The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-07-21
a soRRowFUF SPECTACLE



and Footsore.
SANTIAGO, July l7.-since 4e'cloek
this morning a stream Of refugees has
been pouring into the city, some naked
and an hungry. skeletons and footsore.
Many had fallen by the wayside.
The town Of Santiago presents a dis
mai sight. Most OF the houses have
been saekedand the stores have all been
looted and nothing to eat can be had
for love or money. In the streets Of the
city this morning, at the entrench-
ments. at the breastworks aud at every
hundred feet or SO Of the barbed wire
fences, were the living skeletons Of
Spanish soldiers
Among the arrivals today were the
German Japanese and Portuguese con-
suls and their families, the British and
French consuls having arrived day Be-
fore yesterday.
Gen, Fando was never here. but b, 500
men from Manzauillo arrived ON July
9, making the total garrison 1000.
The Harbor Defense.
The contact mines in the harbor
were removed the day Admiral Cervera
left, but two chains Of electric mines,
one from Estrella Point and one from
Soeapu, are still down
The armament Of the shore batteries
Of Santiago consists Of five brass G-inch
muzale-loaders, in the MORO fortifca-
tionsi two 6iuch Hontorias, from the
cruiser Reina Mercedes, and three III
eentimetre mortars-never used-tn the
Socapa battery; two useless 31-centi-
metre mortars, two s-centimetre muz-
z]le-loaders and four 8-centimetre field
pieces in the Estrella battery; one 81
millimetre and one 25-millimetre Nor
denfelt, and one 1l-miHimetre Hotch-
kiss, in the Socaya lower battery, and
two 5-inch Hontorias, two 0-centimetre
Krupps and two l5-centimetre mortars
at Punta Gorda.
Four Spanish merchant steamers. the
Mortera, the Reina de los Angeles, the
Tomas Brooks and the Mexico. and the
gunboat Alvarado, are in the harbor.
Some Mlsfortunes OF War.
The market place has been sacked by
the troops,
Twenty-Five Thousand refugees are
%quartered at E1 Caney, 5000 at Firmosa
and 5000 at Cubitas Ell Donate and San
Yineente where they have been living
for d fortnight. In one case 5000 were
crowded into one building, which was
a regular pig sly, with a horrible
stencil. They used the water from the
river, where soiled clothing was washed
and all manner Of filth is floating
The docks are crowded by incoming
refugees, i'm a starving condition.
awaiting the arrival ia the harbor OF
the Red Cross Society," steamer State Of
Texas, as there are no eatables to be
bought IN the city. The entrance Of
The refugees wa quiet and peaceful,
they viewing their wrecked homes
philosophieally as the fortune Of war.
Admiral Sampsons last bombardment
of Santiago wrecked hfty-seveu houses
in the city, causing heavy damage.
TORPEDoEs TURNED LOOSE.
santiago HarboF cleared Of Submarine
Defenses.
PLAYA DEL ESTE, Guanatamo Bay,
July tL.-G pms Steam launches from
the New York, BROOKLYN and Vixen en-
tered the harbor Of Santiago this morn
ing, and examined the batteries the
wrecks Of the Merrimac and the sunken
Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes, and
the t%orpedo-fring station. They dis
covered six Spanish merchant steamers
and one small gunboat in the harbor,
and a prize crew was placed upon the
latter.
This afternoon the t@orpedoes were
taken up or explodeu after which the
Red Cross steamer State Of Texas en-
tered TO give assistance to the sick and
wounded ia the city.
The warships may not enter the har-
Dor for several days, probably not un-
til after the arrangements have been
completed for transporting the Spanish
prisoners to Spain. Nearly all the
American men-of-war are nowin Guam
tanamo Bay
Watsons squadron preparing to 20
10 Spain, and several vessels are pre-
pairing for the expedition to Porto Rice.
The auxiliary cruiser Yale, with Gen.
Miles, viii probably leave for Porto
Rico in the course Ola day ortwo Gen.
Miles says q sufficient force viii Be sent
to the island al once 70 take it and
hold ii.