Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-03
NO SIGN OF THE ENEMY
Spaniards Retreat to Aibonito, Where They
Nay Make a Stand.
Cruiser Columbia Floated on the
Reef-Occupation of Adtuntas-out-
post Now at Coamo.
Copyright. 1898, by the Associated Press)

Copyright. 1885, by the Associated Press9
PONCE, August /, pm. (via st. Thorn
as u. w. l., August 2).-An outpost of the
American army has now halted at Coamo,
about two-tbirds of the way to Aibonito,
on the road to San Juan. Col. Hulings, ad-
vancing this morning, met detail sent
cut to reconnoiter, which reported that
there was no sign of the enemy. The lat
ter, it was said. had retreated to Aiborito,
where he would make a stand.
A delegation of the citizens of Coamo
came out and Col. Hulings was rendered
the freedom of the city AS an American
soldier.
The citizens reported that the Spanish
had carried away all the money that was
not secreted. The stories Of Spanish bar
barities have been greatly exaggera ted.
There Is no authentic case of destruction
OF private property or outrage upon wo-
men.
Gen. Otega is still at Aibontto, with prob
ably thousand Spanish regulars. Gen.
Stone with n small force, went this after
neon to Adjuntas, where Spanish outrages
we're reported on Saturday. He will &C.
cupy the town, proclaim American rule,
establish communication with the sur
rounding country. and push across the Ar
ceibo on the north coast.
Gen. Garretson's brigade arrived this af
ternoon from Yauco. eighteen miles dis
tant. The brigade consists of the 9th Mas
sachusetts, the 9Th Illinois, four batteries
of the regular artillery and the battalion of
regulars. Its arrival was loudly cheered
by the citizens of Ponce.
The protected cruiser Columbia, which
went ashore uncha-ted reef while
entering the lIarbor CT Ponce, has been
floated Off without injury.
Miles Not In a Hurry.
The arrival of Gen. Brooke, with the
troops on board the auxiliary cruiser ST.
hi<rI,J, fFx-;,,
who says that positively nothing is to be
done prem Gturely.
Mr.. Hanna is busy in assisting to adjust
local conditions to the new state of affairs.
He is endeavoring to establish American
post Offices in all the important cetters of
the occupied territory, and he has had fire.
quent interviews with merchants and
bankers on the question of the money pre-
MUM, an awkward question that is giving
the American and local fnanciers much
trouble.
The situation briefly In this respect is
that prior to the American occupation the
premium on American and English gold
over Porto Rico silver has been from sl.20
to $1.I5. The Spaniards, on leaving, took
away all the money they could find, and
this resulted in an abnormal scarcity,
crippiag the merchants, who must pay i'm
port duties in Porto Rican coins The pre-
MUM fell quickly to 100 and is now down
to so. The serious question is as to the in
trinsic value of native coin, which IS adul-
terated with nickel
Today the merchants proposed to M.
Hanna to agree to pay a premium of 100,
provided import duties goods from the
United States were removed. They also
offered to buy everything from the United
States.
Spanish Volunteers Surrender.
A private dispatch to Madrid from San
Juan de Porto Rico. dated August 2, says
that 1900 volunteers have surrendered to