The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-26
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STREAM
OF REFUGEES
Crane Describes Flight
From Santiago.
DEsERTERs AMONG THEM
Many Women Were Enabled to
Meet Insurgent Kindred.
AMAZED BY KIND TREATMENT.

poribes In the New York World how
the refugees poured into our lines from
Santiago as follows:
During today's hull in the hostilities
steady stream of refugees has poured
into our lines from the beleaguered city
Of Santiago. Women, by far. have been
IA the majority. Men, strong and able
bodied, have been few indeed. Spain
has urgent need of such, wherefore
Santiago has given mp few more than
wrecked and helpless creatures, too far
upon the road to death to aid in staying
our advance. Yet, as the truce advano-
cd, il changed the number and the char
acter of these refugees More men flock
cd in, young men and. strong men. Ger
tainly among them were deserters
There was the air Of the true Spaniard
about them. They had cast aside their
distinguishing uniforms, to be sure, but
they could not 30 easily disguise the
ways and bearing of the soldier. Un-
doubtedly they were renegades. But,
then, what matter? They were permit
ted within the lines, the one place
where they would find safety from the
impending avalanche of death soon to
roll down upon Santiago from the hill
side.
Ono saw in this great. gaunt assem-
blage the true horror Of war. The sick.
the lame, the halt and the blind were
there. Women and men, tottering upon
the verge Of death, plodded doggedly on
ward Beyond were our lines and safe
~. But 80 long had this same horror Of
war been before them that no longer
could they feel its horridness. Their air
was stolid and Indifferent. It was for
1orn hope at the best II this was safety,
we'll and good. II death, what differ
ence how it came.
In sharp contrast to this one saw now
and again women radiant with JOY.
These were the kindred Of the insur-
gents. Some had been separated from
those stout hearts In the field for many
weary weeks--yes, months and even
yoara At the crest of that weary slope
they knew whom they should find.
Toiling upward and onward they press
Cd, and finally, with glad cries, in the
great gathering Of troops they came
upon the ones they sought This indeed
was another side of war.
Again, in the throng toiling on to
safety were men and women carried in
chairs and litters, some even in cot beds.
Our ambulances went forth to meet
them. Then when these stolid, hopeless,
unimpassioned ones found the dreaded
enemy receiving and aiding them with
Kindness they showed for the first time
some trace Of feeling What Should
these mad, despised Americanos spend
time aiding the weak and aged This
WAS wonder indeed. But though the
Americans hands were turned to doing
gentleness it was otherwise with those
Spanish miserahIes, Spain's ignoble
pride. the guerrillas. They lurked along
the roadzidee, eager and ready for blood
shed, plunder and unnamable wicked
ness TO drive them back the American
cavalry patrolled the road Of the refu-
GooG whereupon the guerrillas withdrew
At the church in Caney the American
surgeons were laboring among the ene-
my's sorely wounded. Here 80 Spanish
were under treatment. Their amaze
,nent was profound. In the center of
the, church lies one Of tho Spanish oom-
u1nnders. sorely wounded. There never
WAS more astonished man than he.
Like the others, he believed his position
impregnable. How any mortal could
cross the zone of fire and survive was
matter beyond his ken. BY the saints,
e was q miraclel Three thousand Mau-
oera be know to his own knowledge,
wero trained down tho one slope he
guarded. Yet had the Americans plung-
"a through the rain of death and driven
I'll before them. Almost as great was
his amazcment at our treatment of him
self and his wounded men. Why should
We waste time upon them, when SO
many Of ours had been stricken? Why
this kindness? They had expected to lie
where they had fallen, waiting but to
die. It was the fortune Of war. Why
should IL not be-
inside the limits Of this town the for
eign oonsuls have madc their hcadquar-
terk Here each one is ready TO provide
Con the people Of his flag. Also they are
aiding In the care of the other refugees,
- lhr a. they are able. Mono of the
refugees brought food-there was no
food for them to bring. The Spaniards
bed planned to restock their commissary
With the supplies they had arranged TO
I capture from the Americans. II was a
oad blow that the Americans declined
g b captured
Our course to all at Caney has been
moderation. Sometimes we have been
oco kind. Everybody knows the story Of
the road from the battlefeld--the guer-
Eillas hanging 70 the TANKS Of the long
line Of wounded going 20 the rear
Though these men OF ours could fight
no longer. though they were Ia SORE dis
trom these fiends incarnate fired upon
them. They picked OF, where they were
ob1a the ambulance men, the bearers Of
fho Red Gross flag and the surgeons at
ohoir work. They bowled them over ~
oyury chance. Yet three Of these mis-
cgonnts. caught among the trees, wear
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