The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-08

KEY WEST F1,.. July 1.-THE three
hundred ana twenty-five wounded he
roes Of Santiago brought here by the
1roouois are doing well and none is in
danger. They are distributed between
the marine and convent hospitals and
an unused cigar factory which had
been previously htted for such purposes
All officers and some Of the men are
chartered at the convent hospital,
where the nuns are doing fine service as
nurses. At ali places the utmost care
and skillful medical and surgical at
teption are devoted to the wounded
men.
THESE wounded warriors, returning TO
+beir native soil after theis glorious
eehieyemepts IN the field, were strange
m saw. received in rather cavalier tash-
ion. Their landing would have oeen
coumonplnce had It not been grotesque'
THE Iroauois entered the harbor aeeHt
O'clock and through somebody's neg
llgence went aground on a saho Dat,
1,bere she remained for three hours, q
brace of government tugs struggling %
free her, while from the rails OF ue
stranded ship peered bronzed races OF
wounded men, eager TO step once more
on American soil -
Eventually the steamer sid on nhu
was docked. News of her ARRIVAL nag
brought to the deck motley croMa Oh
curiosity seekers, mostly Cuoans' Inere
was not Sign OF enthusiasm even
among those very persons TOT WHOM t'ie
disabled soldiers had received tne ~
hu:ts-not cheer, not hana cap ~
was exactly as II one Oh the resulaI ia.iS
steamers had arrived on q Gay tIlp ,s a'sN
,,,s9 discharging her ordinary passen-
GERS There was no gang-plank and
tba wounded men were obliged TO clam
her down the companion laaaeFs u Nes'
they could 20 get ashore.
an the ambuIances in the town had
been brought into service, but despite
their frequent and hurried trips hlled
N the last inch, the provision was en-
tirely inadequate. In consequence many
~ the men had no other resource than
N walk four blocks to the horse car
line. ON which they were 1olted u tue
hospitals, at the other end OF the IoWn'
The sight OF the stalwaTt fellows,
bIocked BIZ the tropical sun, bruised ana
scratched by Cuban jungles and wrap
nod IN bandages which covered, but DID
moi conceal their wounds as they sham
bied and struggled along the rugSed
roads. had In 1t much OF pathos' per-
haps tragedy. ~ 80
II was II O'Clock before, the last OF
those able to keep their feet had been
Enfeiy disembaFked. Most OF these
Gun ~ spuuoM IoVs eUiI tnoiJ legnS
arms or hands. About thirty-hVe 9TH
ers. whose injuries are In the lower
parts OF their bodies, had to be earrlea
on IN stretchers. Fifteen, VINO are sur
fering from mild attack OF measles ,,;
we're left on bonrd the steamer ana VIII
probably be taken back TO Cupa' "hen
the Iroquois returns.
The debarkatlon was not completed
nntii enriy yesterday morning. Most
OF these men laugh at their wounu l.
Theg want 10 go back, for they nave
tasted real fighting and are hungry for
more.
I. was learned that as they fell IN the
firing lines at Santiago the cosporals
hustled them to the rear, but In nearly
every case, the moment make-shlIt
baudages were swathed about their
wounds they pushed again to the 'front.',
mill II eventually became necessary 10
sirip them Of their cartridge belts.
Said one OF them In telling this oil the
others: Damn It; they had to stay
back then. They had nothing to ngnt
They talk Of the two days of bloody
battle IN the most unconcerned way I'M
nginable. One man was struck py
niauser bullet while in the act OF hTlng
his revolver. The ball struck MS IIgnt
forearm between the wrist and eieow'
II went straight through the forearm,
then penetrated the upper arm Struck
his right side and passed through MS
body, coming out at the left si6e.
Strange to say he Will not Ole, OUT ne
swears he will make his way BACK 10
Cuba and score at least ten dead span
iards for each OF his gashes.
All are loud in their praises OF the
Aghting qualities Of the Spanish troops,
hut say their losses must be enormous.
OF our own dead and wounded extrav-
agant figures are given by manF, but
wiser heads place the figures for the
two days fighting at between 1900 and
i 800 perhaps three hundred OF whom
were killed.
Al the hospitals suits OF pajamaS
were served out to the soldiers and
thew lounge about the rooms in the
ARA garments, reading the latest news
paDer tales Of their own prowess and
chatting each other thereon. Indeed,
many OF those whose wounds are trif-
ilng have been unconcernedly walking
about the streets and renewing friend
ships at the hotels. with no other APP
parel than these scanty sleeping gar
ments.
The IroquoIs will probably return to
Santiago within a day or two, and
meanwhile another ship, with larger
body OF more serIouslE wounded men, Is
.-s....1 -, ,I.,.t,,o tara houriy