The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-12-27
THEDEFENSEOT HAVANA
Active Preparations to Repol the
Insurgent Advance,
GOVERNMENT SURPRISING NEWS.

That the Cuban Capital Ia In Danger Is
Evidenced by the Extraordinary Efforts
Made for Defending It--Insurgents Plen-
tifully Supplied with Ammunition.
HAVANA, Dec. 27-Sinco the arrival
here Wednesday night of Captain General
Martinez de Campos from Matanzas he
has been in conference with leading mill.
tary and naval officials, the civil digni-
taries, and the leaders of the different po-
litical parties. They assembled at the pal
ace and during the course Of number of
patriotic speeches pledged their uncondi.
tional support to the government in its
Efforts to suppress the insurrCction, and
promised TO do everything possible in the
way of moral and actual assistance.
News from the front seems to be inter
rupted both by rail and telegraph, and no
Information is obtainable concerning the
movements of the insurgents The cap
tain general, upon his arrival here an
nounced that the Spanish troops in Ma
tanzas occupied advantageous positions,
and that the Cubans would either be COM
PEELED to fight pitched battle in that
province or surrender 1t is not generally
Gomez and Maceo upon Havana has really
been stopped.
In support of this it is said thatif Gomez
and Maceo were retreating, the govern
ment would not be slow in making public
every item of news obtainable concerning
this feature Of the hitherto triumphant
march of the insurgents from the province
of Puerto Principe, through the province
of Santa Clara, into the province of Ha-
vana, in spite of the numerous columns of
Spanish troops in the territory traversed
The fact is that so many announcements
of the defeat and retreat of the insurgents
have been made that it will require strong
confirmation to make anybody here be-
lieve thaU such is an actual fact. When
the insurgents first entered the province
of Santa Clara it was announced that they
had been defeated with great loss, and
had retreated across the border But the
next news received from the front was
that the Cuban army was threatening
Placetas, more than half way between the
border and the capitol, Santa Clara, and
since then they have apparently pushed
onward with little or no interruption.
The absence of news of the movements
of the insurgents is causing some anxiety
among their friends here, but they claim
that Gomez and Maceo are in possession
of the railroad and telegraph lines, and
that it was with difficulty that Campos
succeeded in reaching Havana. BE that
as it may, the only news obtainable is that
furnished by rumor, and if the authorities
are in possession of any additional facts
all such matter is carefully suppressed.
In the meanwhile active preparations are
being made here for the defense of the
city and for forwarding to the front all the
troops which can be spared. 1t is under
stood that the Spanish columns in the rear
of the insurgent army have been ordered to
concentrate as quickly as possible about
the frontier of ,Matanzas and that every
effort is to be made to prevent the retreat
of the Cubans into Santa Clara.
While these preparations are being
made to apparently stop the insurgents
from escaping back into Santa Clara, the
land Notifications of Havana are receiving
attention day and night. A number of
additional earthworksl have been thrown
up during the last month also, and these
are being hastily completed and supplied
with guns as rapidly as possible. The
magazines are being plentifully supplied
with ammunition, and the outpOsts of the
Spanish troops around Havana are being
strengthened and more securely fortified,
There is considerable speculation here as
to the actual number of men under the
command of Gomez and Maceo. The
| highest estimates have it that the Cuban
army numbers 10, 600 men, while the low
est number of followers the insurgent
leaders are credited with having under
their command is 5000. 1t is to be pre-
sumed however, that Gomez and MaceO
may have 10000 men with them, as they
are known to have been joined by large
numbers Of adherents since they entered
the province of Matanzas. The insurgents
have also been plentifully supplied with
ammunition, said to have been stored for
| their use at different points and accumu-
| lated and hidden for months past
/ A conservative estimate of the force at
/ the disposal here of the captain general
/ has been made, and it is estimated that he
has 10000 regulars and about 10000 volun
teers with which to meet the insurgent
| army.