The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-18
CUBAN CHATTER.
ANTONIO 1IAoEo MAKING GREAT
PROGRESS.
General Echague and His Bit of
Strategy Insurgents burning
Stations and Warehouses.

HAVANA, Feb. 17.-Antonio Maceo
is fairly within the province OF Ha-
vana and east of the Batabano trocna'
and if he has not joined forces with
Maxine Gomez he is In a position to
do SO when he pleases. Large forces
of insurgents are also within reach OF
Matanzas province, where they are
overrunning the country and DONG
much damage The whereabouts OF
Maxine Gomez is not known, as ne
has not led any large aggressive move
ments for some time. He seems TO nave
lapsed into condition or seeming
apathy, like that which cnaracterl.eu
his stay in Puerto Principe, while An
tonic Maceo was waging an energetic
campaign in Santiago de Cuba. AS that
period of seeming apathy on Gomez
mart terminated with his entrance into
Santa Clara and his dashing march
westward almost to the gates OF Ha-
vana, showing how busy he had oeen
in making effective preparations, the
authorities do not allow themselves TO
count much upon his present quleluu.e-
The last reported of Gomez he was IN
the neighborhood Of San Antonio de
Las Vegas, a little west of the center
of Havana province. This town has
been, to a large extent, the headquar-
tiers of the insurgents for some time
past. and has been in their hands. In
fact number of the officials of the
town went over to the insurgents.
Yesterday Antonio Maceo, with his
large following from Pinar del Rio,
made known his presence about San
Antonio de Las Vegas. His band, to-
gether with Miro and Castillo, were
attacked at that town yesterday by
column Of troops under Colonel Sc
gura and an engagement of some i'm
portance ensued. Colonel Segura, in
his official report relates that his
forces took the town and dislodged the
insurgents, who .retreated to hill at
Culebra. There they took positions
and prepared to make a stand. But the
artillery was brought to play upon
them and they were charged with the
bayonet, the cavalry at the same time
charging them. This broke their for
nation and they retreated, leaving II
dead, besides Il horses, some arms
and a quantity of ammunition. They
also carried off numbers of wounded.
Colonel Segura also engaged a por-
ton of Maceo's command at Vapor,
where a vanguard of sixty and a main
body of 500 insurgents were passing.
The insurgent loss at that point was
three killed and twelve wounded.
General Echague employed a bit of
strategy to come up with the insur-
gents. He embarked his command
upon a train made up to resemble a
freight train. The insurgents Bistook
it for a freight train near Molina and
surrounded it with the intention of
destroying it. General Echa gue's force
attacked them. and taking them by
surprise, caused them a considerable
loss in killed and wounded.
The Spanish authorities here COM
ment upon Antonio Maceo's return to
Havana province by stating that he
came with 1900 men from the eastern
provinces, and that he has returned
from Pinar del Rio to Havana with
about zoo men, Even if he left some
men in Pinar del Rio, they say, these
figures prove that he sustained a great
loss while in that province.
A group of insurgents have burned
the stations at Minas, Campo and
Florida, and the warehouse of San
Miguel, near Havana, on the railroad
to Matanzas.