The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-07-16
vile plan TO WRECK CUBA
Dynamite Expedition to Set Out
From America Very Shortly,
Balloons to Drop Explosives. The in
surgents Think Whole Towns Will
BE Destroyed. Plans fastened
and Heavy Work Will Very
Shortly Begin.

"Our dynamite expedition Is TO start
IN about ten days, said the secretary of
the Cuban club of HARLEM to reporter
1.-THE recent action of the Spanish
government will force the Cubans' hand
sooner than was intended. According to
She plan of campaign agreed on in May,
guerrilla warfare was to be kept up un-
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 Araboy, New
London car Philadelphia cannot tell
We shall have about 100 men ready to
embark on sailing vessel
We shall NOT carry "a large supply Of
arms and ammunition. The feature will
be dynamite. We propose TO send a
couple Of expert engineers by aRother
boat few days ahead SO that they will
he on the island ready to cooperate
when the dynamite arrives.
rive shall carry lot Of Fourth of
DULY balloons to he used in new and
startling way for war purposes. These
balloons are propelled by the fumes of
burning alcohol. They can easily be
kept atloat 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 1t high enough above the build
sr,rrs tn Il h..
,Spaniards and blow up their works
Our experiments prove that the feat
viii be attended with no peril and will
be sure to work terrible destruction in
the enemy towns No matter how tho
wind may blow, we shall DO OH the right
side of 4 fort for the wind to watt our
balloons directly over the point to DO
destroyed, and tho amount of alcohol
Will he adjusted to drop the dynamite
exactly whore we want it to fall
Suppose we are on the west side Of
q town of 1000 inhabitants, with a
breeze blowing from the west. At
O'Clock i'll the morning we can start
three OF four Of these balloons, each
carrying say five pounds of dynamite.
making IL or 10 pounds in all
"Thunderbolts and earthquakes could
not be more dreadful in their havoc. 1
fancy that any escaping soldiers who
may chance to survive tho dynamite
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.
'"fhe public should not imagine that
al our work is being done by profes-
slonal fihbusters. Our plans are so far
advanced now that think may risk
.faylng that those professionals do us
great service IN attracting the attention
OF Spanish agents from our real plans of
operation. Professional filibustors make
much noise. Patriots who are fighting
Tor 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
1or 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 lnterior-sober, honest Aneri-
cans. They will not soil us out like
many OF the half breed tilbusters, who
are always treaeherons when there is
much Spanish gold about New York
World.