The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-03-04
FIFTEEN THOUSAND LOST
SPANISH SOLDIERS IN CUBA WHO
CANNOT BEAccOUNTEO FOR.

| ''''S OG HSSOOlN EO FOH.
The Authorities Have No Record of them--
Search for Them Going on Day and
Night---The War So Far Great success
for the Cubans.
New YORK, Feb. 26.-A dispatch
from Havana to the Mail and Express
says there are Is, 900 Spanish soldiers
missing somewhere in Cuba. The fact
has been communicated to the Madrid
government and the search for their
whereabouts is going on day and night.
They' are perhaps, lost only so FAR as
the record is concerned, and may be
accounted for in time, but such care
!essness Or worse, as may be revealed
IN the investigation, has upset official
circles IN Haoana to something ap-
proacnlng state of alarm. for Il. 900
men with 1000 rifles and 500, 900 cart
ridges Is an enormous item in the
Spanish army. The disappearance
OF the men will ultimately be traced
to one Or three causes: Deaths in bat
tie, the real number of which has been
concealed to hide Spanish losses: de-
tails to positions n various parts of
the island, of which no record has
been kept, or deserters to join the in
surgents. It may be that all three
causes nave contributed to the discrep-
ancy- It is entirely improbable that
the whole $1,000 have gone "to the
woods, although the Spanish records
SHOW that entire garrisons have Joined
the rebels with their arms in every
province in the island.
Possibly the extent Of this loss has
been purposely kept out of the records
although there is no reason that, Off
clally, 1t should not be known to the
administration. It is said that Cam
DOS stationed small bodies of 50 or 100
men IN numerous places, often doing
so IN circumstances which resulted in
no official record OF the division of a
detachment being placed in the books
at the palace; but carelessness of that
q ature on such grand scale not only
seems out OF the question, but the bal
ance would have been shown before
this as result of the order issued by
General Weyler several days ago for
report from every commander show.
ing the number, position and condi-
ton of his force.
The responses to this, it is said, have
increased the confusion, and there are
reports now from reliable sources that
there are 10000 men instead of Is, 900
to be accounted for.
The expectation that many losses in
engagements have not been sent in re.
celves support from the known falsity
OF those reports, which has repeatedly
been pointed out. That 700 Spanish
should attack 5000 rebels. that a little
oattlet lasting seven hours should
ensue, and that only one Spanish SOL
dler should be wounded las was told
ln a report from Santa Clara last week.
indicates that the Spanish soldiers
have charmed lives, or that an euor-
nous amount of lying is being done.
How far this has been carried in the
past can be shown by a few figures:
and they may account for the present
difficulty.
THE TEN YEARS WAR.
During the ten years war profes.
sor OF languages here in Habana. an
American of Cuban birth, kept sys-
tematically a record of he Cuban
losses reported in the authorized pub
LEGATIONS in Habana. He made it all
IN detail, giving the date of each enea-
cement, the locality, the number of
men on each side and the Cuban losses
in killed, wounded, prisoners and
horses. At the end Of the war his to-
tails were as follows: Cuban losses
1876, ,S56 killed, 726, 400 wounded. 451.-
| GOO prisoners, and little over 500, 600
horses killed or captured. The entire
population of the island was only L.
$50, 900, or less than the number of
killed, wounded and prisoners.
La curious contrast with this are the
Spanish figures of their own losses,
which follow. To show their real
significance give also the number of
men the Spanish army had in the is
land during each of the years for
which the losses are given: