New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-21
DIRECT NEWS FROM SAN JUAN
PASSENGERS ON THE ARKADIA TELL OF
THE SMELLING OF THE FORTS.


SON DID NOT INTEND TO lombard THE
CITY. BUT ENTERED THE HARRoR IN
SEARCH OF THE SPANISH FLEET
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED
The steamer Arkadia arrived yesterday from San
Juan. Porto Rico bringing the latest direct news
from that place since the Smelling OF the forts there
| by Admiral Sampson. The Arkadia belongs 10 the
| NewYor and Porto Rico Steamship Company, OF
which line Miller. Bull & Knowlton the New
/ York agents. The steamer arrived at San Juan on
Saturday. May IA. or two days after the fight. She
/ only remained In the port a few hours and then
| proceeded direct to New-York
Captain Lloyd OF the steamer the only person
on the vessel who went ashore at San Juan. and he
reports that there from fifteen to twenty
Spaniards killed during the battle and AZ least sixty
wounded on the same day that the vessel entered
the harbor the ArkadIa reports that Spanish fleet
consisting OF one batte-shp, three cruisers and
four torpedo boats or destroyers also several sup
ply ships arrived at Aqun Bay. San Domingo.
Among the passengers who arrived here on the
Arkadia were A. V. Drake secretary OF the American
Consulate at MayaQuez Porto Rico: William Cantrell
electrician at Ponce and Nicola Megjinor. a Rus
sian by birth. but now American citizen. These
passengers boarded the Arkadia at the different
ports she stopped at before arriving at San Juan
While none OF them went ashore at San Juan. they
received full information Of the battle from the
agent OF the line, who boarded the vessel while she
in port.
MARKS OF THE SHOT ON THE FORTS.
Mr.. Drake. wao had an extended conversation
with tho agent OF the line. gave the following ac-
count OF what the agent told him. as well as what
he observed from the ship He said
We reached San Juan at p m. on Saturday
May "A, and remained there until p m. When we
entered the harbor the Spanish cruiser lsaoel II
and the gunboat Concho were IN the haroor; W men
We entered tho harbor We passed within 400 YARDS
OF MORO Castle; The outer walls OF the Tort showed
bet ween 80 and 100 marks OF shots fired by the
American vessels Four OF these marks were evil
gun on the lower battlement OF the fort had been
dismounted. either by AN American smell or py us
While none OF us went ashore we did have a
Ions talk with the American agent OF the steamer
said that the nrs, shooting began at $50 a M and
the battle continued until o'clock In me morning
Dor and close 10 the guns o, MORO that
they could be trained on her. and the men IN
the fort compelled 10 use their muskets rms
v~s-el was supposed 10 the Iowa, Later the moni-
heavy airing She was 40 low In The water ina,
her deck Was awash. and the Spaniards returned
ne IRE ana saw ,na' sns thai thew had sunk
her. soon tho ships we're SURROUNDED WIN heS 49,
was on the hill back Of the city. TO see moro OF
Tn. span,ards were SURPRISED when tho AMERICAN lean
rhps suddenly withdrew from the haroor, a. they
fully expected the Americans 70 homnsFa ,he city
In fact II the battle had continued TWO nourS
longer the would have surrendered
REPORTS OF THE NUMBER KILLED
IN. nrst report after tho battle was that sixty
nersons had been killed and this was changed later
20 six one shot that went into the town TOOK mo
roof Of the Hotel Inglaterra. Another went
through tho roof Of a warehouse and then cut
through a great pile Of lumber stored there ana
,ourd ,.s way through the ONCE and then pene-
,ra,ed the side OF the Spanish mail steamer Man
uela which alongside OF a COCK near py ~.
and thess did ttle damage The story about shells
sabri ,stion Tho fact was that some shells landed
near an asylum. bu, did no damage. ana the chi
oTe no hs m si shell entered the mu1zle OF can
non In the fort, went clear through TO me o,oeSn
According 70 spanish reports there were eleven
American vessels in the battle and they Wet. cum
,eii.d IA Withdraw. This was the report given out
The next day but when We arrived The Spana aaa
had decided that the American vesses Wei Inan =.
sse n II was there The first thing the American
esnls AID was 10 throw a few shells into the har-
n,d 'I ,hen receivrg no Are. they pro
ceeded 10 IRE on the forts ms also . rSaeu
bring on, any Spanish vessels ana the n''"s was
There were several steamers IN the hareor a. ne
W., w snanish Gset Tness British steamers,
and several Of them received soma stray sho'' i'o'
' -Four day. before the battle the Spanish steamer
rau haa beam chased by an American warshp The
American vessel was gaining 0n n then aban,
h0s nd b Sne prsmit and tho made for San
Juan.
D1ssATIsFIED WITH SPANISH RULE.
TIL. general feeling throughout tho island among
the better class OF business men, who are NOT span
iards is that the island should be released from
Spanish RUE. At San Juan Spain now mas hVo
thousand regular troops and eight thousand volun-
teers They are poorly drilled. and 1t Is a common
thing for A soldier when the command Atten-
tom is given roll cigarette and then turn
Mr. Drake has been in Porto Rico for three years.
He said that he had not been threatened with an?
Mayguez to leave the island 49,. .uu...
Wm GsnTe 0 NJ n. hs gh somSsny
al Ponce He is an Englishman, but the spaniards
SGysd h% or to h Gs IN ha h. q
the place They hrst took all the wire. and other
fups aysg mines and ali the GOAL q ths plant
approprated for the use Of The spanish Meet
At Fariado he went ashore. He said Near the
pier were the barracks Of the spanish soldiers
The soldiers had fortified the church by, placing
ssF hs n. a hs hn ns abs 'e Of
sand / believe tina, an ordinary rife shot would
have smashed the wh Sar iS5I put the soldiers
captain Lloyd OF the Arkada said in regard to
American vessels Our agent took me around the
M and me Fl the nS ss, and ,ba say
If sS & .ss! aS 4. ss. e:
shells landed In the native quarter Of the city near
the fort and possibly killed n few people. I did
not go inside the fort but ! understand that the
damage there consisted In the destruction OF two
guns and tho dismountng OF two others"
MORE LEGISLATION FOR THE ARMY.
Washington. May 3.-The House Committee on
Military Affairs to-day directed Chairman Hull to
call up on Monday bill providing for the OF
volunteers for the interval between their enroment
and muster into service. Also the Senate bill pro-
viding that Regular officers may accept positions In