La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-07-16
EVERYTHING READY.
Capture Of Santiago seems Cert.in-Cou.
ditions In the City.

siItions In the city.
New York, July 10.-A dispatch to
the Herald says: The nrInistice which
ended to-day AT noon. has been pro-
longed on account of General Linares'
proposition TO cvacuatc Santiago and
Withdraw with his troops to Holquin.
This proposal has been communicated
to Washington for the administrations
opinion concerning 1t. 1, is the de-
cided desire Of n majority of the Amer
leans to take the city on any honorable
conditions and turn II over 10 a mixed
garrison of American and Cuban sol
dicrs, and then to move at once on
Iorfo Rico. Others are so sure that
the enemy cannot hold their rifle pits
under the fire our lines could pour in
to them that they wish 10 take the city
by assault. On the other hand. II IL
is tnken and the garrison surrenders,
the care of 10000 prisoners would be q
serious problem. To guard and proper
ly sustain these prisoners would re-
quire the services OF men who are
needed elsewhere.
Our lines are in the shape of horse
shoe, five miles In length. 1; is impos-
sibic 10 believe that any force could
1--we under the fire that could come
from the American lines. Since the
the hills about Santiago have been so
altered that native would not recog-
niZe them. When | first climbed them
there was nothing In the high waving
grass but dead Span!ards and painting
American soldiers lying on their
backs. too hot and tired to pursue the
enemy further. Now this side of the
hills is succession of bomb-proof
rifle pits, trenches and redoubis. that
look like the openings OF many mines.
They threaten every foot of the ground
between us and Santiago, and no army
could live under the American fire
three hours
General Shafter has visited the rifle
pits and has been studying the situa-
ton from the front.
When Admiral SampsouH fee;
steams into Santiago harbor The Amer
leans viii lind several good prizes
among the vessels now lying in the in
ner harbor
II has been decided to remove the
American hospital from the coast into
the MOUNTAINS. An Isolated point has
been selected and the hospital corps
there VIII be able to make all the sick
ami wounded much more comfortable.
There are now 2.gO0 men in the hos
pital. nearly half OF the patients suf-
ItTluS from iflouHtiaH ieNer. All un-
easy feeling pervades the medical de-
partinent. rs there is need of supplies
of all kinds.
From n French refugee learn that
the Spaniards hnve already begun to
loo; the city. He said that the Spanish
officers had permitted the soldiers 10
break into houses vacated by the refu-
gees on the prctens,. OF searching for
food. but i'll reality 10 smash everything
not OF use TO them and to take what
ever OF value was found. The refu-
gees complain that they Were allowed
TO take very little with them when they
Were forced TO leave the city and seek
refuge in the American lines. The road
from Santiago 10 the coast is still lined
with unfortunate women carrying their
children and big bundles OF goods.
Tueging at their dresses are hundreds
of tots overloaded with little treasures
and childish trinkets. l saw several
youngsters carrying live pigs and one
boy was trying to make the best OF
the situation by holding tenaciously to
II bleating kid he had in his arms.
Many OF the children among the refu-
gees are sickly. 1t Is common sight
TO see refined women sitting by the
roadside weeping and begging for
food, wearing all their finery and max
ing desperate attempts to maintain
their dignity in distressing circum-
stances.