The Meeker herald., 1898-07-16
EVERYTHING READY.
Capture of santiago seems Certain-Con-
ditions In tho city.

Capture of santiago Seems Certain-Con-
siitiOns in tho city.
| New York. July 10.-A dispatch to
| the Herald says: The armistice which
| ended to-day nt noon, has been pro-
lonced on account Of General LinareS'
propostion to evncuate Santiago and
| withdraw with his troops to IIolquin.
| This pI~posal has been communicated
| TO Washington for the Administrations
| opinion concerning 1t. 1t is the de-
cided desire OF n majority Of the Amer.
leans to take the city on any honorable
| conditions and turn 1t over to mixed
garrison OF American and Cuban sol
diers. and then to move at once OH
Porto Rico. Others are so sure that
the enemy cannot hold their rifle pits
under the fire our lines could pour in
TO them that they wish to take the city
by assault On the other hand, IL it
is taken and the garrison surrenders,
the care OF 10000 prisoners would be q
serious problem. To guard and proper
ly sustain these prisoners would re-
quire the services OF men who are
needed elsewhere.
Our lines are in the shape of a horse
shoe. five miles In length. 1t is impos-
sible to believe that any force could
live under the fire that could come
from the American lines. Since the
first day of July the appearance of
the hills about Santiago have been so
altered that n native would not recog-
niZe them. When l first climbed them
there was nothing in the high waving
grass but dead Spaniards and painting
American soldiers lying on their
backs, too hot and tired to pursue the
enemy further Now this side of the
hills is a succession OF bomb-proOf
rifle pits trenches and redoubts, that
look like the openings of many mines.
They threaten every foot of the ground
between us and Santiago, and no army
could live under the American fire
three hours.
General Shafter has visited the rifle
pits and has been studying the situa-
ton from the front.
When Admiral SIMPSONS feet
steams into Santiago harbor the Amer
leans will find several good prizes
among the vessels now lying in the in
ner harbor.
1t has been decided to remove the
American hospital from the coast into
the mountains. An isolated point has
been selected and the hospital corps
there will be able to make all the sick
There are now 1000 men In the hos
pital, nearly half of the patients suf-
fering from mountain fever. An un-
easy feeling pervades the medical de-
partment. as there Is need of supplies
of all kinds.
From French refugee learn that
the Spanlards have already begun to
loot the city. He said that the Spanish
officers had permitted the soldiers to
break into houses vacated by the refu-
gees on the pretense Of searching for
food, but In reality to smash everything
not Of use to them and to take what
ever of value was found. The refu-
gees complain that they were allowed
to take very little with them when they
were forced to leave the city and seek
refuge In the American lines. The road
from Santiago to the coast is still lined
with unfortunate women carrying their
children and big bundles of goods
Tugging at their dresses are hundreds
Of tots overloaded with little treasures
and childish trinkcts. l saw several
youngsters carrying live pigs and one
boy was trying to make the best of
the situation by holding tenaciously to
bleating kid he had In his arms.
Many Of the children among the refu-
gees are sickly. 1t is common sight
to see refined women sitting by the
roadside weeping and begging for
food, wearing all their finery and max
ing desperate attempts to maintain
their dignity in distressing circum-
stances.
|