The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-12

ful reply. 'I hear now that the Ameri-
cans intend sending their Meet 70 my
country-that is my anxiety. Hy poo'
Spain will DO helpless against yVur a.
tack l have seen what your ships csn
do and know our exposed cues VIM %
destroyed Al,
you were. then, much impressed "i'h
the fire of the American shipsf
1--WE were ali astonished by It's amazing
rapidity and deadliness." was the FRANK
reply. Cal,
1T will be an awful fight and SPAIN
will suffer most. But II any ono was po'u
enough to suggest that to my county
men he would be cut TO pieces. III AheIi-
ca carries the war ineo Spain and defeats
us there the disgrace would be TOO sic".
10 bear. You know the fall Oh a gro''
nation Is like the fan OF great FANNY,
and great shall be the fall thereof ana
am afraid that is how it VIII be WIN
Spain.
"Oh. Godi open the eyes of my county
men at home, that they may understand
why we were defeated herel'
"What did you think OF tho fire or the
American ships2" the officer was asked
asked after a pause.
I'VE wero all astonished by its amaz-
ing rapidity and deadliness,' was the
frank reply.
L
among all the captured officers. They
were all FREQ to admit that the American
navy man behind his gun is the most
wonderful man they had ever dreamed
Of The officers expressed wide eyed as
constituent when told that II IS the Gus
tom in tho American navy TO exercise
the crews at battery practice with fun
service charges at frequent and regular
intervals.
ffrlr 4rft f1nFf
money" exclaimed one, an officer OF the
Colon.
yes" said his companion. OF the Viz
caya, "but see the result"
"Dou you think Santiago can hold out
much longer?' the second captain OF the
Maria Teresa was asked.
NO" he replied. "They are very short
Of provisions there Rice IS the chief
article of diet, little else in the way OF
food being left. Beef Is very scarce and
very poor"
The officer was curious 70 know as TO
whether the Americans had suffered
much loss when their land forces made
an attack on Santiago. lie was told the
number reported lost, and seemed sur
prlsed that II was no greater.
"Why, we lost that many ourselves
ne said. land yet our men were FIGHTING
behind en-. trenohments and your men were
attacking US"
was there any council Of war called
before II was determined to attempt TO
force a passage out?"
mo. not a council-there was an IN
formal conference. All agreed that the
attempt was wel-nigh hopeless, and all
Of US were convinced that we would get
just what we got"
All Of the Spanish officers seemed deep
" distressed over the disaster which has
befallen Spain. They seemed no less as
tonished at their treatment as prisoners.
"The Spanish press,"s aid one, who
begs me not to quote his name. lis alone
to blame for tho awful way I'm which we
and the country at large have been de-
ceived. We had been led TO believe that
the Americans would talk and blustor,
but would not fight, and that America
had no good ships-that the few bad
ones she had were manned by foreigners,
who would desert in time Of war. Oh,
how we have been deceived And then
we were told that we would be horribly
tortured and killed II we were captured.
Now can hardly believe my senses.
We are treated as friends and brothers
by those we had been taught to dread