Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-07-07
DISCUSSING cAPlruLArioN.


DISCUSSING CAPlTULATiON.
People of Santiago, hacked by Foreign
Consuis, Urge Surrender but Linnres
To-. K-ssts.
New York, June 5.-A special from
before Santiago to the Herald. says:
General Shatter was to have COM
mcnced the bombardmcnt of Santiago
ut 10 o'clock this morning. unless Gen
eral Tornl, the acting Spanish COM
mnnter. who had twice refused the
American generals demand. should
change his mind and yield to the In
evitablc.
General Shaftcr ut noon yesterday,
In consequence OF instructions received
from Washington. sent Captain DOrst
to the city with Il flag of truce. The
captain carried n letter TO General Tor
nj. formally asking him to surrender.
While this was being done, and while
the Americans We're waiting for the re-
ply of the enemy. there was to have
been mn armistice.
II was five hours before oi,hcr COM
mnnder could get his men to stop mr.
ing. and during that time the chief ptlr-
pose for which the agreement to the
cessation of hostilitlcs was intended
the bringing In of the wounded-had
to he abandoned. Both Spanish and
United States troops were scattered III
long lines through the chnparral. and
all the morning the outposts In trench
es had been shooting Mt each other In
cessantly. SO that stopping them was n
matter of great difficulty.
General Toral. In the afternoon re-
piled to General Shafter. He absolute
ly refused to surrender.
Then the foreign consuls In Santiago
interfered. They had n conference to
decide what to do. Meanwhile. Gen
eral Shafter sent another message to
the city. declaring that unless 1t had
been surrendered to him by 10 o'clock
this morning. hostillties would he re-
sumcd mt that hour. Again the Span
ish commander sent back refusal.
The consuls united In Il demand that
there be u cessation of hostilities until
the lives of the 10000 foreigners In the
city should he removed from danger. 1t
was their Intention TO take these peo-
pie out and put them under the pro-
lection of the United States. The
American commander declined to com
ply with this demand, and told the con-
suls that they should insist on the sur
render of the city. The consuls had
another conference and decided to act
on this advice.
Formal demand has now been served
by the consuls. and they ne awaiting
the reply of the Spnniards.
The hospitals In the American lines
are crowded. but the troops are now
well supplied with food.
The ammunition for the Hotchkiss
guns has given out and there Is no
means of transporting more to the
front.
Admiral Sampson last night was
completing the plans for taking his
fleet into Santiago harbor to-day.
1t is reported that. besides the Span
ish ships already reported destroyed,
the converted yacht Hist sank Span
ish gunboat that came out of the hnr-
Dor after Cervera.
The captain of the Almirante Oquen-
do committed suicide after the loss of
his vessel. This gave rise to the re-
port that Admiral Cervera had killed
himself.
Another oS the Spanish leaders. Cen
eral Pando. has fallen in battle. but
his troops. numbering 1000. have sue
ceeded in getting into the city of Santi-
ago.
General Pando was carried along
with the troops. and now is being cared
for on the dismantled Spanish cruiser
Reina Mercedes, which is lying In San
tiago harbor and is used as n hospital
ship.
My Information is that the Cubans
under Garcia, in their efforts to inter-
cept Pando's army, made stubborn
fight. They We're no match for the
1000 trained soldiers under the Span
ish general, although they checked the
enemy's progress for time.
General Linares threatens to burn
Santiago rather than surrender.
The Spanish troops in Santiago had
been greatly reduced in numbers just
prior to the arrival of General Pando's
reinforcements.
Refugees declare that General Lin
ares had only 1000 regulars and 200
volunteers left with which to defend
the city.
Flour is not obtainable in Santiago.
beef costs S1.40 Il pound, rice 80 cents
a pound and lard 81 bottle. The
refugees say they saw many persons
lying on the plazas in Santiago dying
of starvation.
Spanisrds were Humbuggrd.