Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-06-23
WITHSTRAW AND OIL
Desperate Determination Of the In
habitants of Caimenera.
WILL FIRE THEIR TOWN ON LEAVING.
Famine-stricksn and Starving and Con-
WINGED Of the Ultimate Success OF the
American Arms-Gunboat Also
Loaded with CombustibIes.
roopyrisns, 1905, by the Associated Presal


Loaded with Combustibles.
fCopyrighs, 1905. by the Associated Presa1
On BOARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DISPATCH BOAT DANDY, off Guantana-
mo, Saturday, June 10, via Kingston,
Jamaica, June 20.-Cuban scouts re-
port to-day that the inhabitants OF
Caimenera have strewn the streets
with straw and oil, with the intention
Of destroying the city and fleeing to
the hills.
Caimenera lies four miles up the bay
from Camp McCalla, under the guns Of
the American ships, and the situation
is desperate Starving and famine
stricken, convinced of the ultimate
triumph Of the American arms, and
without faith In the protection of the
Spanish soldiery, the people are be-
lieved to have determined to leave
their houses In ashes behind them and
seek safety In the mountains of the
north. The scouts declare that the
story is accurate, and say that every
building of the town is being rapidly
prepared for the torch. -
The situation OF the besieged is q
fearful n The people are eating
horses and mules, and are securing the
hills for fruits and herbs. Occasion
ally brief commandments by the Amer
lean feet leaves the helpless citizens
terror-stricken, no preparations for de-
Tense being made.
It is also stated that the Spanish
gunboat at Cafmanera has been loaded
with infammables and will be burned
with the city, her commander declar-
ing that she will never become an
American prize.
The scouts also say that the Span
ish soldiers are In almost as complete
o state Of panic 10 are the civilians
and that they could easily be induced
to surrender. Some Of the prisoners
taken by the marines also soy they be-
lieve the Spanish troops are on the
verge Of surrender owing to the lack
Of food.
Capt. McCalla, of the cruiser Marble
head, and Lieut. Col. Huntington. in
command Of the marines, are not so
sure, however, Of the reported Spanish
rout- They received information yes
terday that O general attack by q force
Of $500 Spanish soldiers and guerril-
les on Camp McCalla is contemplated
within a night or two. Every prepare
ton was made last night for an ex-
pected assault.
When the press dispatch boat Dandy
arrived in Guantanamo, however, at
eight o'clock. the hills about the ma
rine camp were brilliant under the
shifting rays Of the searchlights of the
M~arblehead, Dolphin and scorpion, and
the marines were lying in the rifle pits,
asithe guns. ready and anxious for bat
tie, but the night passed without the
firing of q shot. The same watchful
care was exercised to-day, as Capt. Nc
Gala is convinced that an attack Is
likely to occur at any moment. The
Iowa Joined the fleet here this morn
ing. and later the admiral came over
on the flagship to inspect the fortifica-
tions and confer with Capt MEGA liza
and Lieut-C Huntington.
The coast in the vicinity OF Guam
tanamo is dotted with the bright-hued
Cuban flag. The numerous camps of
the insurgents which have been estab-
lished along the beach between Santi-
ago and this place are used by the ad-
miral as means Of communication with
the Cubans In the interior. The aid
which these men have given has proved
highly valuable to the Americans.
Their stories of the restitution and re-
volt among the Spanish soldiers in this
vicinity have been corroborated by in
terviews with prisoners captured
around the camp.
Gen. Perejo, who Is, in command of
the Spanish forces here, is undoubtedly
desperate In relation to obtaining food
for his men. The prisoners who have
been captured appear to have been ILL
fed and are apparently indifferent to
their fate.
Another body Of five Spaniards was
captured yesterday by Ensign A. A.
Pratt, of the Marblehead. While
cruising in q steam launch outside the
bay he picked up o 50-foot sloop con
taining a Spanish captain by the name
of Torres and four sailors. They said
they were on their way to Guantanamo
to get o supply of oil for the light
house at Cape Maysi, but papers found
| ON the sioop proved that they had been
sent to obtain information relative tc
| the American forces. The crew Of the
sloop asserted that they had been ill
fed and frightfully ill-treated by the
| Spanish commander Of the Cape Maysi
forces.
There was a brief bombardment of q
blockhouse up the bay by the battle
ship Oregon yesterday, and it is be
lieved hat by the FIRE at least q score
| Of Spaniards were killed.
| Gno,xx{rr rorftac ran0pt thu fht
| blockhouse was completely destroyed
| but hat they were unable to discover
any bodies, the remains of the soldiers
who had been killed, probably having
| been carried off by their comrades.
Late this afternoon the flagship New
| York returned to the feet off Santiago
| de Cuba.
The marines are growing very rest
less owing to the delay In the arriva
of the reinforcements Of troops, but II
Is generally believed here to-day thai
| the transports will reach Santiago moi
later than Monday.
A rumor to the effect that Lieut.
| Hobson and his fellow-heroes Of thu
collier Merrimac had been seen on the
walls of MORO castle under a Spanish
guard caused much excitement among
the feet to-day, but the story is dis
credited on Commodore Schley's flag
ship. The officers there say that Span
ish sentries were mistaken for the
American prisoners
Old Rip Van Wrinkle went up intt
the Catskill mountains to take q LITTLE
nap of twenty years or SO, and wher
he wakened, he found that the "crue
war val over" the monthly maya
zines had "fought It over" the SECOND