Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-01-05
Sovereignty of the Island For.
mally Transferred From
Spain to United States.
A SIMPLE CEREMONY.
- People Cheered When the stars and
stripes Were Raised Gen. Castel-
lauos Shakes Hands with a Gu
ban-Weeps as He Leaves.

The form OF the transfer was simple,
consisting only of an exchange Of speech
es in the salon of the palace and the haul
| ing down of the Spanish flag and the rails
| ing in its stead of the flag of the United
states on the Flagstaff on the palace roof.
Salutes were fired from the heavy guns
of the forts and the warships before and
after the change Of flags, and the raising
OF the stars and stripes was greeted with
1 cheers ~ the people who covered the
roofs of the buildings around the palace
land the plaza
| No crowd was permitted to gather in
the streets in the vicinity of the palace
10 witness the epoch making function. At
~ O'Clock guard composed Of the Sec
/ ond battalion of the Tenth infantry
marched into the Plaza De Armas, under
command of Capt. Van Nliot, and formed
around the suare. Capt Gen. Castellanos
watched them with interest from the bal
cony of his apartments as they entered
the square and were stationed at all the
streets approaching the plaza. No one WAS
allowed to enter without a pass and all
| the doors of the palace facing the square
were ordered closed. Only those who could
get on the roofs and balconies of houses
| IN the neighborhood saw what was going
| on before the palace.
| With the guard was the band of tho "a
! Illinois regiment. which had beoi. selected
for the occasion as the best band in the
18th army corps. With the band were the
buglers of the Sth and 10th infantry.
The weather was warm, the sun burst
| ne at intervals through the light clouds,
and the soldiers in blue who were forced
TO stand in the sun found the heat oppres-
sive. The troops were formed in extend
ed order around the square, three PAGES
apart, and the band was nassed in front
of the palace entrance across the street
at the edge of the park
! BrBadier General Clous, the master of
ceremonies Of the day at 10c O'Clock is
sued instructions to the officer, VINO " ere
TO take charge of the various departments
the government at Il o'clock. Col. Dui-
ley was assigned to the department of
justice office of the secretary of the cap
tain general; Major l.. w. V. KEENAN,, ad-
utant general of the department to the
department of commerce and agriculture;
COL +. u. Bliss of the commissary depart
ment to the treasury; Capt. Frank B..
Hanna, assistant adjutant general to the
department Of public instruction and
Col Dunwoody Of the signal corps, to the
public works department. Each of these
officers were instructed thus:
"On the firing of the last gun OF the
first q at noon you are to go to the place
assigned you and demand possession of
the office In the name of the United
States"
These orders were given under the ar
cade Of the palace Each officer had with
him Cuban interpreter, a group of whom
stood by clad in dark clothes and wear
ing silk hats. In carriage near by were
the flags 10 be raised at various points.
At II 10 Maj Gen. Wade and Gen. But
Ter of the American evacuation commits
sion arrived at FL Nedado on horseback
accompanied by their STATS. They We're
met by Brig. Gen. Clous and Maj. r.
Bentley Mott of Gen. Ludlow's staff.
he Nr I
Jerome, British vice-consul. arrived in a
uniform of dark blue, wearing a monocle
and carrying a sword with a gold hlt
He was warmly greeted by the American
officers.
Maj. Gen. John r. Brooke, governor of
Cuba, and Maiden. Ludlow. governor of
the city of Havana, accompanied by their
STATS. arrived at II 30 o'clock in carriage,
Gen, Brooke and Gen. Adna r, Chaffee
Gen, Brooke's chief of staff, in the first
carriage. In each of the other carriago $
rode IA Cuban general with American Of
iicers. The Cubans We're Gems. Lacret,
Marie Menocal Mayia Rodriguez, Seratln,
Sanchez, Joseph L. Miguel Gomez, No
darto, Rafael, De Cardenas, Agramonte,
and Nihal and Col. Naliente. AS the car
riages drove up the Second company of
the 3Sth Spanish infantry under command
Of Col. Don Rafael Salamanca, presented
arms and the American band started up
Win 'lne stars ana stripes Forever,
the Spanish colonel saluting.
At II AS Major General Lee, military gov
ernor of the Province of Havana, with his
staff, joined Gen. Brooke. The latter tn, n
crossed the street to the palace Gen. Lee
on one side of him and Gen Chaffee on
the other followed by the other American
generals and the Cuban officers. Tho Gu
bans wore dark blue uniforms, brown felt
hats and gray gloves, and they carried
machetes.
A flourish of trumpets greeted the process
sion and the Spanish troops presented arms
as the Americans entered the palace. The
Cubans remained outside, until escorted in
by members of Gen Brooke's staff, the
Spanish sold.ery remaining all the while
at present arms" As soon as all we've
within, the Spanish troops formed in
column OF tours and marched around the
right side of the plaza to the docks while
the band of the I'd Illinois volunteers play
ed the Spanish royal march.
On entering the palace the American
generals went to the salon facing the
plaza which is on the second hoor.It is
a lofty chamber decorated with mirrors in
deep gilt frames, white satin draperies
and the scarlet arms of Spain over eadh
door and window Here were gathered
the members of the captain generals
staff, Col. Gelpi, Lieut. Coils, Bellod, Cir
auta and Benitas Major Priego, Capt.
Betino and Capts Adolo and Ramon Cas-
telanos, sons of the captain general.
Captain General Castellanos was at this
time in a private room off the throne room.
He had given farewell breakfast at 10
O'Clock TO the memb RS of his staff and mad
spent the rest of the morning virtually
alone looking at the Americans from the
balcony The Americans now grouped
themselves near a large mirror between
the two central windows. the Spanish STAFF
being on the right, while on the left We're
the American staffs, the Cuban generals
and correspondents.
Suddenly Captain General CastellanOs
entered the salon without ceremony from
the left and greeted Gen. Brooke and 9th
crs. After shaking hands. Gen. Brooke
sat upon a sofa while General Castellanos
moved towards the group of Cuban gener-
ais. British Vice Consul jerome introduced
him to Gen. Mayia Ridriguez Shaking
both the hands of the Cuban officer in the
1--WE have been enemies, bitter encm es
but | respect you for your correct atti-
tudes and opinions l have pleasure in
shaking your hand"
Gen. Rodriguez replied:
II thank you, general | feel sorry for
the Spanish army which has defended the
banner II was sworn to defend. / also
have pleasure in shaking your hands"
Capt Gen. Castellanos then took his po-
s'tion near Ma. Gen. Brooke. The buzz
OF conversation on the American side Of
the chamber contrasted with the silence
on the Spanish side There was a marked
difference, too, between the Americans
and Spaniards-the former, tall, heavy
and wearing much gold cord; the later,
small and slight in blue striped camuric