Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-02
COUNTRY NEAR SANTIAGO.
No Defences of Any Account on the
Land side.
washington Evening Starr

washington Evening Starr
AT the War Department to day were
two gentlemen who are recognized by the
military authorities as having the most
complete information Of the ground
around Jurasua. Baiquirl, Santiago. and
the entire field OF present war operations.
They are Mr.. Geo. W. Pfeiffer engineer
OF the SpanishAmerican Iron Company,
whose headquarters has been at Baiquiri
for many years up to short time ago,
and Mr.. c. II. Ziegenfuss, general mana
ger of the Juragua Iron Company. They
left their respective stations after war
had been declared and when the Spanish
troops were beginning to center there in
expectation Of an American invasion.
Owing TO their complete acquaintance
with the country, roads, trails, railroads.
bridges, landing places etc, the military
authorities here are consulting them and
the purpose is to have them join General
Skaters star to assist in the advance
OF our army. To-day they were confering
with Brigadier General Stone, on General
Miles staff, as 10 the best means Of get
ting troops, light and heavy artillery, and
stores westward from General Skaters
present base. They are able TO clear up
many misapprehensons and confusion
over the lay of the land where our troops
are now operating.
BAIQUIRI.
Engineer Pfeffer resides at Baiquiri
where the main landing of our troops oc-
CURED. He said that there were about /. 900
Spanish troops there when he left and an
other 1000 at Siboney. They went well
equipped, but there was no organization
or drill as in the American army. About
the only systematic action was when the
bugle sounded for rancho" or ration.
vrtf rlo h.
their depredations. and considerable OF
the mining property Of the spanish-Amer-
lean Company, as well as that OF the Ju-
ragua Company, was destroyed. But the
fine ocean pier OF the company being
built of steel resisted all efforts at de-
struction, and has proved an effective
means for landing our troops and stores
Mr.. Pfeiffer describes il as similar 10 one
Of the big steel piers along the great
lakes. where iron ore is discharged. II Is
thirty feet wide and runs 900 feet into the
sea. at which point there is a depth of
twenty-six feet of water. This is deep
enough to accumulate any OF the trans
ports except possibly the Yale and Har-
ward, and they Could get TO the outer end.
1t is admirably equipped for landing sup
plies as well as troops, as there are ele-
waited tracks along which gondolas carry
freight between the ships and the shore.
Mr. Pfeiffer says the coast shelves pre-.
cipitously, so that there is little or no
shallow beach through which men could
reach the shore through the surf. The
town OF Baiquiri is at the pier landing
and consists of scattered huts used by
the mining employees. A number of rag
ged and hungry Cubans sought relief
there and were kept alive by the COM
pany The mines are four and half miles
inland.
JURAGUA.
Mr.. Ziegenfuss resides at Juragua, and
is thus able 70 throw light on the very
point where Skaters main body OF troops
is now located. He says Juragua exists
only in name, as there is no such town
whatever. There is a mining plant, but
the town proper is Siboney. This lies on
shore, while the so-called Juragua is four
miles inland. 1t is between Siboney and
the Juragua mines that Skaters troops
lie. Mr.. Ziegenfuss says the ground is
densely covered with underbrush, with |
very few patches Of open ground There |
are no roads this far east. The only |
things in this line are trails. wide enough |
for a horse or one man. They would be |
Of no service for light or heavy artillery, |
Or for an army. unless the engineers |
cleared the way.
But from Slboney west to Santiago the |
prospects for the rapid advance OF our |
army are much better. Instead Of trails. |
rood roads begin 20 run toward Santiago. |
rhey were built some fifty years agc. and |
ire out of order. having been used in re-
ent years only for horses and cattle. But \
hey form the basis. IL is believed for /
rood progress toward the main point of
attack.
Besides these. Mr.. Ziegenfuss says the |
has a good railroad plant run
ling from Siboney directly into Santiago. |
While the Spaniards have destroyed the
santiago end considerable part OF n
rack remains, as means OF carrying |
onward our troops and supplies. There
we're nine locomotives and several hum
lred fiat cars. gondolas etc. UP to the
ime Mr. Ziegenuss left Siboney. There
S but one bridge along the route. Il
rosses the San Juan river, and Is re-
arded as so essential for the use OF our
roops that three warsh!ps from Admit
al SIMPSONS feet are covering II with
heir guns.
AROUND SANTIAGO.
Nearing Santiago. Mr.. Ziegenfuss and
fr. Pfeiffersay. the country begins to be
evel. good roads appear and the ground
5 free from that heavy underbrush near
he coast. There is practically an open
S.nfafya o,tff al he