The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-08-04
WAR NOTES.

Comm ander Davis with Dixie, Annap-
oils, Wasp and Gloucester left Guanica,
July 81, to blockade Ponce and capture
lighters for the United States army.
The city of Ponce and Playa surrender
ed to Commander Davis upon demand at
II 80 a. M, July 2S. The American flag
was hoisted at 9 a. M, the 2Sth. The
Spanish garrison evacuated.
Gen. Miles and Gen. Wilson arrived
at Ponce from Guanica with the Mass
achusetts and Cincinnati and transports
at GAO a. m. of the 18th, commenced
landing army in the captured sugar
lighters. There was no resistance. The
troops were welcomed by the inhabitants
and there was the greatest enthusiasm.
They captured 80 lighters, 20 sailing
vessels and 1870 tons of coal. Gen. Miles
issued proclamation to the people July
20 in which he said 1.-THE chief object of
the American military forces will be to
overthrow the armed authority of Spain
and give the people of your beautiful
island the largest measure of liberty
consistent with this military occupation.
They have not come to make war on the
people of the country, who for centuries
have been oppressed. But, on the con-
trary, they bring protection not only to
yourselves, but TO your prosperity and
bestow the immunities and blessing of
our enlightened and liberal institutions
and government. This is not war of
devastation and desolation, but one to
give all within the control of the mill.
tary and naval forces the advantages and
blessings of enlightened civilization"
The Red Cross relief steamer State of
Texas, commanded by Capt. Young,
arrived at quarantine, at noon Friday,
from Santiago. The State of Texas has
a crew of 80 men and brings Mrs. Porter,
wife of the Presidents private secretary,
who volunteered as Red Cross nurse,
Sister Blanche, one of the Red Cross
staff of nurses, and four Red Cross sur
geons, G. R. Ball, c. B. Long, Charles
Doherty and Fl. Lightstone.
The yellow fever epidemic among our
troops in Santiago is of mild type and
will probably not do much more damage
than the typhoid at Camp Alger. yell
low fever is disease which varies
widely from one epidemic to another,
being sometimes of astonishing malig
nancy and at others fairly innocuous.
Epidemics have been known where the
mortality was 33 per cent. among those
attacked and others where it was but
per cent. AID the present epidemic, SO
far as may be judged, hardly approaches
the last limit.
The cost of the war, in money and
lives, will be bagatelle compared to
what we shall save by getting hold of
the Cuban cities and cleaning them up.
One visit of the Cuba yellow fever to
New Orleans-in 1S78-cost thousands
of lives and money loss estimated at
5000, 100000. In spite of her own terri
BILE losses in men and money, spain has
never made the slightest effort to
remedy the frightful sanitary conditions
in Havana and Santiago.
Back from the coast of Cuba, battle
SCARED and powder stained and punct-
ured in spots, with her formidable guns
bristling in the sunlight and her crew
laughing and cheering like school boys
on a holiday trip, the United States
battleship Texas, Captain J. W. Phillip
in command, steamed slowly up the
lower bay from Sandy Hook, to New
York city. For brief period she re-
manned at anchor off Tomkinsville, to
receive the mail and dispatches and as
soon as these were got on board the
vessel proceeded slowly to her destina-
ton amid salvo of greetings from the
thousands of men, women and children
who crowded the decks of the boats
that were outward bound. Twenty-Five
sick sailors and marines were brought
back from the squadron by the Texas
and they were all transferred to the
naval hospital adjoining the navy yard.
None of them had been injured in bat
tie and in no case is there any fear of
fatal results. The Texas Is there for
repairs and to have her hull scraped.