Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-20
AT SANTIAGO
Spanish Population Does Not Take Its Plight
Much TO Heart
STORES ARE NOW ALL OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Trade Not Very Brisk for the Reason
Il Merchants Have Very Little to
scIl-Mnny who Fled Have
Not Yet Returned.


Copyright, 1898, by Associated Press)
SANTIAGO HARBOR, July lS.-(Via
Kingston, jamaica, July 19.)-Santiago is
now a city Of silence. The American
flag waves over the military quarters on
Morro's Flagstaff and Red Cross emblems
are as plentiful as church spires. Almost
the entire population this afternoon is gath
cred about the wharves, whore the Spanish
shipping, now prizes of the United States,
will soon be augmented by a large fleet of
transports flying the American colors. Some
stores, mostly for the sale Of liquor or
drugs, are open, but their patrons are few.
Beggars are in evidence, of the same i'm
Fortunate sort which make Havana un-
pleasant for foreigners. Now and then a
man or woman of the better class beg the
correspondents for milk for my little one,
in the name of God"
At the dock, where the Red Cross steamer
State of Texas is unloading and preparing
for a long stay, a guard from the Ninth
infantry has been mounted, but the
soldiers have had little trouble
| except from the inroads by
bad boys indigenous to seaport
cities. There is no evidence of gloom on the
faces Of the Spanish men and women. These
mercurlal people are already laughing and
are pleased at the military and naval show,
and at the prospect of getting food other
than rice and salt meats. Nearly all the
better class Of houses are closed. The resi-
dents evidently have not yet returned from
Ell Caney and other suburban places to
which they fed on the threat of lombard
ment by the land and sea forces Of the
United States.
Filth is noticeable everywhere, and,
strange to say, the city Is healthy in spite
of It. But If Santiago is to continue healthy,
much sanitary work is necessary. Arrange
ments, therefore, are now under way to
remove the most dangerous features and to
improve those which tend to purify the
city.
The harbor of Santiago de Cuba is a very
beautiful place, with it's high ramparts of
mountains, groves of cocoa palms, banana
trees and towering shrubs pushing down to
the very brink Of the bay. The channel is
t~ortuous and marked by bright blue and
white buoys, or more clearly defined In
places by long booms of logs marking the
entrance of shallow bays and inlets. Old
churches. forts and bastions share the prom
o%ntories with light, wooden houses for
the summer uses of the upper classes.
The harbor was the scene of a beautiful
marine pageant this afternoon. The score
or more of American transports, the wa!
being pointed out by the Suwanee, glidet
majestically to the quiet anchorage, some
thing they had not enjoyed for weeks, being
compelled instead to stand out 10 sea q
night to be tossed about by the waves. o
to use the precarious holding grounds oil
Baiquiri. They were fine boats, many o
them being among the largest specimens o
the American merchant marine. Nearly al
bedecked with flags they steamed in, ex
tending over a mile of water. The dispatch
boat of the Associated Press saluted eacI
OF the transports with blasts from the sire
of the Almirante Oquendo, taken from tina
ship some days ago and put in place by tn
; enthusiastic crew of the dispatch boat. Tn
, salutes were returned not only from tn
. whistles of the transports, but by the cheer
1 of the men on board of them. who had lon
/, looked forward to this feature of the cam
paign.
8 How soon the Spanish troops will b
| loaded on these transports for shipment t
= the homes many of them have not seen &c
three years or more cannot be announce
s at present, but it is understood the della
will be as short as possible.
: The big government tug Potomac arrive
: here today from New Orleans. 1t is Pre-
' vided with modern appliances for wreckini
and with the other vessels sent here for tt
a same purpose, will secure all it is possib'
= to secure from the ships which forme
Admiral Cervera's squadron.
The long bridge at Aguadores on the raj
y road connecting Sagua with Santiago hi
% been replaced in a temporary fashion |
American soldiers. The work was con
pleted today, and as soon as possible IL
military authorities will use the railros
d to transport from the seaboard the store
d horses, munitions, etc, which were VI
q loaded at Sibouey before the surrender
y Santiago.