The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-12
FIGHT OF Ell CANEY.
Our Troops Drove Spanish From
Their Trenches. sa
Honore Laine Finds the Bodies of
General vara del Rey and His Aids.

shler or the New York journal, de
scribes the second days fight at El Ca
ney, near Santiago. as follows:
The fierce struggle 10 drive the Span
iards from the last intrenchments around
Santiago continued oil day, but with
far less fury and much smaller loss OF
life than on Friday. In my dispatch OF
last night / told Of the guidance which,
The Journal correspondent, Honore
Laine, had given to me to Cmey. From
there Laine pitched into the heart of the
firing line. Tonight he returned here
with his handsome face aglow with en-
thusiasm. Among tho dead and wound
ed on the battlefield he had found, by
tho index finger of Spanish prisoner.
the body Of the general who had COM
manded the forces of tho enemy about
Caney on the day before.
Amid the tall weeds and wire grass
Laine had found the dead bodies of Cen
erai Vara del Rey; his brother, near by.
desperately wounded; two of his three
aids and two other officers dead beside
him, and even their horses and mules
Killed In the same deadly hail. They
wero close to high cactus fence. be.
hind which they were evidently seeking
shelter when caught by yolley from
the American line. Abandoned ON the
Heidi cried Laine triumphantly. "De.
serted BY his men of the crack Battalion
Constitucion!' he added with fine scorn.
Laine was unaffectedly happy as he
held up to our gaze valuable papers
which he had himself taken from the
pockets OF the Spanish commander.
They told OF the Spanish Notifications
troops and plans, and were turned over
70 General Garcia The originals will
be saved for The Journal. Laine beam
cd the joy that no felt as he tapped his
camera and exclaimed, II have here a
photograph of him just as the vultures
were flying from his body"
Laine is daring correspondent. al
ways alert to the demands of his news
paper, but before that--before eyery
other considcration-he is Cuban sol.
dlT. Of massive frame and classical
face, he is q typo to command admira- |
tion everywhere, but in the saddle, girt
with the trappings of trooper, the
barrel OF his rife catching the rays Of |
.ne SOFT Cuban moon, he seems to have
but ridden directly from the pages of |
Scott or Stevenson.
Laino laves war-he is unhampered |
by dreams Of home comfort or release
from the desperate hardships which our
troops have encountered in this rain
'odden, fever stricken Jungle of south
Cuba. Iaine has done nothing else
han mako war for SO many months that
{ is his normal existence. He revels in
Us barbarities and extracts genuine
,ieasure from the most trying hard
hlps 1t enforces As he reported on the
OF Creelman and asked for
Jews from Edward Marshall's cotside.
10 spoke OF joining the column of Gar.
IA IN their march to cut off Pando's
olumn and with an equanimity that
eid no thought Of danger for himself.
Laine bad much to tell. He had rid
en over all of the battlefield about Ca.
ey. In addition to finding the BODY of
ieneral Vera del Rey he had learned
rom the Spanish prisoners that Com.
lander Romero of tho famous Civil
Iuard OF Spain was desperately wound.
1. He had seen the boys of the Seven
'.irst New York discover and fairly
ddle sharpshooter perched high in
'reading mango tree. He had witnessed
le firing OF Spanish guerrillas ON Shat
RS headquarters early in the day, and
dusk had reported to Shafter the
'afh OF General Vera del Rev. These
ings he told in matter of fact fashion.
1T when next he spoke his eyes lighted .
ith intense interest II
In tho blockhouse where WIS with 9
u yesterday, " he said, tive found this !
orning few Spnniards. They wero
piping away, doing some damage and !
wing much trouble. / found Spanish
isoner and told him to go to the block
use and tell those inside that the
nericans were about to fire a dyna. =
te gun at them and they had best :
rrender. Forty of them came out, and !,
Americans kindly turned them over d
me for the Cubans.' /,
His eyes flashed. "And what did Won a
with them;" Ho shifted contemptu. q
sly, 1--WE cut their heads off of IN
irsc. +" And yet behind this amour Of c,
,geance, bred III the bone by a century
suffering, the Cuban is tender and
itle. One seldom finds man Of more
ierous aud gracious impulses than .,
$ same Lainc. His hour has come. r,
he Is lost in the almost savage en- IL
ment Of it. ~
The fighting today has been rather al
Our forces are securing III
msolvcs moro firi9ly ia their in. or
ichmcnts. The boom CT big field. at
res in the Spanish lines emphasizes IN
W our weakness in artillery. co
Tut our troops have received their IN
;iEm of fire, ard no army of Span.
Is can dislodgc them from the ground
have won on stay their steady