The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-07-26
PLAN TO WRECK CUBA
DYNAMITE EXPEDITION TO SET OUT
FROM AMERICA VERY SHORTLY.

Balloons to Drop Observation-Disclosures
Think Whole Towns Will Be Destroyed.
Plans fastened, and Heavy Work Will
Soon Begin.
"Our dynamite expedition is to start
In about ten days, said the secretary Of
The Cuban club of Harlem to reporter
"The recent action of the Spanish
government will force the Cubans' hand
sooner than was intended. According to
the plan of campaign agreed on in May,
guerrilla warfare was to be kept up I'M
til the close of the yellow fever season
in the autumn. Then large bodies of
troops were to attack all along the line.
whether the dynamite expedition
will start from near Perth Amboy, New
London or Philadelphia I cannot tell
We shall have about $50 men ready to
embark on a sailing vessel.
"We shall not carry large supply of
arms and ammunition. The feature will
be dynamite. We propose to send
couple of expert engineers by another
boat few days ahead, SO that they will
be on the island ready to cooperate
when the dynamite arrives.
"We shall carry lot of Fourth of
July balloons to be used in new and
startling way for war purposes. These
balloons are propelled by the fumes of
burning alcohol They can easily be
kept afloat 10 or 10 minutes, according
to the size of the sponge and the amount
of alcohol in the sponge when lighted.
One of these toy balloons will carry
three to five pounds of dynamite. BY
starting the balloon on the windward
side of town the current will easily
carry it high enough above the build
ings to drop the dynamite among the
Spaniards and blow up their works.
"Our experiments prove that the feat
will be attended with no peril and will
be sure to work terrible destruction in
the enemy's towns. No matter how the
wind may blow, we shall be on the right
side of a fort for the wind to watt our
balloons directly over the point to be
destroyed, and the amount of alcohol
will be adjusted to drop the dynamite
exactly where we want it to fall.
"Suppose we are ON the west side of
a town of 10000 inhabitants, with
breeze blowing from the west. At
O'Clock in the morning we can start
three or four of these balloons, each
carrying say five pounds of dynamite,
making 10 or 10 pounds in all.
"Thunderbolts and earthquakes could
not be more dreadful in their havoc.
fancy that any escaping soldiers who
III, 70 fln II 70
would be glad to be taken prisoners,
even By the most desperate Cubans.
Death by the machete would be far
preferable to being torn to pieces by dy-
Mantle. When we drop our explosives
into forts, the air will be black with fly
ing masonry and missiles far more de-
structive than grape and canister.
"We propose to give the Spaniards
something to talk about in the next few
months. The horrors of the yellow fever
will be forgotten when we begin to rain
dynamite from balloons.
''The public should not imagine that
all our work is being done by profess
sional filibusters. Our plans are so far
advanced now that think 1 may risk
saying that these professionals do US
great service in attracting the attention
Of Spanish agents from our real plans of
operation. Professional filibusters make
much noise. Patriots who are fighting
for home and country, wives and chill
dren, honor and free flag, say little
You will hear from them when Cuba is
free. We find that the best materials
for recruiting our ranks is the class of
men who fought SO we'll in your late
civil war.
"Now that the harvests are nearly
over we shall have no difficulty in en-
listing recruits among the young men
of the interior-sober, honest Ameri-
cans. They will not sell us out like
many of the half breed filibusters, who
are always treacherous when there is
much Spanish gold about New York
World.