The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-04
Incidents of the Departure of Span
iards-A Young Womnn,s Story.

Incidents of the Departure of Span
iards-A Young WOman's story.
CHICAGO Jan. 8. = The Havana CORE
spondent of the Tribune, in describing in
cidents of the change of flags last Sunday,
says: 1T falls to the lot of few men to
drink such bitter cup of humiliation as
Captain General Castellanos was compelled
to drain to the dregs yesterday With Cas-
tellanos the surrender was doubIy hard be-
cause, unlike the majority of Spanish off,
GERS, he has always been personally fond
of Cuba and is far more bound to it by
lifelong associations than he is to Spain
He has lived twenty-five years on the island
His wife is a Cuban. His two sons were
born here. What he gave up yesterday was
not only the last vestige of the Spanish en-
pire in the West Indies, but his own home,
and friends, and country, because for such a
lover of Cuba as Castellanos Spain will be
almost a land Of exile. But, although he
felt all that he was giving up, he compressed
his lips, choked back sobs and went through
it all, as a Cuban insurgent general ex-
pressed it, like Castilan' Yes, Castel-
lanos did credit to the old Castilian blood
that flows through his veins His heroic
self-control in the midst of yesterdays an
guish will forever be a glory to the last
page of the history of Spanish Cuba.
so long as the story of the Spanish march
out of Havana lives in history, so long will
live the story Of Maria Rivero, and the last
cry of Viva Espana! that she gave in
farewell to the last captain general as he
left Havana forever. Maria lives with her
widowed mother and several brothers and
sisters in the last house on o. Reilly street
Just as the broken-hearted Castellanos was
passing under the balcony yesterday Maria
snatched large spanish nag from the wall
and dashed out on the balcony Her black
har was Tying loose in the wind; her face
was tear-stained and wild With all the
tierce abandon of her race she waved the
nag franucally moment and shouted
Viva Espanar Then her womanIiness
asserted itself, and she sank down in a heap
on the balcony, sobbing though her best
friend had died. but thousands of people
on the wharf and housetops heard the cry.
They took it up and re-echoed it.
"Castellanos lifted his white cap and looked
tears.
Your correspondent found Maria Rivero
to-day. She is tall girl apparently about
twenty years old, of a type that is rather ex-
ceptional for Spaniard. Her forehead is
unusually high. her dark brown eyes are
large and wide open, without the usual drop
ing eyelashes. Her features are clearly cut,
and her spirited manner of speaking reminds
one far more Of an Anglo-SaXon than a
Latin.
why did I wave the flag, senor?" she
said in reply to my question. Because my
heart was broken. My father came from
Asturias and when he died eight years ago
his last instruction to US was to love Spain.
l do not know anything about your war or
why the Americans came here / am only
Spanish girl, that is all: and when l saw
my captain general going away l wanted
20 show him that l, too, was sad. You see
that high building across the street; that
is where General Arolas used to live. He
was kind to us during the blockade. When
my mother went to him and told him we
were starving he said: Your husband was
a true Spaniard; if he were alive now he
would be fighting for the Queen; you snail
from his own table every day. 1 remem-
bered that when Castellanos passed under
my balcony yesterday.
But l am not going away am going TO
live here and learn to like the Americans;
why shouldn't 1? was born in Cuba, and
l want to see a Cuban republic here, now
other language but Spanish. Americans
speak so fast and the words seem to come
from above their eyes Only this morning
l saw poor American sentry pacing up
and down in front of the Quartet 1t was
raining and he had no shelter. l wanted TO
ask him to come in and have cup or coTLee'
but 1 could not speak his language.
MY captain general and Spain nave gone;
have folded up my Spanish flag and put 1t
that has the stars and stripes on it?"
An American officer of high rank, who ac-
companied the captain generals party to
the wharf said to-day that it was originally
intended to hold reception in the throne
room Immediately after the surrender,
which would give Castelanos an opportun-
old Havana friends who wished TO shake
his hand and embrace him for the last time.
They were all waiting to receive him when
Castelanos came out Of the reception room
and rushed into a little wardrobe. from
which he snatched his white cap. Turning
to his friends he said, ks voice thick and
husky:
you know me as a soldier of Spain. My
valor has never been questioned. Some OF
you have followed me in battle, My face
has ever been turned toward the enemy.
But in this supreme moment Of my coIr-
try's humiliation / am crushed. am ike
child. May God be with YOU. But cannot
saw goodbye to you Individually"
Then, clutchng General Clous conVuisive-
ly by the wrist, he said;
Come let us so quick I cannot stand
this much longer" and almost ran out Of
the palace On his way he breathed heav-
iIv, like a man in great physical suffering.
When he caught the strains of the Spanish
royal march, played by the Eighth United
States regulars, he turned to Clous and
said: "Gratias, thank you; that is the last
time shall ever hear it in Havana.
AS soon as the government barge left the
wharf General CastellanOs and all his ota-
GERS gathered in the bow and sobbed like
children
CHASED BY CHILKHTS,