The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-21
SITUATION AT PORTO RICO.
People Uneasy and Unable tn Obtain
News of DOings Of VapIxoos

news OF DOings of Yankees.
NEW YORK, June N.-The Herald pub
hshes the following special correspondence
dated San Juan, Porto Rico. June 9: Since
the Dombardment of the city. Nav 70. there
mas been general feeling of unrest IN
easiness and uncertainty as to what is tn
come next. as it is too clearly evident that
matters will not rest long in statu quo
Where and when the next blow NAV fall is
the all-absorbing question Nc American
papers have come to hand lately. and II is
supposed those that arrived have been SIM
pressed That is true of those comine. nv
way of st. Thomas. News by cable is utter
~ unreliable as passed for publication nv
the authorities so that the only reliable in
formation is that which comes sltrreptitious
ly from st. Thomas A grand review of the
new volunteers was held last Sunday when
about thousand men swore fidelity to the
Spanish flag
None of the Spanish fleet has arrived in
port yet except the torpedo boat Terror.
when is thought to be grand acquisi-
ton to the defenses. Her sister vessel
the Furor, lies at Martinique according
to the fastest advices. The other war ships
in port are the usual ones-the Isabella IT
Ponce de Leon and Concha The armed
loaded with provisions for Santiago or some
other Cuban port, but does not seem in
clined to move out. She made quick run
a few days ago to Mayaguez and Ponce to
carry provisions to the small garrisons
there.
Provisions are very scarce, and prices
have been increased 70 per cent. above the
normal. In the interior of the island the
conditions are still worse. No work is be-
ing done on the estates. Thousands of men
are unemployed. and misery and hunger are
rife. The local currency is at a low ebb
the rate of exchange anything from ITO to
l45 per cent. premium on gold value Pris-
oners are working briskly on the earth
works and are repairing and strengthening
the batteries.
The absence of the cruiser Yale from her
usual daily appearance on some part of the
coast is much commented on, and the rumor
was started, on no foundation whatever
that she had been sent to the bottom by
Spanish war vessel near some underlined
point. NO vessels have been sighted at sea
from any station on the island, so that the
small coasters are beginning to follow their
regular routes again.
The mines at the harbor entrance have
been laid further seward covering all the
lines the United States fleet took during the
bombardment which were too close in to
IiStNc G1LSCl Ou tue hOIEO, WHICH lies on the
fiat top of the cliff above where they were.
The islanders are perfectly quiet; even
politics is not discussed. There have been
many cases of hamstringing ofAcattle, so
that they have to be killed, and the owners
having more flesh on their hands than they
can dispose of. have to give it away to the
poor-the people who actually did the mis-
chief. in fact. This trick is becoming very
common. and may lead to something more
serious when people are starving as they
soon will be.
The angry feeling against the Yankees
is extremely bitter among the purely Span
ish party. but nothing of the kind exists
among the true islanders who appear to
be passively awaiting the developments of
the war. AT present they are cowed-to
use a forcibe expression--but If a COM
petent native leader were to come forward
they would rise to a man and make short
work of any oppressors-too short, ii is
feared humanely speaking. The island has
now a population of million. The foreign
or neutral element is very small compare