The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-20


and available for any intelligent SER
vice), seizing vacant stores in all parts
of the city. rushing into them bounti-
full supplies sent by our liberal govern
ment and in two brief days from the
hour of occupation. the doors were
thrown open, flags were raised and
food was fairly thrown into the count
less outstrctched hanGs Of The doubt
ing, starving, wildly frantic multitudes
that fought for a space at the doors of
those blessed relief stores. And thes.
scenes were continued far into the
nights and it was many days before
the hungered unfortunates were at last
fed TO a calm and reasoning condition.
That terrible wolf, hunger. vanished.
But of the sanitary state of things.
The filth was everywhere and astound.
ingly abundant. The innumerable
odors. the stencil of dead dogs. mules,
horses and humans was most sicken-
ing. in fact, some narrow streets wera
absolutely impassible, the stencil was
so great.
| In the now pretty plaza fronting the
| official palace was a vast pile OF reek-
| ing flth also another. even worse. in
front OF the Anglo American club,each
| OF which, in due time. filled dozen
| army wagon boxes and hundreds OF
similar piles lay in the streets, vacant
| lots, house yards. stables anu the yer?
numerous hillside gulleys Cor gulches),
reculia' in this city. Fully 1oG horses
and mules lay dead in tho streets about
the city. In one stable that had been
occupied as barracks by the Spanish
artillery I found about twenty mules
abandoned by their cowardly keepers.
unfed misunderstanding. Several
were dead. The number of dead dogs
was mystifying until it was explained
that for weeks previous the hilarious
Spanish soldiers quartered in town en-.
joyed rracticing their sharpshooting
skill by potting at the dogs.
| HORRIBLE STATE OF AFFAIRS.
| Everywhere were seen small groups
| carrying dead people to the cemetery.
| These could scarcely be described as
| funerals" for the dead were mostly
enclosed in a rude box and carried bal
| anced on the head Of one or may be
| two men. Fully 100 dead people were
then lying abandoned N the tenements
(and in some very respectable DWELL
| ings), in all parts of the city. and the
| people were dying at the rate of from
$50 to upwards of 200 daily--often alone,
children separated from their parents.
or, maybe. were strangers Of the rural
Observation-Disclosures and un-
known.
And in great focks in the streets or
circling in vast numbers just over the
roofs of the city were those sinister in
dicators OF filth and disease-tho buz
yards! and yet they were the then only
sanitary aids and friends to the people
OF this city.
But this frightful death rate was
very quickly reduced to reasonable
numbers by the energetic efforts Of
General Wood in supplying food and
in opening numerous places where doc
tors, medicine and care could be pro-
vided. Also In aiding in reuniting thu
separated families and compelling all
to seek houses (thc matter Of rent or
owners title cut no figure those days..
and SO very rapidly out of the chaotic.
insane confusion were evolved order,
homes. food, labor for men. laundry
work for men, clothing for the naked
and soon peace and a reeling of sccur-
ity and content prevailed in Santiago
for the first time in years. Perhaps
more real and assured than in all it's
centuries.
| Political prisoners were released from
their cells. the almost daily slaughter
ing of men by soldiers in front Of that
bull-pen wall of cruel memories was
now ended and the true Interpretation
of the pursuit Of peace. happiness and
prosperity of mankind" that the Ameri-
can flag typifies and maintains was
realized by the lOng-oppressed people.
CLEANING THE CITY.
The task of cleaning the city began
on the 22d. At a. m. found in the
Plaza de Armes crowd of 1000 men
and more. eagerly awaiting me, and
their excitement was great to be given
a broom and shovel and be counted
in for that blessed one dollar and one
ration of food per day! And they
knew. with not doubt. it was a sure
reward, for it was ar American, not a
Spanish promise. All were employed.
l afterwards found among these law
yers, merchants, professors, doctors
and many others Of intelligence and
high social standing, who needed food
and would not beg for it. Men were
sufficient. but tools for the work was
the next very serious perplexing prob
lem.
Hurry was the order and the need
of the hour. The hardware stores were
sought and some interesting facts were
learned
Street push brooms, squilgees, scrap.
ers and such street cleaning imple-
ments SO familiar in all American cite.
were unknown here. And the light gar.
den rake, the simple thin blade hoe and
the common barnyard pitchfork wer,
also not to be had, for nobody evel
used such things here. OF wheelbar
rows l succeeded in gathering about q
dozen in the entire city. Not shove
could be obtained in any store, and the
scarcity was explained that some week.
previous the Spanish officers had seizet
everything of the shovel kind (anC
never paid for them. of course, the
polite Spanish way of doing things!
for use in digging the great network o.
trenches to keep out the Yankee in
vaders, and when done the shovels wer,
cast away where they quit their work
CHASTITY SCENES.
Army wagons and details of mel
We're promptly sent out along thos,
trenches and it happened that abou
400 shovels We're gathered i'm. Also tina
the bodies Of two Spanish soldiers wer,
found hidden in the deep underbrust
wherein they had probably crawlet
badly wounded and soon died. and hat
not been found by the burial parties.
And of wagons! All Of the very few
, of the United States army service wer,
imperatively needed to haul the dali,
} supply of food to the American camps
| nj n a n nj Oh, ,,ic