Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-06-16
TWO DANGEROUS TRIPS.
American Army Otfcess Return from Tours
of Fortified Towns In Cuba and Porto
Rico.

Rico.
| New York, June 9.-Lieut. Henry
II. Whitney, Fourth artillery, who has
| twice penetrated into the very heart
| of Spanish territory, once in Cuba
| and lastly in Porto Rico, arrived here
Wednesday on the British steamer
Ardanrose, from Porto Rico. Through
him the war department will soon be
| in possession of important and accu-
| rate information concerning the mill
| tary strength and defenseS of the
| island.
The Porto Rican mission was un-
| dertaken under orders from the de-
| partment to travel through the most
| strongly fortified places and the head
quarters of military bodies and OBJ
| serve their strength and the prepara-
| tions the commanders had made to
resist occupation by the American
| troops.
Lieut.. Whitney made the journey
with great expedition. He found
| 5000 volunteer troops and 4,500 reg
ulars in and about Ponce. The sol
diers were sickly, however, and dis
| contented for lack of pay.
Food he found to be aIarmingly
scarce and that fact. combined with
| lllt -Ntiltl i'dIl S'htllli'ut pei tHt
| towns. inclined him to the belief that
| if United States troops did not invest
the island within a month the inhab-
| itants would turn upon the Spaniards
and drive them out.
Edwin Emerson, jr.. an attache of
the war department bureau of infor-
nation, arrived here yesterday on
| board the steamer Madiana, from ST.
Thomas. after having performed some
| hazardous service and undergoing
some thrilling experiences in Porto
Rico. Transforming his name into
Emerssohn, he procured n bogus Ger
man passport and went to San Juan,
oStensibly as a correspondent of the
Berlin Deutscher Ieitung. "At San
Juan" said Mr.. Emerson. they would
| not permit me to go through the fort
ficationS. nor would they allow me to
| make Il visit to the newspaper CORE
spondent. Halstead. who is held in
prison as a spy. | was permitted to
walk through the street, however.
''The war department need have
no fears of difficulty in taking San
Juan. whenever the attempt is made.
While | could not see that any great
damage was done by the lombard
ment in the city, the Notifications
are in such shape that they offer al
most no resistance.
II succeeded in penetrating to the
exact center of the island, to Il place
called Caguas, when my papers were
examined and the alcalde was not
altogether satisfied with their regu.
larity. | said that | had been EN-.
ployed as the overseer of sugar plan.
tation belonging to a German, situat.
l,+ -, l,,t I
promptly thrown in Jail. The alcalde
said he would have to communicate
with San Juan to find whether or not
l was all right.
Il was allowed a measure of liberty
and on May 23 | walked some distance
from the prison and found a number
of horses standing outside black
smith shop. The hostlers were taking
their MONDAY Siesta and | appropriate
ed the best horse ! could find and de-
camped. TO get to Ponce | must go
10 the west, but as that seemed dam
gerouS. | we:.t in an opposite direc-
ton. riding for two days and two
nights.
Il found the entire eastern end of
the island in the possession of the in
surgents. These insurgents welcomed
me and gave me sn escort to the
coast, where | found small schooner
at anchor. Though this schooner be-
longed to Spaniard, the captain was
prevailed upon to take me away. We
had lust lost sight of land. on May 2S,
when warship hove in sight that W.
took for an American. Our captain
was greatly excited and began to pray,
until | discovered that the stranger
flew the Spanish flag. 1t proved to be
the torpedo boat destroyer Terror.
''She steamed up alongside and an
officer was sent aboard. | was dressed
as a sailor and had taken position at
the masthead. After an examination
of the boat. the SpGniards left her and
we headed for Santa Cruz. There |
found number of newspaper corre-
spondentS and artists"