The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-19
ToBAl,s APRIL FOIL JOKE.
.,s OF sANTIAGO.s CURIOUS
l" SvsrEM OF WATER WORKS.


.s who sent All Santiago
u-.terIcss to Bed Because a SPAN
,.b Cafe wouldn't Sell Him Beer
-, Of a Genuinely Philanthropy
J., s,anish Omccr-Colonel Manuel
...x Built the Present System
,,,,+or1vor<s at His Own Elk
pense.
work. Feb. 17.-Next 10 the. obser-
ron balloon, the cutting of the water
,t, supplying Santiago was the great
-. fzz1e to use a homely Amerlcanism'
49,. late spanish-American war When
-..t,r General Breckenridge writes mis-
t.o,, the humors of the Santiago cam
-, he intends to devote goodiy snare
an, chapter to that highly ridiculous
,,-,de Ii furnished the enemy with
mich food for mirth az the time ana It
,,;u doubtlessly be laughed at by Amerl-
.,- ,.hen they know the truth. As Capt.
Too A.. the British expert present dur
ing the war, expressed himself "lt was
GOOD strategcal move wasted through
Unforeseen circumstances.
When the American froces left the coast
IN IFS way to attack Santiago, it was I'M
dsretood that one of the most important
iten,s in the scheme of campaign was the
.oeedv cutting off of the capitals water
s,nnlv II was generally known that this
spnnlv was obtained from a dam some-
where M in the mountains, and tfat the
water was conveyed through an iron pipe
in tbe vicinity of Ell Caney, but just where
The nine could be found was mystery. a
dozen different Cuban scouts were inter-
roqated and dozen totally different an
swers secured Each brown-skinned ally
was positive in his assertion, but none
offered TO lead the Americanos to the spot
Finally. after the third days battle, a
Marty was sent out from our lines to To-
cate the pipe and cut it at all hazards.
shutting off their supply of water will
have more effect that zen days siege
with heavy artillery" remarked one Of
Gen. Skaters aides. The beggars are
not very partial to water as rule, but
they must have something TO drink"
An April Fool ON the Americans.
The party returned and reported that af-
ter many perilous Incidents, they had sue
ceeded in breaking the main about four
miles from the city. Two days later sew
eral refugees who had made their escape
from Santiago, were taken before Gen.
Shafter.
How about the food supply in the
city," he asked.
VERY poor. senor," was the reply. "The
Spanish soldiers are eating horse meat.
There is no -four. no bread, no rice"
Hum And the water?''
PLENTY. seuor'
Cen Shafter stared at the speaker in
cTe1ulousy
"Plenty?" he echoed. "Why, that's i'm
possible. We cut off the supply day be-
fore yesterday.
Nevertheless, there is enough in the city
TO last month. Almost every house has
cistern or tank, senior. They are al
full Our water works. fail very often,
and We keep a supply on hand in case
OF emergencies. Gen. Toral knows You
cut the pipe. and he laughs very much
He SAYS what you call in America April
foolr"
What Gen. Shafter said is not recorl-
ed, but the refugees words spread through
the trenches, and 10 this day visitors 10
Santiago are taken out to The spot where
the break was made and told the story of
Gen Torals April fool"
No Beer, No Water.
The local records of the city contain an
OTHER instance Of the violent cutting Of
the water main. In its general bearing
the incident is almost as humorous as the
hrSt In the latter part of August, when
aHairs were becoming settled in the city
me restrictions guarding the conduct and
Eoerty Of the American soldiers on duty
around the town were practically remov-
ca ana the men were given permission to
absent themselves from camp while off
duty.
strapping private of one of the i'm
huoe regiments took a stroll one after
noon and, after visiting a number of rum
SHOPS, dropped into the Cafe la Favor
ne on Gale Santo Tomas. He was much
'Ie worse Tor wear and lost no time in
eo'eil.liy declaring to the occupants that
one american soldier was worth ten
Spahiars and three dozen and odd Gu
pans. To prove the assertion he cast his
CdlnpalSn hat into the middle of the floor
az" otherWlse stripped for action He
Nas Hnaily pacided, but when he gave an
%oer Ior several bottles of American beer
ne was politely but firntly, refused 1t
tequlred the efforts OF five walters 10 eject
him after that.
A. no peer eh?" he shouted back through
we NORWAY. you (hic) refuse an Amer
Vah sentlman drink, do you9 TN fix
'hlc9 you for that. If I CAM have baar
you shan't have water. Seep,
ne lurched down the street and finally
disappeared in the direction OF the mule
gorIa' back of the Spanish barracks How
secured a mountsis not known. but A
r r.a hour later he was riding past the bulI
Ing over road leading TO Ell Cristo- That
I1e"Ihg' shortly after dark. word was has
10y sent to the palace that the water snn-
failed i" undccouhtaDiy
len were sent out with lanterns. but IT
as an almost Impossible task 10 trace tha
;Pg Hie at that hour, and they returned
i y, disgust The following morning at dav-
tt aA another search was made. Abo1t
lee miles from the city. at sno4 where
oIg pipe crosses low meadow tnon mas
D1 supports, great jagged hole in the
ba3 was discovered. The 11-inch main
r Tap peeh smashed near a Joni and rhs
inv was fast forming a lake IN the vicin-
F5n. Not far from the break a searc Cha,
,o1t" blacksmith's s,edge bamn n,ey'
r,..ou me handle shattered. as If from a
%e'lui blow. 1t was evident ~ ~,
tf a.e, OF immunes had made GOOD ,aI p he
VIM t.. He was arrested and cbarged
his .'' me me deed, but he stoutiy maintai5ed d
oro, innocence, and the case was snatI,,
evor ,u Ior want Of direct evidence tJa,t,
lnebrIatasI