests with all the elaborate politeness
and generous hospitality Of their race.
They give course dinners. have the choic-
est OF Spanish wines and cigars. and
treat the United States officials who
visit them as ii they were petted friends
instead OF dreaded captors.
Through the courtesy OF the United
States District Attorney. J. NJ Stripping.
the Associated Press correspondent was
permitted to visit al the Spanish prize
ships and dincd with the captain and
officers OK the elegant merchant steamer
Miguel Jovcr. This vessel has a cargo
OF rice and other food supplies from the
tropics and IS owned in Barcelona Spain.
She hailed from New Orleans on the 2ist-
instant. her crew being ignorant of the
fact that Rear Admiral Sampson fleet
was patrolling the Gulf. Next to the
Panama she is the most valuable prize
and IL estimated 10 be worth SJOO.O0.
BY far. she is the best equipped vessel
in the captive feet and the elegance and
richness Of her cabin and officers quar-
ters can scarcely he eXceued by any met-
chant snip ahoat.
SPLENDID FURNISHINGS
Her cabin is finished i'm Italian marble
with the finest OF mahogany furniture,
beautiful and expensive carpets and
draperes. elaborate electric light fixtures
plano. and, In brief, the best OF every
thing.
The representatives Of the Associated
Press was received by the captain and
his officers with great courtesy and
polite welcome. The crew numbers ftty-
eight men and all OF the officers of the
higher RANK are men OF education and
refinement Captain Juan Bill is appar-
satly about sixty-hve years of age. stern.
dignihed and with an exceptionally
strong determined face. The first officer,
Vincente Terol IS a bright. genial Hide
Spaniard. bubbling over with good ma
ture and politeness and talking inces-
sanity. with gestures and broken English.
OF the beauJes OF old Spain Joseph
Lavares the chief engineer. is "A shrewd,
diplomatic man OF about fifty-fve, dark.
handsome and speaks English perfectly.
Jose G0menz. the ships surgeon from
his general make up. might be taken for
sn artist or a writer OF aesthetic poetry
He is gentle and difident, and an ac-
compished pianist.
The Old captain had very little 20 say
except I'm way OF protesting most Wig
orOusly against being sent ashore. Leave
US here he said TO District Attorney
STRIPPING through the chief engineer as
interpreter for II we go ashore nobody
knows what may happen. Spaniards and
Cubaus might not bee friends over there.
and he moved his hand toward the bar
racks on the island.
NO one would iniurc you" said Dis
| trict Attorney Stripping.
81 do not fear that so much" said the
| old captain but nobody knows what
some of the Spanish sailors might do
! and then | should be held responsible
| for what happened The Americans
would hold the captain responsible for
/ an the sailors. Educated Spaniards un-
| derstand 10 all. but the Spanlard who Is
| ignorant is hard TO control
No doubt. Captain Bill spoke with much
truth. for among the crews Of each yes
| sci there were faces dark and cruel.
AS the officers grouped about the Amer
| leans discussing for the release OF the
| prisoners, the sailors stood apart and
watched the strangers with cat-like
| herceness. Half clad. sallow or swarthy
| with eyes dark sunken. cleaning with
| hatred and cruelty. they were indeed
| unfriendly looking follows.
AN ELABORATE MEAL.
Al o'clock the call for dinner was
| sounded and the Captain took his place
| no the head of the table. \ better din
ner would be difficult 90 obtain at any
| table on the American continent. II con-
| sisted OF seven courses with three kinds
OF wine including the best champagne.
| the finest brand OF cigars and Spanish
! cigarettes Many of the dishes were
| Spanish and delicicdsly palatable. After
! the dinner was finished Dr. Gomenz went
20 the piano and played for half an hour.
| IL was a striking picture. Here sat these
! proud Spanish prisoners In their own
| floating palace. Their guests who sat
| with them were their caDtOrs and their
! enemies, With the solt light OF the trop-
| ical sunset streaming in through the
cabin windows they sang together the
! national airs of Spain. while hundred
! yards away the black guns OF a Unite
! states battleship frOwned down un
! them. Perhaps 10 was their last $50
| their last night IN the ship which
! many OF them was home; they dbl o..
| know The song ceased and the Anne
can visitors arose in silence To so. As
they left the cabin. the venerable. COM
mander of the ship gave each 1 hearty
grasp OF the hand As the little party
were about 10 leave the deck-t the old
captain turned TO his interpreter and
! said
Tell them I thank them for the kind
| ness they have shown us. We are their
| prisoners but nley have treated us as
| gentlemen and a Spaniard knows how
10 appreciate such consideration. Say
10 them that the Spaniard I'm Spain IL
one man and the SDaniard in Cuba quite
! another man. We are sorry for this war
| We are not TO blame for Il. nor arc these
| American gentlemen We have met. Il Is
the fault of our unwise leaders in cuba
| and wa deplore it, III we lose our ship
we will give il ND like men. Ask the man
| of the press to send a message TO Bar
celona telling our families that We are
| all right I'm the hands Of Christian gen
tlemen.'
With moist eyes and trembling lips the
old captain bowed 10 his guests and ais
appeared within the cabin
A PERPLEXING QUESTION.
II Is a very perpleXing question with
the United States authorities what "a
| do with the Spanish sailors In case the
vessels are to be held as prizes
Nearly all OF them are penniless. and
declare that they are are, and that they
seem 10 fear that they cannot get money
from Spain or England TO pay their pas
sage across the Atlantic. Since Their
capture they have been Kept on theii
| SHIPS ullAFA HAAAA ~ NA-NN" 1890
putty marshals.
Attorney General Grisgs has issued ar
order from Washington 10 have them pro
perly cared for but inasmuch as they are
not prisoners OF war the Government
will not likely provide for their susie
nance for any great length OF time.
There has been some talk OF removing
them 10 the island. Key West but this
IL regarded by the authorities as dan
gerous thing 10 do. Key West can pro