The leader., 1898-06-22
WILL BURN CAIMANERA.
enanierds Resolved TO Reduce the
Town to Ashes.
..,. streyn with straw Saturated
with oil, Ready for the Torch-Ms-
,lpes Impressed That Another
Assau it Is Coming.

Orr GUANTANAMO, via Kingston, ia
,Uo;ca. June 19.-Cuban scouts today
-onort that the inhabitants of Caima-
10 have strewn the streets with straw
md oil, with the intention of destroy
inc the city and fleeing to the hills.
C.imancra lies four miles up the bay
from Camp McCalla, under the guns of
the American ships, and the situation
: desperatc. Starving and famine
x,r;cken. convinced of the ultimate
,riumph of the American arms and
without faith in the protection of the
srauish soldiery, the people are be-
loved to have determined to leave their
houscs in ashes behind them and seek
,,fety in the mountains of the north.
Tho 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 n
fearful one. The people are eating
horses and mules, and are securing the
hills for fruits and herbs.
Occasionally brief bombardments
from the American fleet leave the help
less citizens or-stricken, no prepare
t;ons for defense being made.
It is also stated that the Spanish gum
boat Caimanera has been loaded with
;naammables and will be burned with
,be CITY. her commander declaring that
she will never become an American
prize.
.he scouts also say that the Spanish
soldiers are in almost as complete
state of panic as are the civilians, and
that they could easily be 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.
Expecting Desperate Attack.
Capt. McCalla of the cruiser Marble
head and Lieut.-C Huntington, in
command of the marines, are not so
sure, however, of the reported Spanish
rout. They received information yes
terday that general attack by force
of $500 Spanish soldiers and guerrillas
on Camp McCalla is contemplated with
in night or two. Every preparation
was made last night for an expected as
saut. The hills about the marine
camp were brilliant under the shifting
rays of the searchlights of the Marble
head, 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 shot The same watchful care was
exercised today, as Capt. McCalla is
convinced that an attack is likely to &C.
cur at any moment.
The Iowa joined the fleet here this
morning, and later the admiral came
over on the flagship to inspect the for
t6cationS and confer with Capt Nc
Gala and Lieut.. Col. Huntington.
The coast in the vicinity of Guanta-
namo is dotted with the bright-hued
Cuban flag. Numerous camps of in
surgens which have been established
along the shore between 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 Ameri-
cans. Their stories of restitution and
revolt among the Spanish soldiery in
this vicinity have been corroborated by
interviews with prisoners captured
around the camp.
Gen. PcrrejO, 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 captured appear to have been ILL
fed and are apparently Indifferent to
their fate.
spanish Scouts Picked Up.
Another body of five Spaniards was
captured yesterday by Ensign A. A.
Pratt of the Marblchead. While cruis-
ing in steel launch outside the bay he
picked up a fifty-foot sloop containing
Spanish captain and four sailors.
They said they were on their way to
guantanamo to get a supply of oil for
the lighthouse at Cape Maysi, but pa
perS found on the sloop proved that
they had been sent to obtain informa-
tlon relative to the American forces.
Inc crewo of the sloop asserted that they
mad been ill-fed and frightfully ILL
treated by the Spanish commander of
The Cape Maysi forces.
The marines are growing very rest
less owing to the delay in the arrival
OF the reinforcements of troops, but it
generally believed here today that
the transports will reach Santiago not
later than Monday.
A rumor to the effect that Lieut.. Hob
son and his fellow heroes of the collier
Merrimack had been seen on the walls
Vi MORO Castle, under Spanish guard,
caused much excitement among the
ueet on Santiago today, but the story
Is u1scredited on Commodore Schley's
snip The officers there say that the
spanish sentries were mistaken for the
American prisoners.
No More Foolishness.