The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-15

rifles In the hands of the enemy. The hills
around the bay echoed and re-echoed with
the ripping crash Of exploding shells which
fell in the hollow where for thlrty.six
hours the Spanish rifiemen had lodged and
made life a hell for the marines who es.
capped their bullets. 1t was the Spaniards
concealed in this hollow who mutllated in
the most horrible manner the bodies of the
three Americans they succeeded in killing
there.
The original camp was on q knoll near
the shore Of the bay. Ordinarily such a To-
cation, II the occupants rave field pieces, Ia
an ideal one; but the brush 10 SO thick near
the camp and other hills and mountains are
so near it that the camp was a fine target for
the enemy sneaking in the grass. The men
saw the danger to which they were ex-
posed, but they found no fault. They were
determined to hold the position as long as
their officers wanted them to, but before
the day was very old some of the officers
were quite ready to say hat the site was
u%ntenable and hat 1t should DO abandoned.
This conclusion was reached after the Mar
blehead had shelled the entire %neighbor-
hood. The cruiser was assisted in the
Panther and the AbArenda.
The strain on the men ever since they
landed had been great, and they were 30
tagged out that they were unable to stand
their watches, but not a single word could
be heard expressive Of any desire to leave.
After it had been decided that the camp
should be moved Commander McCalla of
the Marblehend and Capt. Philip of the
Texas landed some of their bluejackets and
sixty Cuban insurgents to help out the
tired men. Their assistance was very valu-
able.
The spirits of the men, despite their
rough experience, were in no wise daunted.
and as the folds of the flag foated out
on the breeze the marines saluted with
cheers, which were echoed by tho men on
the Marblehead, Texas, Panther, and the
two GOLFERS, and with whistles from THE
Suns despatch boat and another oat in
the bay. The men now declare that they
are ready to remain here forever.
The experiences Of the marines on Satur-
day night and early OF Sunday morning
were repeated all day to-day. Before the
camp was moved, every now and then,
figures of the enemy could be seen in the
brush on one side or the ether of the camp.
A ceaseless fire was kept up by the marines
in all directions whenever a suspicious OBJ
ject was seen to move in the underground.
Six field pieces belonging to the battalion
were dragged to the hill and put in
action, and upon the arrival of the
Texas, at 10 o'clock Sunday morning,
two Colt automatic guns were sent ashore
to assist in holding the camp. The sight Of
these weapons was q most welcome one to
the men, and 1t was not long before their
continuous firing was added to the din.
Back and forth across the chaparral to the
west of the camp, on the hill, the gun were
kept sweeping, until it was almost certain
that no living thing could be concealed
within the thick meshes of the bush.
Then a long file of men was marched
down the hill from its crown to the west,
ern edge of the bluff overlooking the en-
trance of the harbor. Spreading out they
beat to the southwark, as though driving
wild beasts in the jungle, pushing any Of
the enemy that might still be concealed il
the brush back into a ~ravine, from which
they could escape into the high hills to the
south. Not a man was seen, however
though occasionally shots came singing IL
close proximity to the Americans.
Having accomplished this task of driving
the Spaniards to a distance from the camp
an attempt was made to set fire to thu
underground in order to destroy the hiding
places of the enemy. The tangled masses
of bushes, young trees and high grass wer'
wet and the attempt was unsuccessful
One fire smouldered for a few yards anc
then died out.
j, While this was being don a humble
of Spaniards appeared in the brusl
across the lagoon, on the east sid
of the camp, and began pepperini
away. Their shots were aimed too high
however, some of their bullets flynn
clear out into the bay and landing upol
the deck of the Texas. The howitzers O
the battleship were trained on the brush
and soon drove the Spaniards out. The
reappeared in the ravine south of the cam
and continued their firing. And so it went
In a few minutes they were back in tn
, chaparral on the west side.