Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-20

None Of the Modern Means of Rendering
Cities Healthful and Habitable Are in
Vogue-Surface Drainage Only-Ripe
For an Epidemic.

try could ever have got through
this defense, and General Skaters
remark about its resisting power
found the first gratifying echo in
the defeated generals heart.
Further along the desperate char
acter of the Spanish residence, as
planned, amazed our officers. AL
though primitive, 1t was we'll done.
Each approach to the city was
thrice barricaded and wired and
the barbados were high enough
and sufficiently strong to withstand
Shrapnel.
The slaughter among our troops
would have been frightful had it
ever become necessary to storm the
city.
Around the hospitals and public
building and along the west side Of
the line there were additional
WOl ho duu lOi
though no guns were mounted in
them.
The streets of Santiago are
crooked, narrow lines of one story
houses, most of which are very di-
lapidated. But every veranda of
every house was thronged by its
curious inhabitants and disarmed
soldiers. These were mostly Of the
lower classes.
Few expression of any kind were
heard along the route. Here and
there was a shout for free Cuba
from some Cuban sympathizer, but
as a rule there were only low NUT
terings.
The better class of Spaniards re-
NAMED indoors or satisfied their
curiosity from drawn blinds.
Several Spanish ladies in tumble
down carriages averted their faces
as we passed.
The soualor in the streets was
frightful. The bones of dead horses
and other animals were bleaching
in the streets and buzzards, tame
as sparrows, hoped aside to let
us pass.
The windows of the hospitals, in
which there are over 1900 sick
men, were crowded with invalids
who dragged themselves there to
witness our incoming. In one
square, a relic of an old merry-go-
round told Of happier days, but on
every side there were evidences Of
the pitiless siege and of starva-
The palace was reached soon af-
ter 10 o'clock. There Gen. Toral
introduced Gen. Shafter and the
other American generals to the
alcade, Senior Forer, and to the
chief of police, Senior Guiltillerroz,
as we'll as to the other municipal
authorities.
Luncheon was then served at the
palace. The meal consisted mainly of
rum, wine, coffee, rice and toasted
cake. This scant fare occasioned
many apologies from the Spaniards,
but it spoke eloquently of their heroic
resistance. The fruit supply of the
city was absolutely exhausted and the
Spaniards has nothing TO live on ex-
.cept rice on which the soldiers in the
trenches have subsisted for the last
twelve days. In addition, the water
supply of the city had been cut off
for the last few days.
Since the refugees left Santiago and
the surrender of the city was seen to
be inevitable, a reign of terror had ex-
listed. The city business was stopped,
the stores were closed and the troops
were seemingly allowed license to sack
and plumber at will
AT noon, after the American flag had
been raised Gen. Shafter turned the
city over to Gen. McKibben, who, with
the Ninth infantry, viii enforce order
in conjunction with the civil authori-
ties.
The Spanish soldiers are encamped
between the lines on the reverse slope
OF the hill on which are our entrench-
ments.
Many Of them believe as they have
been told, that the United States has
purchased the island of Cuba and that
our government will pay them their
arrears of pay and return them TO
Spain They repudiate the idea that
they have surrendered