New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-19
m THE SAN JUAN TRENCHES.
EXPERIENCES IN TAKING SPANISH
RIFLE PITS AND HOLDING THEM.

on SAN JUAN.
,,,ou . srAYF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBuNEI
San Juan Fortihcations outside Santiago oe
c,ha July 6-This eminence is. roughly speak
,,s in the middle of the lines OF American IN
e.o,ments which stretch for about seven
niles In a seni-circle around the eastern sue
=, santiago de Cuba. On It's top stands what
4, known as the San Juan fort The ouiioihe
,,se,f is more a barracks than fort. 1t Is
,,dlv built Of brick and Is effective against
.saA FIRE but was originally, no doubt. an ordi-
arv hacienda A garden grows beside II. Ihe
,,,rdows are iron barred. and logs have been
.stsned across them as a protection against
bullets
The most effective defences of San Juan. how
ysr are the steep sides of the hill on when II
lands and the rihe-pits which surmount them
7, seems almost incredible that the Americans
.ould have scaled those heights under fire from
rsn,d-loading magazine guns. But they did,
ord now have q complete system OF intrench-
,renfs These are dug 10 depth or three rect
- l,ttle more The earth from them is heaped
49,, IN m. side toward Santiago 10 a height or
so,ra two feet Thus the soldier can fire stand
,,, erect exposing only his head and small
,,r, = his body Looking these pits. one
90, understand much better than from a mere
ascr,n,ion the loss OF life in the army that
= 30 take the Entertainments at San Juan and
-, C,,av on July l. The soldiers In them are
hsolutely safe from rifle fire except In the Few
oroants when they are actually aiming ana
discbarsing their pieces. Even then they sho"
only a few inches Of themselves In signing
+bs,- weapons, their heads are bent over so tha'
they show only few inches above the earth.
TIA assaultng army not only exposes all Its
bodv after getting into the clear spaces pu'
Aces so all the time Aiming under the circum-
,ances IS actually less effective than standing
g., rAe-pits Military writer's have calculated
EVA. f. requires a force OF four to one to storm
,ss-pits With the newest magazine guns mr.
,nr six or eight times minute with que care
a.. lining they may have to revise their esti-
mates -,
o,tsrnost Spanish lines. To the left OF II the
American pits are nearer; the engineers have
calculated the distance at six hundred yaTos
rha trenches are not all dug parallel 10 the gen
oral direction OF the works OF the enemy some
tom, almost Fight angles with one another
rb,s ,nsures an enhlading fire on any BODY OF
advancing Spaniards
READY FOR AN ATTACK
General Wb..ler's headquarters are at the
,ssA q. the hill surmounted by San Juan here
his clerks are busy at their military booKKeep-
ing The cavalry is 10 the left OF San juan.
This morning the Oath Infantry coioreu' ""N
the list New-York were holding the san 'u"--
trenches Now the volunteers are MOVING -"
the position they gallantly won 10 aho'n0'
more exposed one TO the left Apparently ''
Americans are in excellent situation 10 reno"
The attack on Santiago when the truce Is ehueu
The only doubt expressed is whether the 'hif
teen thousand troops are not too thihiy spie""
over the seven miles Of rihe-pits.
and
br,eades 10 the right. General Kents division
a. &, .ha centre 10 the left OF General Wheelers
cavalry division and General Bates is holding
81. a~trarne left The Spanards can be SEEN in
,heir h,uA check uniforms. working on their de-
,ences Several white flags are displayed oy
them Beyond In Santiago. there Is me
sLowing OF Red Cross flags. They are scattered
all over the city. indicating the presence OF
many wounded OF desire to protect az much
Of the place as possible from reinforcement
Perhaps 1t is both
Food supplies are arriving in oonsideraoie
,uan,,,,es by pack train: so is ammunition
water IS some distance away. perhaps three
quarters Of a mile. Soldiers are detailed 70
,s,cb Il each one filing the canteens OF SIX or
sigbt comrades besides his own. Several nun
Area privates chiefly NewYork and Michigan
,oIuntaers are road building Most OF the way
che original road did not permit the passage Oh
,ssns going in opposite directions, AND there
1,.re o|,en snarls In which the artillery ana
supply and Red Cross wagons got oadiy ihiAou'
The men are moving away the Spanish ouyone'
that lines the road on either SIDE. ana cu'''"e
away bushes and trees. 10 give "io'h "a I'm -
ar forty feet Where the mud is deepest iosS
and unGerbrush are thrown In TO FORM so'' VI
corduroy road AT the rivers the oahKs d. Gu.
away to give a gentle- descent a huii0o Va
wagons have been overturned at these poin'''
Tn N now the bridge building engineers have
le,t few traces Of activity. Some persons VINO
have seen their fine exhibitions with pontoohs
IT West Point have been wishing Tor more
modest display OF their skill At the fords or the
Guamo. San Juan and other rivers on the roao
10 Santiago de Cuba
II is hoped here that the stay In the trenches
will not b. overlong II it is fevers and other
illnesses will supplement Spanish bullets mos.
effectively Already there is succession OF
cases recurring medical attention The pits are
ptilessly not in the glare Of the sun. and muddy
In the rain and dew A hospital has been
established near General Skaters headquar-
tiers for these patients. There are some cases
@. measles and Of prostration from the heat
THE SEVENTY -FIRsTs DRUDGERY
The fist New-York has had more than ts
share % the drudgery OF war TODAY ""o'e
battalion IL at work two or three miles 10 lne
rear, improving the roadway Employment OH
the trenches has been almost constant. day ana
night Still. the men feel that they have haue
Are record and had an important snare IN 'ie
action outside Santiago.
Colonel Downs has received many congratuia-
tons from officers Of the Regulars on the con-
Duct Of his troops In the charge on San Juan OH
July l. In the morning. entering the engage
nsent, the regiment ordered by GENERA
Hawkins UP a narrow lane. The hre OF po'h
artillery and r,es ,yas constant On reaching