The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 24, 1898, Page 1

Call ME “VOLU L \\\IV —NO. 24, SAN FRANCISCO, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1898, = — PRICE FIVE CENTS. 'FIERCE FIGHTING GOES ON ALL ALONG THE LINE SPANIARDS DRIVEN OFF THE HILLS Sustain From Heavy Losses the Fire of Shafter’'s Men. During the Landing of Troops Twenty-Five Are Killed of the Enemy and Many Wounded. Santiago, via Port June night. pany’s on several with the Cuban From direction. and are harassing upon Santiago. twenty-five Span 00000CO0000000000000000CCO000C000000CC00000C0000CCO00000000 The Spaniards have plenty of ammunition, but show the effects of the terrible strain they must have been under since the appear- ance of the American troops. Admiral Sampson gave orders that the Texas, Massachusetts and Oregon should maintain a steady fire this morning upon the batteries on' each side and back of Morro Castle. Unless the or- hard all was countermanded fighting is surely going on along the line. A dmiral Sampson also ordered Captain McCalla this morning to keep the Marblehead busy at Guantanamo to-day. The Cu- who came out of Santiago ight report the city suffer- ing terribly. Hunger is encroach- ing upon the citizens and soldiers alike. The citizens of Santiago are already petitioning the Gov- ernor that a surrender be made without fur: lher t,ummg SPANIARDS REPORT SERIOUS FIGHTING AND C_LAIM VICTORY MADRID, June 23—An offi- cial dnsp’ltch from Santiago de Cuba, dated June 23, says: “The attack commenced yes- der 23—Hard though desultory fighting was going on in the moun- tains on all sides of Santiago last Shafter continued the land- ing of troops at the Sigua Iron Com- s docks. While this was going transports proceeded westward twelve miles, and troops were landed to co-operate directly upon the doomed. city from that Santiago 900 Cubans have appeared bodies of Spaniards were driven from the hills in this direction back This was only done after desperate fighting, in which have been killed and twice that number wounded. ON BOARD THE HERALD-CALL ¢ DISPATCH BOAT MINDORA, off ¢ Antonio, Jamaica, 2 forces marching the hills back of the enemy. Two iards are said to QCO0000000000000000CR000000000000000000000000000DBO terday. The enemy concentrated his landing forces in front of Pun- ta Borraco, lying eastward of our left flank, which extended for eight leagues along the coast.” Another official dispatch from Havana says: “The commander at Santiago de Cuba announces that the American squadron has commenced the bombardment and is trying to disembark at 3aiquiri and at Punta Borraco. An American warship has shelled and destroyed a small wooden fort near Cienfuegos. |ed.” News of serious fighting near Santiago de Cuba has been re- ceived here. Admiral Cervera cables that the situation is criti- cal, and the Governor of Santi- ago admits the Spaniards have been obliged to retire, but a Spanish victory is claimed. The Minister for War, General Correa, it is announced, has re- ceived an official dispatch from Santiago de Cuba, announcing “that the Americans’ attack on Punta Borraco has been repulsed after a hard- fought and bloody engagement.” TRANSPORTS AND WARSHIPS SPANIARDS A VIEW OF THE LANDING AND PART OF THE AMERICAN CAMP AT BAIQUIRL This Shows the Burning Town and the Opening of the First Conflict on Cuban Soil Between the American and Spanish Troops. CUBAN, ouTpasT! L Assistance of the Outposts Which Were Attacked by the Spaniards. From a Description by Telegraph. AMERICAN"TAMP The Troops Are Marching Out on the Road to the Baiquiri. It is near to the coast, and is under the guns of the American fleet. Cable dispatches received here |from Admiral Cervera say the crews of the Spanish warships at Santiago have joined the land forces in order to take part in the defense of the city. the situation is critical, but a later dispatch affirms that the Span- iards “have victoriously repulsed the enemy.” A dispatch from the Governor of Santiago de Cuba says: “The Seven | Spaniards were slightly wound- | Punta Borraco is |, attack on Seboney and Baiquiri continued until nightfall. the left at Baiquiri, where the in consequence of the flanking my, who landed several kilomet- ers east of Baiquiri. The Span- ish forces retired in good order into the mountains. Seboney and Borraco were destroyed by the American shells.” official note was issued “in order to avoid a misunderstanding,” pointing out that merely the Spanish retired and took up a| position in the mountains, owing to the Americans landing nine kilometers east of Baiquiri, where there were no Spanish troops, and endeavoring to outflank the Spaniards. He adds that | The | | enemy were repulsed except on | Spaniards were obliged to retire | movement on the part of the ene- | During the afternoon a semi- | The note then points out that “this part of the country is very unhealthy and that yellow jack 15 rampant.” The Spanish official dispatches | are announced to have created “an excellent impression” here, as indicating the “immense dif- | ficulties of the advance on Santi- |ago de Cuba.” | The dispatches from Cuba were read in the Senate here to- day, whereupon the ~Senators made patriotic speeches. Sena- | tor Navarro Rodrigo- - dectared | Europe and the whole world is “committing a great and. most horrible crime against = hu- manity in allowing Spain to be crushed by brutal weight of num- | bers.” Continuing, the Senator dilat- | ed upon the grave danger to the | Latin and Slavonic races, “if Eu- rope tolerates Anglo-Saxon pre- ponderance.” The budget was then adopted which will permit the “Govern- ment to suspend the sitting of the | Cortes. The newspapers talk of a possi- {ble change of Ministry next | week. LONDON, June 24.