The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-11-27
near the line i. considered an insurgent

| 1iSa1 tuS uue Is cOuSioc1 Gu oA AAS~A = 80
and fired on.
Life in this swamp is dreaded by th'
Spanish sciciers, as IS per cent OF thos
stationed there find their way to the hes
4 pitals. suffering from colds, dysentsry
malaria. or the dreaded yellow fever. Th'
eentinelS are supposed to exercise grea
| vigilance but the Cabans cross here
their pleasure
CROSSING THE SWAMP.
Passing the trocha in the swamp il
not so dangerous as il is d.sagreeable
| The insurgents are generally from ons
to four days in crossing, and have to
wade through mud, slime and water up
| TO their waists for more than twelve
| miles. a misstep causes them to sink 10
| the neck. Arriving near the platform. an
| opportunity is waited for. and then a
quick dash is made while the sentine, is
at the further end Of the beat. About
| haif minute is consumed in swimming
| the ditch and jumping over or diving
unde- the bridge. Little fear OF being
| hit by a bulict is entertained by the Gu
bans, as 'ile Spaniards are famed Tor bad
! shooting. he jungle on the other side
| once reached there is no fear OF pursuit..
! as the Span.ards VII not hazard chase
| through the swamp.
Major Paul Ma-ti. .he first Cuban 10
cross the line with dispatches from Co
rnez ID siaceo. ha a tying time. Twice
he was attached by the ailigators that
! infest the southern part Of the swamp.
| and could on'y defend himself with his
machete. as the report Of rifle would
! have disclosed his pl essence to the enemy.
The sentries were very vilisant, and he
and his three companions were compelled
10 wade through the water with only
their heads out until they arrived al the
bridge. AS the unsuspecting sentry
passed they pounced upon him and ran
him through with a machete from be-
hind. and the pocr fellow dropped with
out sound. The Cubans then noiseless-
ly made they way across.
EASY ENOUGH TO CROSS.
Major Sainz who crossed so men.
left such 4 iarge trail behind and made
suc1 noise in crossing that the Span
iarJs were ar las. CONVINCED that it was
comparatively easy matter to pass. A
fort was Immediately bui' ct the point
where SainZ crossed. The day that the
fort was ccinyle;ed /, with nine teen coni-
panions, crossed under cover of dusk.
We had been two days inside the swamp,
without food, and slept with half our
bcdias under water. The crossing was
made With great amount OF noise, and
although We could hear the soldiers talk
ing and singing inside the fort, we were
not discovered. Tie sentinel had prob
ably stepped inside to take drink OF
coffee and erjo;- the music.
Brigadier CURTIN Eandera, with twen-
ty-seven men ard thre. women, crossed
in the same place about three days later.
This being the frs: instance of rebel
-, ;nf 3, r. nra p
known throughout Cuba and created
much unfavorable comment among the
conservative Sraoiards.
General Way,cr called Arolas to ac-
count. but received an answer to the ef-
feet that the t-ocna vas I.ct built to keep
insurgents from stealing across, but for
the purpose OF resisting an open armed
attempt to force the Inc.
From Guanajay IL Mariel the line fol-
lows the high read. and has several very
strong places. rotab,e the estates Las
Canas and Tomasiro. The bay of Mariel
Is patroiled by cunboat and several
small .,oice boats. with The object Of pre-
venting crossing at this point
Gunboats are also permanently sta
toned near the coast rAtremeties of the
line.
FREIGHT-CAR FORTS.
The macadamized read from Mariel to
Guanajay ard from there to Artimiea
and sIangas is patrolied by several
squardons Of ;ight cavalry. The rail-
roads are also protected by forts one kilo
meter apart on either side of Artimisa
for a distance of twenty-five miles.
Trains of freigh. cars transformed into
rolling forts are always on hand at Arti-
misa to send ont at a moments notice.
The principal outpost forts to the west OF
the trocha are situated at Cayajabos,
where military supply depot has been
established at the old estates Jabaco,
Jobo, San Juan de Dios and Bogona.
Several small forts also extend westward
along the edge Of the swamp to prevent
the rebels from entering. Large Spanish
columns are located to the east of the
trocha, in the various towns, so that in
case Maceo should succeed in forcing his
way between the forts ne would be met
and the original plan carried out of fore
ing him TO a decisive engagement.
The trocha, considered from an insur-
gent point of view, is a farce. and indi-
rectly hepls them by keeping about 1000
men from active service in the field.
1 once stated in the Herald that Ma
ceo's object in returning to Pinar del Rio
was to hold the province for the Cubans
and prevent the sugar crop from being
gathered. The Mountainous country in
the province enables Maceo to hold TO his
plan. and the trocha prevents any dissat-
isfed Cubans from returning to the east
in any considerable body. The Spaniards
speak Of him as being in pig pen, which
rather incensed Maceo when he heard ii,
but the pen is so large that it is almost
impossible to corner him.
If Maceo has crossed the trocha with
only small escort then the whole plan
of General Wey,er's campaign will be
changed. as the presence of General Ma
eco in any place seems to have more inn
mediate effect on the Spaniards than that
of any other inSurpen. chief