The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-12-24
A MOMENT Y
= OF PERIL.

Santiago had capitulated Gen. Toral
had surrendered the town, and the
Americans were to take formal posses
sion of it on the morrow. Through
some inexplicable reason, Gen. Shat
ter declared that no correspondents
were to be admitted with the Ameri-
can troops. There were only a GER
tain number of selected troops to be
allowed in, and correspondents were
barred. The Americans were natural
ly extremely indignant and spoke Of
lodging formal protest.
left that part of 1t to the Ameri-
cans. 1 had formed project, on my
own account, of seeing the surrender
without disobeying the order Of en-
tering with the American troops In
order to do this | determined to enter
the city, not from the American but
from the Spanish side. The railway
from Daqueri went round the coast,
passing over the high bridge Of Aqua
dores, and l meant to have a try if
could not enter along the railway line,
and be there before the Americans en-
tered at IL o'clock. Late in the even
ing l started for Siboney, and reached
1t about 10 o'clock. 1 struck the camp
of one of my friends among the Amer1-
can correspondents. 1t was left in
the charge of a solitary servant, who
had his face swollen up and most fear
fully distorted from the bite of snake,
he declared, which he had received the
ninh hafn hn cfa Cd
hills some of the few houses which
fringed the beach were being burned
that night on account Of the yellow
fever.
A strange pyrotechnic display was in
progress. The light wooden houses
cracked and Missed, and sent up
showers of sparks. The servant was
too upset by his accident to prepare
meal, so, after some cold coffee and a
few hardtack-as the army biscuit is
called-for supper, l lay down On my
blanket On the sand, with the warmth
Of the burning houses glowing on me
on one side ana the waves of the lazy
Caribbean Sea singing lullaby on the
other. | woke at sunrise, and saw
quite near nae train with some work
men who were repairing the line. 1t
was just time to start. Without wait
ing for my breakfast, got on one Of
the trucks, glad to have the chance of
getting a lift. Tie train proceeded
cautiously, passing here and there
blockhouses badly riddled by shot and
shell, until we came to point where
the line was torn up where the men
detrained for the purpose of repairing
1t. Beyond this had to proceed alone.
The sun had risen in cloudless sky
and even at that hour of the morning
the heat in the confined air of the
railway cutting was excessive. After
over an hours walking, I reached the
high trestled bridge of Aquadores. It
was built across a chasm, at the bot
tom of which torrent surged over
jagged rocks. There was single line
of rails on top Of the trestles, without
fence Or balustrade on either side.
started across the bridge. Between the
narrow gagged sleepers there was a
loose, rough boarding for the first span
l.
ably; but suddenly the boarding be-
tween the intervening sleepers stopped
at intervals, and then / found myself
stepping from one to another of the
sleepers with no boarding between
The bridge was at an immense height,
and it was giddy sensation looking
down at the rushing water far below.
A breeze was blowing on my right, and
at each gust I instinctively leaned to
windward to balance myself. 1t was
ticklish work going across this space,
and experienced feeling of relief
on reaching boarded patch. My high
hunting boots with thick soles were
not the best things in the world for
such an acrobatic performance and
made matters worse when the sleepers
were loose.
Reaching one of the boarded GASES,
sat down on the rails to rest, but
Jumped up suddenly, as the sun had
made the iron too uncomfortably hot
for my thin garments. There were
only two more spans to pass. l slung
my camera and glasses on my back SO
as to leave my arms free for balancing,
and then stepped out along the sleep
ers. They were just at that awkward
width that made it necessary, especial
ly with such breeze blowing, to keep
striding on and on in steady swing
without stopping. / could not but look
down through the horrible, yawning
blank below, as at each pace had to
select the sleeper on which next to put
my foot. Every now and then there
was an awkward loose sleeper that
wobbled hastily as I stood on or kicked
off from it.
But had only one more span to 60.
A feeling Of terrible dizziness from the
height was coming over me. felt l
was absolutely alone, and my whole
zesn III @-s
tx $50 go