The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-06-20
Occasional Bombardments by Fleet
Leave PopuIace in State of Terror.
THE SOLDIERS IN STATE OF PANIC
Some of the Prisoners Captured by the Ma
rines Say That the Troops Are on
the Verge of surrendering
Owing to Lack of Food.

By the Associated Press, on board the
Associated Press Dispatch Boat Dandy, off
Guantanamo, Saturday June 49, p. m.-
Via Kingston, Saturday, June 49,, $3.50 a.
m.-Cuban scouts report today that the in
habitants of Caimanera have strewn the
streets with straw and oil with the inten-
tion of destroying the city and fleeting to
the hills.
Caimanera lies four miles up the bay
from Camp McCalla, under the guns of the
American ships, and the situation is des-
perate. Starving and famine stricken con-
vinced of the ultimate triumph of the
American arms, and without faith in the
protection of the Spanish soldiery, the peo-
pie are believed to have determined to
leave their homes in ashes behind them
and seek safety In the mountains of the
north. The scouts declare that the story
is accurate. and say that every building
of the town is being rapidly prepared for
the torch.
The situation of the besieged is a fearful
one The people are eating horses and
mules and are securing the hills for fruits.
Occasionally brief bombardments by the
American fleet leave the helpless citizens
terror stricken, no preparations for de-
fense being made.
GUN BOAT WILL BE BURNED.
1t is also stated that the Spanish gunboat
at Caminaera has been loaded with in
fammables and will be burned with the
cMy' her commander declaring that she
will never become an American prize.
The scouts also say that the Spanish
soldiers are in almost a complete state of
panic, like the civilians, and they could be
easily induced to surrender. Some of the
prisoners taken by the marines also say
they believe the Spanish troops are on the
verge of surrender owing to the lack of
food. Captain McCalla, of the cruiser Mar
blehead and Lieutenant Colonel Hunting
ton, In command of the marines are not so
sure, however, of the reported Spanish
rout. They received information Yesterday
that general attack by a force of $500
spanish troops and guerillas on Camp Nc
cana Is contemplated within night or
TWO. Every preparation was made last
night for an expected assault.
When the Dandy arrived at Guantanamo
harbor at o'clock the hills about the ma
rine camp were brilliant under the shifting
rays of the searchlights of the Marblehead,
Dolphin and Scorpion and the marines were
lying in the rifle pits, at the guns, ready
and anxious for battle. but the night
passed without the firing of a shot The
same watchful care was exercised TODAY
as captain McCalla is convinced that an
attack is likely to occur at any moment
The Iowa Joined the fleet here this morn
ing, and later the admiral came over ON
10 f1a fof i've,
confer with Captain McCalla and Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Huntington.
The coast in the vicinity of Guantanamo
Is dotted with the bright-hued Cuban flag.
Numerous camps of the insurgents which
have been established along the beach be-
tween Santiago and this place are used
by the admiral as means of communication
with the Cubans in the interior. The aid
which these men have given has proved
highly valuable to the Americans. Their
stories of the destitution and revolt among
the Spanish soldiery in this vicinity have
been corroborated by interviews with pris-
oners captured around the camp.
GENERAL PERREJO DESPERATE.
General Perrejo who is in command of
the Spanish forces here is undoubtedly
desperate in regard to obtaining food for
his men. The prisoners who have been cap
tured appear to have been ill-fed and are
apparently Indifferent to their fate.
Another body of five Spaniards was cap
tured yesterday by Ensign A. A. Pratt, of
the Marblehead. While cruising in a steel
launch outside the bay he picked up fifty
foot sioop containing Spanish captain and
four sailors. They said they were on their
way to Guantanamo to get supply of oil
for the lighthouse at Cape Maysi. but pa
pers found on the sloop proved that they
had been to obtain Information relative to
the American forces. The crew OF the
sloop asserted that they had been III fed
and frightfully Ill treated by the Spanish
commander of the Cape Maysi forces.
There was Brief bombardmont of a
blockhousc up the bay by the battIesalip
Oregon. yesterday, and 1t is believed that
during the firins at least a score of Span
iards were killed. Scouting parties report
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