—The | Madrid correspondent of the | Times says: “The Government shas received an additional dis- | patch from Cuba, not yet pub- lished, to the effect that Spanish | NVUURRUREIUIVIRQN 2 AGENTS SOUNDING & s SPANISH PEOPLE. ZSI LONDON, J_\:;: 24—The Ma- %2 drid correspondent of the Morn- ing Post says: “The Government, it is re- ported, has authorized its agents throughout the country to as- certain the opinion of the people as to the desirability of termi- nating the war. Senor Sagasta & will announce the result after % the Cortes is prorogued.” HELERIBLERWVLERIURISR . A . reinforcements are being con- centrated on Santiago. ONLY TWO HUNDRED CUBANS JOINED IN A PLANNED ATTACK Special cable to The Call and the New York Herald. Copyrighted, 1895, by James Gor- don Bennett. PORT ANTONIO, Jamaica, June 23.— Two hundred Cubans frem General Ce- brecos’ camp, six miles west of Sap- tiago, attacked the Spanish outposts west of Santiago this afternoon. The Cubans were led by Colonel Cebrecos, the general’s brother. General Shafter’s plan called for a force of 2000 Cubans, and had that number responded and had they obeyed, General Shafter's hope of drawing the Spaniards in force west- ward while he disembarked eastward would surely have been successful, but the Spaniards moved in neither direc- tion and stayed entrenched at Santiago. The rifle fire of a handful of Cubans and the presence of two transports and one schooner and the accustomed bom- bardment from sea was not enough to convince them that the Americans in- tended to make a landing. The Cubans say that the non-arrival of promised food prevented them from | ridges for miles. concentrating 2000 men. However, they contend they have driven 400 Span- fards from Coletta, a most important | outpost. Had the full design carried General Shafter would have been in | control of the nearest hill to Santiago, | within half range and upon the flank of | - | the harbor entrance and could easily destroy them, allowing Sampson to % | drag torpedoes and capture or destroy | the Spanish ships and incidentally have | Santiago city and the troops there at| his mercy. » | SHELLS MAKE THE SPANIARDS SCAMPER LIKE JACKRABBITS PLAYA DEL ESTE, Guantanamo Bay. province of Santiago de Cuba, Thursday afternoon, June 23, 2:07. —Before the landing yesterday the fleet in front of E! Morro opened out and the ships steaming along between San- tiago and Balquiri, to prevent re-en- foseements by the railroad to the latter point, shelled every village on the coast. The Bancroft, Wilmington and Vixen digcovered a regiment of Spanish sol- diers defiling down the road to Jura- gua and their shells sent them scamper- ing up the hills like jackrabbits. The warships, before the landing, shelled the town of Baiquiri and the surrounding hills for half an hour. What remained of the smoldering vil- lage was wrecked, the crash of the guns rending the rock and reverberat- ing among the hills. Great smoke banks drifted in shore, completely veiling the one-pound Colt guns in the bows and the Tecumseh and Suwanee covered the | landing inside the pier. The firing was reopened after the As- | sociated Press dispatch boat Dauntless left. property at Baiquiri are owned by a Baltimore company. — - SPANIARDS REFUSE TC COME OUT AND FIGHT IN THE OPEN SANTIAGO DE CUBA (by the Her- Steam launches with | The iron mines and most of the | ald-Call dispatch boat to Port Antonio, Jamaica), June 23.—The apparent les- son drawn from yesterday’'s general | attack covering fully twelve miles of shore line is that the Spaniards have decided to remain sullenly within the trenches nearest Santiago, and there await attack by the American forces. | Every opportunity was given them yes- terday to come out and fight with a su- periority of position and numbers in their favor. They refused to accept the iLhzill?nSn‘. and fought only where di- rectly attacked. The determination of | the Spaniards is somewhat disappoint- | ing to General Shafter, as it probably means a prolongation of the Santiago campaign, yet it is isfactory in that | it simplifies matters, and the American | general knows exactly what task con- | fronts him. The armies will close in on the city as soon as the commissary department completes its arrangements. | Onme of Shafter's aides at midnight | predicted the fall of Santiago within ten days. TWO OF MKINLEY’S NEPHEWS ARE PRIVATES The President Preferred to Have His Relatives Fight in the Ranks. WASHINGTON, June 23.—Two near relatives of President McKinley have enlisted in the volunteer army as pri- vate soldiers. They are his nephews, John Dewalt Barber and James Fuller | McKinley. Both have been his guests | at the White House for some time. The President has been urged by some of their friends to appoint them second lieutenants in the army, but he de- | clined to exercise his prerogative in this matter in favor of his relatives, and said that inasmuch as they were willing to enlist as privates, he would prefer that they do so, and that course | was followed by both. The young men enlisted in the Eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, now camped at Falls Church. ST Correspondent Imprisoned. LONDON, June 24.—According to a spe- clal dispatch from Gibraltar, it is re- ported that at San Fernando, near Cadiz, the correspondent of the New York Her ald has been thrown into prison. situated a short distance from) “ REMEMBER THE MAINE.” As the Coast Defense Steamer Monadnock Steamed Out of the Harbor Yesterday on Her Way to Join Dewey’s Fleet at Manila Captam Whltmg Ordered the Signal Flags * Remember the Maine’’ Flown From the Peak. When the Crowds Along the Front Recognlzed the Signql They Sent ‘Back an Answering Cry That Could Be Heard Half Way to Oak- land and ‘“Remember the Mdine’’ Echoed arld Re-echoed Along the Front Zntii‘the Monadnock Was Past Fort Point.