The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-25
GLAMOUR OF WAR.
Picturesque Scene in Guam
tanamo Bay--A Huge
Argosy.

Correspondence of The Associated Press.)
GUANTANAMO HARBOR. Playa del
Este, Sunday evening July II, 1s9S.-There
is one locality on this Southern coast to
which the heart of the American cor
respondent will always turn In fond re-
membrance. Guantanamo Bay is lacking
somewhat In the scenic features which
make Santiago harbor SO noteworthy. But
if not so picturesque, it is far easier to
reach, much more capacious, fully as we'll
sheltered and AFFORDS much more desir-
able holding ground Many poor fellow
whose stomach has absolutely refused to
become accustomed to the ceaseless
swing of caribbean waves. will recall how
his appetite returned with the splash Of
the mud hook, and his mental process
es resumed their accuracy with his re-
newed digestion.
To the comfort of this lnarbor, this even
ing, is added a spectacle This is none
too large word since the feet of the
United States herein gathered could not
be equalled in the Western Hemisphere
and embraces the most formidable ships
which fly our flag. Here you can see
every battleship in our navy Here, too,
are the Newark Marbehead and Column
b7a-an object of much interest from its
four stacks and its 23-knot record-the big
auxiliary cruiser Yale and a tiny French
frigate, while torpedo boats, gunboats,
Golfers, transports and despatch boats
galore, make even this ample harbor seem
well occupied.
AS night fell and the Southern Cross
shone out low on the southern horizon,
the electric lights on the huge battle
ships cleaned through the portfolios from
stem to stern. Now and again a bugle
call from the camp of the marines on
the hill or from the deck Of a man-of-
war was echoed from Fishermanis Point,
which guards the eastern entrance. Then
the men had an hour of bathing in the
clear water where six fathoms seem six
feet
To add the comfort of sound to that Of
scene and rest, the band of the Oregon
commenced to play, softly at first, then
in more swelling measure. and, although
the tune chosen was the well known
washington Post March," never did
music sound more sweetly and to the
minds of the listeners it brought thoughts
of the home coming and the march
through troops of friends.
Fer an hour the band played, each pa
trictic selection bringing an echo OF
cheers from forecaStle and quarterback,
and then a silence fell through which, at
raine O'Clock (tWo bels), stole that sweet
est yet saddest Of % military and maya, @ gu pu-
and the harbor is left to the nomadic
shark and the fussy steam-laGneh- A
peaceful scene truly and none the Jess SO
that its more notable human aecomDanl-
ments are those which make for norrid
war.
The correspondent was informed tonight
that this morning the Spaniards at and
near Caimanera fired on one of the said
launches, which, with its com paal7ns,
constantly patrols the entrance to the
lower bay. This hostile act was some
thing of a surprise, because the troops
under Perez had been informed by that
leader the day before, that Santiago was
to surrender formally at noon today, and
that he and his troops were Included in
those who must lay down their arms and
return TO SPAIN.
To grim famine in Guantanamo City
and its enyirons is added the rayages of
yellow fever. which seems to be much
more virulent in type than it is further
westward. Deaths from yellow jack
official and from Perez himself. Withal,
events alone can prove whether these
soldiers will consent to surrender as a
body without more burning of gunpoWder
strict military quarantine is observed
here and Commander McCalla of the
Marblehead is Infinitely more strict than
any health officer the States can boast.
General Miles. who came here on the
Yale this evening. was not allowed to
land until he had shown medical cerr-
tificate to the effect that Immediately af-
ter his visit to the Santiago Army his
person and his apparel had been relent-
lessly fumigated. The General of the
Army has gone so far as to sacrifice his
mustache to the exigencies of the occa-
sion. Whatever the deprivation may do
for his health it has certainly so changed
his appearance as to make him almost
unrecognizable until YOU come within
speaking distance of him.
The traons of the Yale are. of course,
heartily sick of the enforced seclusion
which their vessel grants, but are all the
more healthy for being kept afloat and so
much the more likely to be effective at
Porto Rico. Troops will be held also on
the cruiser Columbia and the old Spanish
prize fnow converted into a United States
transport, Rita. The latter has the yell
low flag on her fore topmast, but this only
means that some one on board landed at
Sboney. and that there is one case of ty-
phoid on the sick report.