The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-07-27
spAErARDs, SINAI.
Prisoners at Portsmouth Have a soft
Thing Of it.

1lAHtLattHu Ntilt J1u nt@tb HobtA 80
an appropriate motto for the prison
at Camp Long The camp on seavy
island Il on part Of the navy yard,
which on the map appears In Kittery,
Me-, aud on official documents at Ports
mouth, In New Hampshire. YesteF.
day the Harvard came in with a little
lot Of 81 additional prIsontns but they
were speedily lost In the large swarm
that was already there.
Two days before the st. Louis steam
ed into the harboT with 6il2 spanish
prisoners Of war on board the camp
ground was not much better than a
desert. This end Of the island Is bound
with rocks which stick up on the blue
berry bushes and scrubby grass on
knobs and hillsides. Col. James For
ney, commanding the Maine guard,
had during his previous term OF duty
at the navy yard laid out golf links on
this eastern end OF the island.
To-day he uses the old iron hole
markers As dead line ranges. The best
hazards In the links are spoiled by
little new pine board town Of dozen
houses, all but one of which are cut
or from the rest Of the island by high
board fence.
The landing Of the Spaniards was
without ceremony or display. Two
black, fiatiron-shaped barges were
brought up, one after the other, from
the big liner, about a mile away, and
made fast To Lieut.. Greely's landing
place, at the foot OF old Fort Sullivan,
now used as reservoir.
Lieut. Catlin, ia charge Of the gang,
had navy revolver In his belt instead
of a sword, but went at his work with
out any fuss or feathers. When six
marines had scrambled ashore aud were
strung along the bank, the gangway
was opened to the prisoners, who went
off the barge in an irregular Struggling.
They We're defeated aud shipwrecked
sailors, and they showed IT, Barehead-
ed and barefoOtei, with straggly boards
and only couple of dirty garments i'm
most cases covering legs and bodies,
they passively obeyed the orders Of
Capt. Moreu, and were gathered in
ships companies by the calling Of the
roll With all possible gentleness the
most seriously sick were taken to the
Naval hospitals and given as good care
as could be given to American sailors.
So they landed, penniless, sick, dirty
and almost naked.
After the mastering was over the
first shiploai Of prisoners was surround
ed by marines from the garrison and
marched into the stockade, the bare
footed ones being chiefly anxious to
avoid the nettles that lurked in some
OF the grassy places. After one day in
camp these same hungry looking pris-
oners could hardly be recognized The
days rations of beef, bread, coffee and
pickles were devoured at one meal,
each man eating more than a pound of
meat. They found hammOcks, COM
Portable hair mattresses and govern
ment blankets provided for them, and
after few puffs from borrowed cigaretS
the well Spaniards slept long and
soundly. More meals followed with
surprising abundance and regularity,
and great wagon loads of clothes were
hauled over from the navy yard and
dumped at the feet of the prisoners.
The few industrious spirits volun-
teered for camp work, and their work
ing made pleasing spectacle for those
who were not industrious. With warm,
new clothes and comfortable fdllness
under ones belt, it is agreeable to sit in
the sun, or at least out of the rain, and
discuss why it Was thatAdmiral CerverA
did not utterly destroy the American
fleet. To be sure there are sentries and
deep water in front, and sentries, with
a high board fence, backed by barbed
wire aud gattliEg guns, in the rear.
What would you? Shall sane men run
away from good food, good clothes and
a good company to lose the mselves ia
a strange country and starve?
Perhaps it may not last, but that *
the sentiment in Camp Long at pres
ent.
Col. Forney has i'm the barracks at
the navy yard and on duty at the
stoekade about 2OO men, but Surgeon
Parsons says that if the Spaniards only
understood that they were to have their
three square meals 8 day a marine
guard would be required not to keep
them on the island but to drive them
away from il. At the Naval hospital
baths aud clean night gowns and beds
have transformed the patients who
Monday afternoon, were grOyeling in
the dust Of the roadside.
There are three wounded men, one
having been shot in the leg, another
having been hacked in the face by a
Cuban machete while attempting to-
get ashore from the burning ship, and q
third who lost several toes from a
machete wound. There is an old man
whose legs are paralyzed, probably
from being so long in the water. ALI.
the other patients, about l2j, are suffer
ing from acclimatic fever, which is net
contagious but which causes chills,.
cramps and great pain for about Eve
days. The surgeons say that this fever
will go through the camp attacking sll
who have not had it.
The convalescents and milder cases
Of fever are cared for in the stOekade,.
where one large building is used for
hospital purposes. Two Spanish chap
lsins, two surgeons, an apOthecary'ss
steward and five junior lieutenants~
have had building built for their
special accommodation, and have been.
fitted out with sailors clothes from the
navy yard storehonses Their ward
room Is fitted out with banks and
abundant furniture. DIR. Suarez, who
speaks English little, says that while
there will be a good deal for the doctors
to do they all expect to enjoy them.
selves in camp.
The civflizing influence of short
piece of rope is still seen at Camp