The age-herald., 1898-07-12
THE PRISONERS
 AT PORTSMOUTH Slept in Comfort Under a Guard of American Marines. PATHETIC SCENES ENACTED When the Men Landed Some of Them Were So Weak That They Could Not
 Stand, and Were Carried
 on Stretchers.
PATHETIC SCENES ENACTED

Portsmouth N. H., July 1.-The Spanish prisoners who were brought to, this port in the auxiliary cruiser St. Louis from San tago, numbering 692 of the men who con- posed parttof the crewlof Admiral Cervera's squadron, are tonight sleeping peacefully and in comparative comfort in the new barracks erected for them on seavey's island. Around them is a guard of 125 marines.
 This afternoon they were. taken to Gree iy's landing, the landing so called from the fact that it was here that Lieutenant Gree ly and the survivors of the ill-fated Lady Franklin bay expedition set foot on Amer ican soil for the first time after they had been brought back from the frozen north by Captain. now Commodore Schley, in 1881. The prisoners were marched to the highest part of the island where each man deposited under the eyes of the ma rine guard whatever few belongings he possessed.
 II was a pathetic side from beginning to end and such as would bring tears to many eyes. The poor, wretched creatures strug- gled up the hillside clad for the most part in rags, some of them being covered only with the fragments of a table cloth or a. blanket, while others had on portions of what was once a uniform. When the men landed some of them were so weak that they could not stand and laid on the ground until stretchers were brought and were carried by their comrades to the main road where they were placed on the grass. Many had wounds that were still unhealed and their heads and arms showed the ef- fleets of the terrible battle in which they fought. The crew of the Cristobal Colon ,l-1 t., TfNl. cald and evidently better fed than the other men. Thirty members of the Colon's crew were, however, severely wounded.
 Taken to the Hospital
 Forty men have been taken to the hos pitals, suffering for the most part from wounds.
 Of the officers there were ten-four lieu tenants, three surgeons, two ensigns and one paymaster-and these, through some misunderstanding over orders from Wash ington, were returned to the St. Louis.
 It is understood tonight that these same officers will be landed again tomorrow.
 The line officers will be quartered at the marine barracks.
 It was an interesting sight to watch the way the Spanish prisoners accepted the for tunes of war; After breaking ranks they looked about and saw mattresses and couches and many other comforts which had not been their lot for many years in the barracks, and as they looked them oyer they appeared to accept the situation with much >cheerfulness. They walked around with what appeared to be dignified air and seemed to grow happy as appetizing odors were waited to them from the big kitchen.
 One of the most touching incidents of the day was the farewell Captain Ediaz Morou, of the Cristobal Colon took of his crew just before he went back to the St Louis. Some who saw the tenderness with which he walked down the line and affectionately embraced each seaman as if he was his son, could refrain from tears with dith- culty while the whole scene will be re- membered by those who witnessed it as one of the touching examples of the de- yotion and reverence in which the Seamen of every warship holds his commander.
 Kissed an Old Sailor
 The crew of the Colon had landed with the rest of the prisoners, with them came Captain Morou. Most of the men being completed the captain asked permission to say a few parting words to his men. The request was readily granted and Captain Morou instead of making a formal and elouuent address to the long line, walked up to the man at the head, and taking him warmly by the hand tenderly kissed the grim soilor on the cheek. When the men saw the action of the commander they wept as if their hearts would break and as the captain walked down the line shaking each sun burned cheek each man threw his arms around his commanders neck and gave him a most hearty embrace.
 As Captain Morou came to the Colon's marine guard, one of the men, the captains orderly in an outburst of grief, sprang from the ranks and threw his arms around his captains neck like a child.
 When, finally, the captain reached the end of the long line he turned, and, in voice shaking with emotion, said few words of farewell to the crew as a whole. As he finished the half clad men surround ed him. grasping his arms and legs, all trying for one last embrace.