The record-union., 1898-09-18

OF the palace. The call lasted scarce
ly ten minutes, most of the time being
occupied in introductions.
Admiral Schley, who speaks Spanish
fiuently, engaged the Captain General
in conversation after the introductions
were completed and the principals had
settled themselves with the members
of their staffs arranged behind them.
General Brooke spoke through the Off
cial interpreter, Notwithstanding the
suspicion that he is a Spanish scholar
of no mean ability.
The Spanish uniforms are much more
snowy than ours. The Captain General
was arrayed in a dark blue coat resplen-
dent with gold braid, sparkling with
orders and insignia of rank. His trou-
sers We're deep crimson polished
gentleman of kindly countenance in a
most trying position, he placed everyone
at his ease by the grace and suavity
with which he greeted those who prac-
tically came as conQuerorS to claim
prize won.
The Captain General, with his staff,
rode to-day to the Hotel Ingleterra, at
which Admiral Schley is stopping, and
returned the Admirars visit. Later he
called upon General Brooke at Rio
Piedras This does not complete the
list of official visits. The Spanish Com
missioners must return the visit before
the first preliminaries of the work in
hand can be entered upon.
Pending our assumption Of possession
here, the daily progress of this highly
interesting old Spanish town goes stead
lily on. Everyone appreciates the fact
that the curtain is about to rise upon
a new era, but nothing yet is changed
| General Otego, who is in active COM
mand of the Spanish troops, makes his
daily tour of inspection of the forts,
batteries and barracks as If Spain was
! to continue in control forever. The
sentries at the forts still decline to al
| low Americans or others entrance, just
as they have for years. Even the CEN
| sorship of the cable is still vigorously
| enforced. and American correspond
ents must take all their dispatches TO
the palace for Endorsement OF the sec
retary of the Captain General peIore
they will be accepted by the cable COM
pany.
Admiral SIMPSONS bombardment OF
San Juan in the first week of the war,
| although it dismounted no guns at
/ MORO. against which the principal fire
was directed, and killed and wounded
| less than fifty people, bears testimony
to the remarkable gunnery Of our jack
les The Moro and the buildings on
the high ground in its rear and the
high scarp, which is built from the sea,
are simply riddled. Great craters are
blown out in places by the twelve and
13-inch shells, and the walls are pitted
by the hail of smaller shells. One en-
tire building was blown to pieces, and
| a whole section of the Quartet lies in
ruins. The fact that many of the
shells were wasted in the retaining
seawall is not to be wondered at, be-
cause the parapet has embrasures for
guns. and from the place where our
ships lay would naturally be mistaken
for sea battery.
There We're very few modern guns
either at Morro or the more pretentious
| fortification known as San Cristobal. A
few Krupp guns comprised their equip
ments, tf1e remainder being muzzie-
/ leaders of ancient pattern. Most of
the latter were mounted over parapets
/ and masonry. In fact, the defenses
of the town are in opposition to the very
theory of modern military science. They
might have been considered impregna-
BILE fifty years ago. To-day they are
not even formidable, and yet, in what
would be considered a desperate fash
ion. if it were not SO manifestly hope
less. Captain General Macias had pre-
pared to make a show of resistance even
after mis- whole army had been driven
back into the capital. The two bridges
over which one must pass to reach the
citv which is situated upOn a rocky
island. had been mined, and probably
would have been blown up. Macias
would have left himself and 10000 peo-
pie starving on a rock in the sea.
The water Of San Juan comes from
Rio Piedros. eighty miles away. If the
mains were cut the city would not have
a drop of water, save such as could be
caught on the rocks.