New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-16
MORE SPANISH PRISONERS.
HARVARD ARRIVES WITH OVER A THOU
SAND AT PORTSMOUTH.
.xprors ILLNESS AMONG THE MEN WHO WE'RE
MAINLY LABoRERs. WITH SOME SOL
DIERs-TEN HAVE DIED FROM
MALARIAL FEVER.


Portsmouth, y. H.. July 15.-The United States
auxiliary cruiser Harvard. in command OF Cap
tain Charles F Cotton. from Santiago dc CUBA
having on board zoos Spanish prisoners ar
lived in Portsmouth Harbor and dropped
cnor about three miles from the centre OF the
c,tv at $50 o'clock this morning. The port
nhyscian boarded the vessel and in company
with the Spanish doctor made an inspection.
His visit disclosed the fact that nearly half
n, those on board are III. Six Spaniards died
m the massage from Santiago TO Portsmouth
another death occurred this forenoon after the
cruiser reached this port, and three more also
died last night There were forty serious cases
IN the sick bay. and forty equally as bad in
other portions Of the ship
All these patients are said TO be victims Of
rnalarial fever. with which disease also those
who died were affected. These facts have been
reported 10 the authorities at the navy yard
and the four physicians there will make fur
Their inspection of the vessel and determine
whether or not she shall be sent to quarantine.
Owing 10 these conditions nothing has been
done in the line Of preparations for landing the
troops The trip from Santiago north was with
out unusual incident aside from the sickness
and death referred 10.
PRISONERS FROM SPANISH TROOPS.
The Harvard left Santiago on Sunday at 4
. H. and made fair progress. For some time
before that she had been receiving pris-
oners as they were sent 10 the rear by the land
forces Of the United States. There was an i'm
preston here that the Harvard was bringing
more Of the Spaniards captured In the battle IN
which the fleet Of Admiral Cervera was de-
stroyed some seven hundred Of whom now
prisoners on Seavey's Island. having been landed
there from the cruiser st Louis.
II was learned soon after the Harvard reached
here that this not the case. but that nearly
all those who arrived this morning were capt
ured in skirmishes which occurred soon after
the American troops landed in Cuba. and con-
tinued as they advanced toward Santiago.
Some Of them were the remnant OF the force
upon which the Rough Riders charged. with
such terrible destruction to both sides. on their
march from Siboney. but the majority were
laborers and other attaches Of the Spanish
troops who were engaged in the construction
Of the trenches and other works Of defence be-
fore Santiago.
They were a sorry looking lot, even those who
were not Ill. as from the deck OF tug
alongside to-day. and were in far worse con-
dition than those who came on Sunday. While
Admiral Cerveras men showed many signs OF
privation those seen to-day were tattered and
unkempt Their clothing was torn and stained
with blood and mud. while In physical appear
ance there seemed TO be hardly a man able 10
care for himself and II was easy TO believe the
physicians word that half OF the 1.OOo were
ailng.
THE TROUBLE ON BOARD THE HARVARD
1t was impossible for outsider to get into
closer communication with the Spaniards than
could be accomplished from the tug which took
DR.. F S Towe. the port physician down &c
the cruiser DR.. Towle was the only one per-
mitted to go board the Harvard. Dr. David
c Lewis L S N Of the Harvard. received DR..
Towle on board the cruiser. and the informal
examination begun al once. Meanwhile
rome OF tho Spanards and those board the
tug were engaged in a necessarily limited ex-
animation Of each other. There seemed 10 ne
come lack OF confidence on the part or each. but
4; did not last long. and from one or two OF the
prisoners who possessed small stock OF Eng
lsh an attempt was made to gain some in
formation about the condition OF those on board
and their experiences before and since ieaVihe
Cuba.
TIE effort almost total failure owing
however not more TO the ignorance or the
spaniards than TO their apparently suilen dls-
position Inquirers learned practically nothlnS
OF the incidents OF the voyage. nor from the
Spaniards at least, Of the trouble which be-
CURED among the prisoners on board the mar
ward in which the crew Of the vessel were COM
PEELED 20 fire on the captives with fatal eject
Later however brief interview was OBJ
q
Il was as much as his head was worth TO men
ton the incident but he stated that the span
iards were so ugly that the ofiicers iearcu
trouble II came the first evening AFTER they
all had arrived on board. They were at mess
under the usual guard The officers OF the ship
were all forward at the time The cause OF the
trouble did not appear. but without warning
the Spaniards made a rush on the guard.
The officer in command. without hesitauhs an
instant gave the command TO fire. Nearly
score Of the rioters fell. six OF them having peeA
Ill oil and 81
them so seriously that death as likely to FOLLOW.
The volley was effective and the prisoners we're
soon subtued. They made no further trouble
SERIOUS CONDITION OF THE MEN
Doctors Towle and Lewis spent about half ar
hour in an inspection Of the Harvard this
forenoon Then they left the Harvard. an1 on
the tug proceeded direct 70 the navy yard
where a report made 10 Admiral Carpenter.
DR. Lewis stated that Of the 1.T)s prisoners
only one was a line COM
frander Juan B. Amor. AS TO the physical con-
ditions. the report OF DR.. Lewis indicated
prevalence OF disease which was CONSIDERED
alarming. , ~
The fact that seven deaths had occurred. one
being no more remote than to-day, while three
other probably fatal cases were on poaro, anu
that eighty men were seriously i'll, were noted.
and il was decided TO send the yard phySIc'oHo
10 make a systematic and thorough inspecuoh
Of the vessel at once Dr. Lewis stated that ne
thought the disease was nothing worse tHaN
malarial fever which had proved unusually
severe on account OF the exposure and prNa-
ton TO which the men had been subjected In
the campaign.
IL was learned that those who had constructed
and occupied the trenches in front OF Santlaso
had suffered most severely. Although accI-
mated the unusual labor and lack OF 1000
caused a condition readily susceptible 10 inc
ralarial conditions resulting from the drench-
ing rains and sleeping In water soaked excava-
tons Captain Cotton Of the Harvard, during
Or Towles visit this forenoon, spoke or tne
condition Of the Spaniards when they cam
aboard the vessel at Santiago. He said they
were half starved and wholly exhausted. ana
as nearly dead could be and sun move.
Others who the prisoners at that tine
agreed that II almost beyond behef that
in such state could continue 10 exist
g nucklY as nossihle u view OF the eNldenCc,