The Portland daily press., 1898-06-20
STARYIfi 10 DEiTN.
Condition OF Spanish Troops About
Caimantra FrightluI.

On board the Associated Press despatch
boat Dandy, off Guantanamo, Saturday,
June 1S-5 p. m. via Kingston, JAM,
Sunday June l9-9 30 a. a.m,-Cupan scouts
report today that the inhabitants of Cal
manera have strewn the streets with
straw and oil with the intention of de.
stroying the city and fleeing to the hills.
Caimanera lies four miles up the bay
from Camp MoCalla, under the guns of
the American ships, and the situation is
desperate. Starving and famine stricken.
convinced of the ultimate triumph of the
American arms and without faith in the
protection of the Spanish soldiery, the
people are believed to have determined to
leave their house in ashes behind them
and seek safety in the mountains to the
North. The scouts declare that the story
is accurate and say that every building
of the town is being rapidly prepare for
the torch.
The situation of the besieged is a fear
ful one. The people are eating horses and
mules and are securing the hills for
fruits and herbs. Occasionally brie
bOmbardments by the American feet
leave the helpless citizens terror stricken,
no preparations for defense having been
made.
1t is also stated that the Span ish gun
boat at Caimanera has been loaded swith
indammables and will be burned with
the city, the commander declaring that she
will never become an American prize
The scouts also say that the Spanish sold
iers are in almost as complete a state of
panic as are the civilians and that they
could easily be induced to surrender
Some of the prisoners taken by the ma
rines also say they believe the Spanish
troops are on the verge of surrender owing
TO the awful lack of food.
Capt. McCalla of the Marblehead and
Lieut. Col Huntington. in command of
the marines, are not SO sure, however,
of the reported Spanish rout They re-
ceived information yesterday that gen
eral attack by force of $500 Spanish
soldiers and guerillas on Camp McCal'a
is contem plated within night or two.
Every preparation was made last night
for an expected assault
When the Associated Press boat Dandy
arrived in Guantanamo harbor at
O'Clock, the hills about the marine ca Il p
were brilliant under the shifting rays of
the searchlights of the Marblehead, Dol
phin and Scorpion, and the marines were
lying in the rifles pits at the guns,
ready and anxious for battle, but the
night passed without firing a shot. The
same watcbful care was exercised today
as Capt. McCalla is convinced that an
attack is likely to occur at any moment.
9he Iowa 4 Joined the feet here this
morning, and later, the Admiral came
over on the flagship to inspect the FORTH
hcation and confer with Capt. McCalla
and Lieut.. Col. Huntington.
The coast III the vicinity of Guanta
namo is dotted with the bright Cuban
,t.ak,
have been established along the beach
between Santiago and this place are used
by the Admiral as means of communica
tion with tie Cubans in the interior.
The aid which these men have given,
has proved highly valuable to the Anne
rieans. Their stories of the destitution
and revolt among the Spanish soldiers in
this vicinity have been corroborated by
interviews with prisoners around the
camp.
Gen. Perrejo, who is in command of
the Spanish forces here is undoubtedly
in d bad way in regard to obtaining food
for his men. The prisoners who have
been captured appear to have been lily
fed and are apparently indifferent to their
fate. Another body of five Spaniards was
captured yesterday by Ensign A. A.
Pratt of the Marblehead. While cruising in
steam launch outside the bay he picked
up so foot sloop containing a Spanish
81
They said they were on their way to
Guantanamo to get a supply of oil for the
lighthouse at Cape Maysi, but papers
found on the sloop proved that they had
been sent TO obtain information relative
to the American forces. Tho crew Of the
sloop asserted that they had been Ill fed
and frightfully ill-treated by the Spanish
commander of the Cape Maysi forces
There was a brief bombardment of a
blockhouse up the bay by the Oregon
yesterday and it is believed that during
the firing at least a score of Spaniards
were killed. Scouting parties report that
the blockhouse was completely destroyed,
but that they were unable to discover
any bodies, the remains of the soldiers
who had been killed having probably
been carried off by their comrades.
Late this afternoon the flagship New
York returned to the fleet off Santiago.
The marines are growing very restless
owing to the delay in the arrival of the
reinforcements of troops, but it is gen.
orally believed today that the transports
Will reach Santiago not later than Mon
day.
A rumor to the effect that Lieut.. Hob
son and his fellow heroes of the Merri-
mao had been seen on the walls of MORO
castle, under guard, caused much exoits-
ment among the feet off Santiago today,
but the story is discredited on Commo-
dore Schley's flagship.
The officers say that Spanish sentries
were mistaken for the American prison
ers.