The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-18
ILL AND WEAK.
More Spanish Prisoners Arrive at Camp
Long.

Abh6s
Portsmouth, N. H., July 16.-Ports-
| mouth harbor presented busy scene to.
day, thousands of citizens and many from
out of town assembling along the water
front to get a view of the captive Span.
auxiliary cruiser Harvard to Camp Long
on Seavey's Island. The work of unload
ing the prisoners was begun at o'clock
this forenoon but the operation was q
slow one, owing to the determination of
the officers in charge to have the men
mustered by crews and to have them
leave the Harvard in that order. This
was done SO that the difficulty experienced
on the island of accounting for the ST..
Louis's prisoners who were not landed
in order, might be avoided.
The first barge carried 44S half naked
seamen who belonged to the Almirante
Oquendo. They reached the island at
|1210 o'clock. The work continued until
nearlys4 when the last barge load was put
ashore. Forty-six men in the sick bay
were left on bhe ship.
Four deaths occurred during the night
among the prisoners, two men having
died on the island and two men CD board
the Harvard. One Of the deaths on the
vessel was due to the malarial fever and
the other was due to heart disease. One
apothecary on one of Cervera's ships. He
was victim of paralysis. The other died
from wounds. The condition of those
who are under the care of the medical
officers with the exception of two men, is
improving.
The large number of sick more than
filed the hospitals and one of the new
buildings at the camp had to be turned
into temporary hospital this afternoon.
1t was late this evening when all the
prisoners had been assigned to quarters.
Che new buildings now being hurried to
completion will be ready for use on Mon
day and all the Spaniards will have moro
comfortable quarters than they have en-
joyed for months. Orders have been al
ready given for the erection of a mammoth
mess hall with capacity of feeding 1000
men at one time and this building is ex-
peoted to greatly relieve tho crowded con-
ditions now existing.
Since the removal of the prisoners from
the Harvard this afternoon, the ship has
been thoroughly disinfeoted from stem to
stern. Captain Cotton expects to have
the vessel in perfect condition before he
leaves for New York.
Early Monday forenoon coal barges will
be moored alongside the ship and the
work of partially filing her coal bunkers
will begin. Her stores are to be renewed
and her water tanks filled. 1t is the in
tention of Captain Cotton to leave for
New York not later than next Wednesday
morning. Thesforty six Spaniards now in
the sick bay of the Harvard will be re-
moved tomorrow afternoon and placed in
the new hospital building. The two men
who died on the island during the night
were buried today with the usual honors.
No further deaths than the four before
mentioned have occurred. 1t is thought
however, that two cases on the Harvard
will provo fatal. All the examining
physicians, local, naval and militia, report
officially that the disease with which half
of the Harvard's 1000 prisoners have, been
afflicted is nothing more serious than
malarial fever. Everything is being done
to aid the sufferers and the medical men
expect the disease to disappear rapidly in
this climate.
John Wirth, an alleged German news
paper correspondent arrested near Santi-
ago by order of General Shafter, who sus-
pected him of being a spy, and who sent
him aboard the Harvard, was put ashore
at O'Clock, this afternoon by the Captain
and given his liberty. Wirth was confined
in the dungeon of the Harvard. He
claims to be a correspondent of the Frank.
furter Anzeiger. Soon after he was landed
he was seen by the Associated Press cor.
respondent
Wirth claims to have left Tampa with
General Skaters men. He has only one
arm, is about 35 years old and speaks
Spanish fuently. His English is very
poor. He says that General Shafter or
dered him away bee ause he used profane
language to the general. Some of the
O Their officers concluded that the German
was spy and that he was attempting to
communicate with the Spaniard ms Cuba,
so it was deemed advisable to send him
oUuau from the island