St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-14
FIRES NEAR HAVANA
CITIZENS ALARMED AT THE WORK
OF THE INSURGENT
TORCH.
TWO SMALL TOWNS BURNING.
ENEMY ONLY FIVE MILES AWAY.
But NOT VENTURING TO
ENTER.
GEN. DE cAMpos DIsHEARTENED.
He Is Not Afraid, However, That
the Rebels Will Attack the
Capital City.

HAVANA Jan. 13.-There was an
other alarm here this afternoon. Clouds
of smoke were seen rising in the di-
rection of the village of Vegas, near
San Francisco de Paula, a small town
only about five miles distant This was
followed by red glare, showing that
great fire was in progress. The
alarm spread throughout the city, and
the report was again circulated that
the insurgents were approaching. But
this was as nothing to the feeling OF
terror which came over the more timid
portion of the population when still
larger fire was seen to have broken
out. This time it was made out that
the town Of San Francisco de Paula
had been fired by the insurgents The
alarm increased, though the author
tiles professed to sneer at the matter
claiming that the fires were only the
FORK Of few beaten and retreating
insurgents who had been driven to
desperation. In spite of these assur-
ances, and the statement that the
Spanish generals have for three days
past been aware of the whereabouts
of Gen. MaXimo Gomez, and completely
ignore his presence near Havana, 1T is
claimed that the troops must be very
busily engaged elsewhere for the in
surgents to be able to burn a town
and a village within sight of Havana
and yet remain unattached by gov
ernment forces. The greatest appre-
hension here is for the safety of the
water works which supply Havana.
The friends of the insurgents have
repeatedly asserted that they expected
popular demonstration in this city
as soon as the enemy arrived in sight
of Havana. But they are now prac-
tically in sight, and yet there are no
signs of an uprising, and the author
tiles claim that there is absolutely no
danger of an outbreak Every meas
ure which it is possible to take for the
defense Of the city and in order to
protect property has been taken. In
addition to the military, volunteers
and civil guards, all the different
branches of business have organized
special corps Of men, who will take
part in the defense of Havana against
an enemy from without or within.
NOT AFRAID OF THEM.
OF course insurgents in small bands
may succeed in approaching still nearer
to Havana, the Spanish authorities
admit; but the military men insist that
they have completed their plans to
drive the insurgents out of this prov
ince; and they seem to pay little or no
attention to the movements of the
enemy about Havana, relying on the
strong garrison, powerful forts and the
warships to defeat any attempt to
make a dash into the city
Although the Spanish authorities are
making the best of the situation, it is
known that the captain-general is very
much diSheartened at the turn events
have taken during the last six weeks
and rumor succeeds rumOr, day by day.
of his probable retirement from the
command of the Spanish forces, if not
his return to Spain. He attributes a
great deal of the success of the enemy
to their great superiority in moving
quickly from point to point, and is still
confident that if he is supplied with a
sufficient number of cavalry regiments
he will be able to eventually put down
the inSurrection This, however, is
a view of the situation which is not
taken by all thoughtful people here,
and the adherents of the Spanish gov
ernment are longing to hear of a de-
ciSive victory for the Spaniards and Of
the arrival of further reinforcements
from Spain. The insurgents, accord
ing to reports, now have as many men
as they want, but are still sadly in need
of arms and ammunition. This is
said to be the main difficulty under
which the insurgents are laboring, and
the feature of their campaign which is
the most difficult to overcome 1t is
known. however, that they are receiv-
ing support in many quarters hitherto
opposed to them, and they are expect
ing the arrival of supplies on the north
ern coast of Pinar del Rio, where
Garcia recently landed at the head Of
an expedition.
MONEY FOR SUPPLIES
The insurgents, it is stated, have sent
large sums of money through secret
agents to the United States for the
purpose of purchasing arms and ammu-
milton. the money having been raised
in different ways from the planters and
others. Charles Salomon, the CORES
pondent of a New York newspaper,
who arrived here on board the steam
ship Seneca, was detained by the police,
charged, it is believed, with having
compromising letters in his possession.
He was sent back to New York.