The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-26
DISTRESS OF CUBANS
Pitiful Entreaty For Food Comes
From CienfuegOS.
THOUSANDS WILL DIE
THEIR APPEALS WILL BRING
NO RELIEF.
DIE
Americans Will Not Attempt to Oc-
cupy the Place For Some Time to
Conceive Thousand Lives Will
Be Lost-Spanish Account of
Loss of the Alfonso.

Copyright, 1898, by the Associated Press.)
Guantanamo, July 25.-The following
pitiful appeal has been addressed by the
starving people of Cienfuegos to Rear Adj
miral Sampson:
Honorable Sir-The Cubans. old men,
women and children, resident in the-town
of Cienfuegos and this Eeighborhood are
all dying of hunger. The young men are
all in the field with the Cuban troops and
have no shoes nor FOOD. All the pro-
visions in this town are in the hands OF
the Spaniards. CuDans cannot obtain
piece of bread, as it is necessary to send
everything to the field. The Weyler sys-
terrible. If you, honorable sir, do not
come quick with your squadron to our
help and take possession of this town
we shall be lost; We beg you to precipi-
tate your operations. About 5000 old men,
women and children shall die of hunger
in this town. Some of these old men
have four or five sons lighting for free
dom, This is our situation. horrible sit
uation. If the great people of t<e United
States do not come quick in our help we
are lost. For Gods sake. come quick.
(Signed) SOME CUBANS."
Nothing can be done for the people of
Cienfuegos until that place is captured.
This Will not be for some time.
ALFONSO'S DESTRUCTION.
The following is a translation from
newspaper of CienfuegOs of an account
OF the loss of the Spanish steamer AL
fonso XII, which was driven ashore on
the coast of Cuba by the United States
auxiliary gunboat Hawk:
Yesterday. says Ell Correo of Havana,
there arrived here the survivors of the
fine transatlantic steamer Alfonso XII.
which was scuttled in the waters of
Mariel. With a natural desire to obtain
information which would calm the anXi-
ETY. of the public, we interviewed the sur
vivors and ascertained that they were
RI i0ca lea nv IA n
anxiety. Their feet were sore from walk
ing from the valley of Mariel to Guam
bay. and their hands were badly LAGER
ated in violent and futile efforts to save
I'VE win faithfully relate that which
occurred, reserving what in our judgment
it is not permitted to give ~ the public
and what might serve as. advice to our
''The Alfonso XIII was fitted out in
Cadiz with six cannon, the necessary
crew three companies of marines and
other necessary articles. In 20 days 1t
hoped to make port and land the cannon
and troops Immediately. l navigated the
Alfonso XIII with nope in God and in the
valor of my crew. | ran with all possible
speed to the heights of Cienfuegos, where
came ort three cruisers of the enemy
Seeing, them, the Alfonso XIII took flight
lost sight of our pursuers.
Believing myself now free from pUr-
suit. / laid my course directly toward
that harbor. When eight miles distant my
course was intercepted by three other
cruisers. which I was unable to counter.
The American cruisers took position on
my port and starboard and ahead then
stesred the Alfonso XIII toward Mariel,
where 1 hoped to enter With the exclu-
sive object of disembarking / decided TO
save the cargo. as the object in coming
was to land provisions, and the cargo was
landed
RATHER EMBARRASSING.
II saw an embarrassing situation. The
Yankees began throwing shells. which
landed in all directions around the ship,
which proves what we have said thou
sand times that the Americans are not
Of the hundreds of projectileS thrown at
the Alfonso XIII only eight struck the
ship.
This corroborates our opinion of their
had training Then Captain Moret ordered
the cargo to be thrown overheard in order
shore which was only a pistol shot dist
ant We got out a boat and prepared to
torpedo the ship and therefore l placed
an explosive bomb between the two fun
neis of the ship and instantly blew up
The ship in column of smoke so dense
mense cloud, obscuring the atmosphere
and making breathing difficult
In this moment OF detection corrosive
LIQUID fire enveloped the ship and Tapped
up the wood like hungry serpent The
crew, being hopeless, had only time to
furnace. Thus has been consummated
the best ship of the transatlantic COM
Dany and the pride of the fleet.
Corn and -four has been sent by Rear
Admiral Sampson to the suffering citizens
OF Guantanamo.