Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-11
SPANISH PRISONERS HERE
Auxiliary CRUISER Arrives at Portsmouth
with Eaht Hundred Aboard.
ADMIRAL cERNERA is AMONG THEM
spanish Commander Feels KceuIy tbs
Loss of liis. ships and All Have
Hnd " Enough Fighting
with Yankees.

with yankees.
r-- ~. a.
PORTSMOUTH, N. H., July l0.-The aux
Hilary cruiser st. Louis with 746 Spanish
prisoners, including ffty-four officers, ar
rived at $50 this morning and a few minutes
later dropped anchor just above Fishing
island. The big liner left Guantanamo at
6 O'Clock Tuesday afternoon, July s, and die
not make a stop until 1t dropped anchor III
Portsmouth harbor.
Including the prisoners there were 1,036
people on the boat and of this number there
are ninety-one sick and wounded Spaniards
under the care OF surgeons. admiral Ger
vera is confined 10 his cabin, having been
quite i'll for the last three DAYS, although
he was able TO be dressed this morning.
Captain Eulate. who was the commander of
the Nizcaya and is among the prisoners
is also quite ill, having been wounded in the
head during the battle off Santiago.
All of the Spanish commissioned officers
have been on parole and had the freedom
of the ship, with one exception, and he was
the governor of Santiago de Cuba, who was
trying to escape from the city on Admiral
Cerveras flagship when it was destroyed.
He refused to sign the parole papers and
was consequently confined in one of the
cabins under guard. The remainder of the
prisoners were confined between decks and
closely guarded. A detachment of twenty
eight marines from the United States ship
Brooklyn under Lieutenant Bordan and
twenty-one marines from the United States
ship Marblehead were put aboard the st.
Louis when it left for the north to guard
the prisoners, but they had little or no
trouble with the men.
The prisoners, as well as nearly all the
| SnnniGh nfinnrc orn lrnccnl in r1nthns ~
every description, as most of them had
come aboard with very little clothing, and
what they are wearing was given them by
the officers and men from the American
fleet.
Ccrvcrn Hcnrtbroken.
Admiral Cervera remained in his cabin
during the trip. He shook hands with the
health officer and in good English said he
was situated very pleasantly on the boat
and had received nothing but the kindcSj
and most Constderate treatment from both
officers and men ever since he had been
taken prisoner. He had not been feeling
well for the last three or four days, but ex-
pected to be all right in a short time. He
presents the appearance Of n brokenhearted
man and keenly feels the loss of his fleet,
containing the pick of the Spanish navy.
There are a number OF Spanish surgeons
on board who have taken good care of the
sick and wounded prisoners. There are
about ~fortysof the latter, the remainder be-
ing i'll from the effects of exposure and the
rain during the battle. No one is allowed On
board the prison ship and none of the Off
GERS or crew are allowed on shore.
Ensign Palmer came ashore with important
official dispatches for Washington and left
at 2:21 this afternoon with a large grip,
which he NpnttlI a11npv NJ ono tn hop1ln
Admiral Carpenter has perfected arrange
ments to land the prisoners at their quarters
on Seavey's islands tomorrow afternoon.
On the way W, from Santiago a number of
the Spanish seamen said that they had had
enough of fighting, at least with the Yam
KEGS. -,f ..N III.
1t is said that Admiral SIMPSONS report
to the Navy department of the destruction
of Cervera's fleet is about 1900 words. En-
sign Palmer carried the document, which
was in book form.
1t is understood that Admiral Cervera has
accepted an invitation to stay at a hotel at
! Newcastle, about four miles from the navy
| yard.
Admiral Cervera's stay at the hotel will
be short, as the st. Louis will soon leave
for Annapolis.
The ST. Louis came up from Santiago with
less than 800 tons of coal and the economy
in the coal consumption was the cause of
it's slow trip.
Chaplain Jones of the Texas came ashore
from the st. Louis and preached tonight in
the Congregational church.
Senator Hoar of the Massachusetts, Volun-
teer Aid association has completed arrange
ments for sending to the troops a large
amount of supplies by the st. Louis. 1t is
understood that this steamer, when it dis
charges its prisoners, will coal at Port Leeds
and then take n large number of troops to
Cuba.
Ceryera Likes the Americans.
Admiral Cervera came on deck this after
noon and consented TO talk with representa-
tives of the press who went out to the st.
Louis on a tug.
"You ask me-" he said, "how | like
America, and l answe that l have always
liked, and may say loved your people, but
this war has been a duty with me and the
men with ne. ! knew that the American
fleet clearly outclassed us, but it was a
question of fighting either inside or outside
the harhor.
Il have many friends in America and
have only the kindliest feeling for them,
but every man has a duty to perform to his
country and all Spaniards ought to perform
that duty.
There has been much feeling in Spain
and / want all Spain to know the truth,
that every ship of my squadron fought until
the last and when we could do no more we
surrendered.
81 have much interest to know the exact
81 dation IN Spain. Captain Goodrich has
treated us as good as anyone could be
treated. We have been quartered in the
salon and have nothing to complain Of"
A telegram was taken out to Cervera at
10 p. m. Nothing is known as to the sender.