Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-22
CONDITIONS AT SAN JUAN
No One Killed in the Town During the
Bombardment by the Fleet.
CONFLICTING STORIES OF CASUALTIES
Passengers on a Steamer Just Ar
rived from There Report Two
Hours More Would Have
Forced n Surrender.

! NEW YORK, May 21.-Captain Lloyd OF
the steamer Arcadia, which has just ar
] rived here from San Juan. Porto Rico, says
he and the ships steward were the only ones
who went ashore during the steamers three
hours stay at the bombarded port.
From what learned twenty men were
killed by American guns" said Captain
Lloyd. OF these. six were moved down at
the guns and the others were laid out by
bursting shells in the defenses. No one
was hurt in the town. About sixty were in
jured in all in the forts.
"The agent Of the line, naturalized
American citizen. took me around the town.
shell from the American fleet had struck
the fourth story of the Hotel 1ngletierra,
knocked of the whole roof. and drove the
guests, men and women into the streets in
their night clothes at 5:15 a. IN.
Flying over the forts a good many shells
had fallen into the fiat lands, striking
houses, some Of which are now propped up
to keep from tumbling. ! saw a storehouse
that had been riddled by an American shell,
which had punctured the roof, bored it's
way through the lumber stored in the build
ing, penetrated the office, and emerging
through rear door. had knocked q hole in
the hull of a Spanish merchant steamer
the Manuella.
THE Spanish custom house inspector told
me his father soldier, had been killed
while asleep in his bed by one of the first
shots. Below the Notifications lie many
shells, some of them still unexploded The
Spaniards are picking them up and treasur-
ing them for mementoes
The present the Yankees sent u.s. they
tell their friends.
IF man can speak only so much Eng
lish as yes or no his life is now in peril
in San Juan.
Secretary Bett of the English consulate
told me there is much discussion among the
consular officials at San Juan as to whether
the bombardment will stand the test of in
ternational law, as no notice was given"
Among the passengers were a. V. Drake
Tor three years secretary to NJ. Vadrene
United States consular agent at Mayaguez;
William Cantrell, an Englishman, and Mic
OLAF Megwinoff, native Of Russia and an
American citizen. Mr.. Drake was the last
native-born American to leave the island
of Porto Rico. Mr.. Drake said:
THE agent from whom l learned OF the
bombardment lived outside the city, but
awakened by the heavy cannonading he got
up and watched the engagement from a safe
distance. One vessel. which he said he be-
lieved was the Iowa, left the fleet and, ac-
companied by small boat. steamed fairly
under Morros guns. 1t stationed the small
boat, and going slowly around 1t let ny its
shells at every revolution.
This was actually so close that the guns
on the Notifications could not be trained
on the war ship and volleys of musketry
were showered upon it. Soon the feet was
enveloped in such bank OF smoke that
Morro's guns must have been absolutely
helpless. Under cover OF the smoke the
daring vessel joined the fleet again.
Another daring war ship was believed
to be the monitor Terror. It, too, came
within easy range Of the shore guns and
every shot from II seemed to have taken
effect. Once when the seas were breaking
over 1t the gunners OF Moro, unused to its
type, cried In glee See, we have sunk her.
According to Spanish reports there were
eleven vessels in the bombarding and the
most serious damage was the dismounting
OF one gun and the killing OF one OF the
gunners. Conflicting stories of the number
killed In San Juan were current. II was
reported soon after the fleet had retired that
sixty had met death, but later reports put
the number at six. These six. 1t was said
were the men at the guns.
Several shells struck the town, but l have
not been able TO learn that any persons were
killed by them. Another shell went through
large warehouse on a dock. shattering n
timber pile and lodging In the side plates
OF the Spanish mail steamship Manuella. Il
nearly sunk 1t. 1t seemed too bad that the
American fleet did not continue the bonn