Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-13


out. We nrst visited the wreck of the
small gunboat the Reina Mercedes the
Queens yacht, which vas sunk just in
side Of the channel OF Santiago Ray TO
the right Of where the collier Merrimac
now lies. This vessel, though having been
submerged for some little time now, is I'm
rather good condition. and could be raised
without very great trouble and expense,
the depth of water at this point rot ex-
ceeding ten feet and she would no doubt
prove available acquisition 10 our navy.
ALMIRANTE OQUENDO A COMPLETE
WRECK.
We next visited the wreck Of the Span
ish cruiser Almirante Oquendo. lying
about twenty miles from Santiago. This
vessel Is a total wreck, being one mass
of distorted iron, &c, and not one piece
of woodwork remains on her. the YES
sci having been completely Quilted by fire.
Fire was still burning in her coal bunkers
when we visited her. and in the forward
part OF the vessel you could almost fry
eggs on her deck, so intense was the
heat. We were relic-hunters that day,
but she had already been ransacked, and
everything OF any value at all had been
taken. We. however secured. after three
hours arduous labor, three Spanish gold
pesetas. 1t is said among the natives In
SHntiHKO
went down with this vessel, as the Off
GERS and crew were paid three months
salary few days prior TO the famous
dash out Of the harbor Of Santiago and
It is surmised that on account of the
hurry with which they had to leave the
ship many Valuables were left behind,
but il being under water Is not very ac-
cessihle. on account of the lateness of
the hour we did not visit the wrecks Of
the other Spanish vessels, and We put
back TO Santiago, arriving just in time
to avoid one of the fierce tropical storms
which are raging there at this time of
the year
The Spanish prisoners have all been
transported to Spain from the vicinity
of Santiago, the. last vessel having left
there the day before we sailed for Porto
Rico september 2Sth). They were an
emaciated lot of men, and they would
not average in weight. l should think,
over 10 pounds to the man. They are
mere boys In years, some OF them not
appearing over 16 or II years of ace.
The mortality among these troops while
AT Santiago was frghtfu. While at the
wharf waiting TO be taken to the differ
ent transports, seventeen of the men died
in the short space of twenty minutes
after their arrival there. They We're eX-
ceedingly oVercrowded in the transports,
one of the vessels, the Isla de Fancy
having 300 men packed in her, while she
had only accommodations for about
twelve or fifteen hundred. l have since
learned that great many died on the
voyage across.
GARCIA IAUDS AMERICANS.
In the latter part of September General
Garcia. accompanied by 200 Cuban caval-
ry-the flower OF his army-paid visit
to General Lawton. the military com
mander at Santiago. His arrival was
made the scene Of much joilihcauon
among the resident Cubans, and ne war
everywhere hailed with delight. At night
q reception was rendered him at the san
Carlos Club. and II was my pleasure to
shake the hand of this man. who has
done more for Cuba libre than any one
else He is Of very commanding appear
anCe, being about six feet in height, and
every inch the general that he IS. He
made a short speech on the portico Of
the club 10 an assembage Of about lO,VJO
people, in which he lauded the American
people 20 the skies, and exhortinS every
enc To remain loyal and firm 10 the coun-
try who succored them in their hour Of
great need.
1t is without the slightest hesitancy
that l make the statement that with the
proper sanitary arrangements, and the
complete sewerage OF the town, Santiago
can be made as healthful and free from
epiGemics as any Of our southern cities.
The various reports as TO the large guam
titv of sickness at Santiago have been
greatly exaggerated. There has not been
a bona dde case OF yellow-fever ia the
CITY for over ninety days, and the death
rate now is only eight or ten persons per
AUTOMATICALLY due to starvation. l was
informed by a prominent Cuban doctor
that typhoid-feyer was unknown there
until brought by our American troops
The country is naturally a healthy one,
bcing very mountainous Santiago itself
hcinp built at the base of a mountain,
and as previously stated with proper
sanitary arrangements, ii can be made
AN IDEAL health resort.
EUGENE J. BELLENOT.