The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-01
lie out. 1t has on board the Fifth

CANAC
Gen. Miles will retain his headquarters al
the custom house at the Port of Ponce.
while Gen. Wilson will be in Immediate
command of the troops in the city.
Gen. Wilson pushed Gen. Ernsfs brigade,
consisting of the Second and Third Wis
consn and the Sixteenth Pennsylvania
regiments, out a mile and a half on the
tanning two companies of the Sixteenth to
act as provost guard in the city
Capt. Allison has been appointed provost
marshal and with the aid of the local
constabulary has preserved excellent or
der although almost the entire population
of the city remained in the streets cele-
hratlng the arrival of their American
hberators until long after midnight
During the night all sorts of wild ru-
mors were brought in to Gen. Wilson.
The first was that the Spanish were TO
attack The city in force. In view of this
strong line of outpost was maintained
by Gen. Ernst, and the men slept on their
arms.
This report, however. soon gave way to
rumors that the Spanish were retreat ting,
putting entire villages plantation build
ings and houses to the torch and murder
ing and ravishing as they went Some of
The wealthy plantation owners of the vi
cinity became horror-stricken and appeal
ed wildly to Gen. Wilson to despatch
troops to the rescue but it was manifest
ly impossible to divide so small a force.
None of the reports was confirmed when
daylight came, except that the Spaniarde
were in full retreat. That they INDUCED
in eXcesses of a cruel, vindictlVe charac-
ter Is doubtless true, but the town of
Juana Dias, which was reported to have
been burned last night, is known to be
standing this morning.
Gen. Jose Garcia, who is in immediate
command of the Spanish regulars-not be-
lieved TO number more than 500-was de-
serted by most of the Spanish volunteers
in his command during the night and
they began struggling back to the city
with the dawn.
They immedia tely presented themselves
to the provost marshal and surrendered
their arms. The appearance of the vol
unteers aroused in the breast of the ma
tives, who had suffered at their hands in
the past, and especially in the political
prisoners who were released when We
took the city, desire for revenge. and
they began to ferret out all the Spaniards
in the city who had ever been in the vol
unteer service and dragged them to the
plaza. Bloodhounds could not have been
more savage.
MOSl Ol the OpdllldGu5 Ill IihIIlS5 upon
being discovered, were hauled in triumph
in hooting, jeering mobs to Gen. Wilson's
headquarters or TO the provost marshal
office in the municipal building. Some of
the natives even began looting the resi-
dences of the Spaniards. They mistook
liberty for license and were craZed with
thirst for vengeance.
Gen. Wilson, however, told them that
revenge could not be wreaked under the
r1rNtapfinD Of and nVi4V
ordered that the arrest of Spanish sus-
poets should cease. Such volunteers as
presented themselves were, however, re-
ceived and released after their names had
been taken. They viii all report to-mor-
row and be formally paroled. Many of
them had been forced into the service of
Spain to escape persecution.
Business in the city has enjoyed great
boom since the arrival of the Americans.
The merchants who closed their places
yesterday opened them to-day, and are
eagerly engaged In competition for the
American dol lars. American gold is at a
premium of 100 per cent.
Yesterday prices were cheap; to-day they
are enormous. Yesterday the price of a
breakfast at the Hotel Francois was 25
centavos; this morning it is peso. Every
thing else has risen in proportion.
The newspaper correspondents have diff
Guilty in obtaining horses, even at $500
gold.
Tie natives imagine that the pockets of
the Americans can emit a countless flow
of eagles and double eagles. There is a
plenty of provisions in the city, except
rice, one of the staples which is quoted at
a very high figure for this country.
Our army viii not lack for fresh meats
in the march across the island. The broad
savannahs which lie between the undulat-
ing hills swarm with cattle, at reasonable
prices end of excellent quality.
Gen. Garretson's brigade is massed at
Yauco, the terminus of the railroad fff-
teen miles off, and will probably remain
there until the army is ready to move. but
it is thought that the artillery will be
brought here Immediately.
The railroad is in good order but much
of the rolling stock has been destroyed.
Yesterday Gen Roy Stone found several
engines wrecked. The machinery had been
dismembered by Spanish sympathizers at
the round house and hidden
Gen. Stone gave orders TO get the engines
in working order under penalty of impris-
onment; and in less than no time the en-
gines had steam up and were ready to
move.
The Spaniards will probably retire as
far back at Aibonito, about thirty-fve
miles on the road TO San Juan, where
they are likely to make stand, If they
receiver reinforcements. They left here
entirely without artillery, which makes it
even more obvious than an attack at this
point was never dreamed of by them. Not
a gun was mounted. The garrison was
small and poorly manned.
All the guns, with one exception, that
were abandoned in the arsenal when they
beat their hasty retreat Wednesday night,
were Remingtons and Mausers.
There was not a mine in the harbor of
Ponce. although two ancient affairs. COW
cred with barnacles, were found at Puerto
de Guanica. These had been placed there
three years ago. and resisted every effort
to explode them.
1t is very evident from the wholesale de-
sertion on the part of the Spanish volun-
teers that Capt Gen. Macias must depend
as a last resort upon the regulars. These
do not number over 5000 in The whole ISL
and. and everything thus far indicates an
easy conquest.
Gen. Wilson thinks he could take the ISL
and with his own troops, unaided, and he
predicts that il the troops now expected
arrive, Porto Rico will be ours in less than
three weeks.