Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-18

An IMPOSSIBLE TASK n FRoHT.

One q 0aceo's STAG Describes tie Way HI
stroagholds Are Protected with TRAPS
and Mines is Al0ess lnsccesseble F1eccs
-Iwessy Thsssasd Well Armed Mes h
the Preeipissss laiils whe Ca vaahA
Leaving Death Behind The..
New Orleans. Nov. IS. - Captain
Armando Andre. one OF the youngest
and bravest Of General Maceo's star.
and Manuel n. Coronado. OF Havana.
Coronado says he left Havana 60 save
himself. he having been summoned for
trial ON the charge Of being In close
communication with the insurgents.
and acting As their agent. These
charges were not true. though my
sympathies are with the people," said
he. The Cubans are lighting for life.
for liberty. for oil they possess. and
You know when . man Nights for that
he fights hard. The outcome. I have
no doubt. will mean victory for the
Cuban arms. Further than that I do
not care to speak"
Ms-eo nss $1,000 weii-Armed Mes.
In an interview In answer Go qucs-
lions Captain Andre said: General
Maceo counts I'm the province OF Pinar
del Rio some 5000 men OF all arms.
which are divided in groups of 600 and
over. or less. rs the case may be. and
which operate each In one district. but
In constant communication with the
general headquarters OF the main army.
Maceo with his stan and perhaps 1000
men has his headquarters In the hills
between San Cristobai and Cayabcs.
The men are all well clothed and fed.
having plenty OF ammunition. and viii
give an account Of themselves"
Hts Position IL Dmpr~guaasle.
Arc General Maceo's positions i'm
regnable?"
Yes. I consider them 30. The
cordillera OF hills by which Gen.
eral Maceo is established is 200 miles
In length by sixteen To twenty-four I'm
width. and every hill Is n stronghold.
The sides Of these hills. which rise often
TO 1000 feet above the sea level. are
covered with q very thick underbrush.
or 'manigua': often in stretches by
thick forests. and here and there pieces
OF open land. The only way TO get 90
the top OF the mountains IN by mule
paths. and on these no more than two
to four men can 60.
Protected BY Mines and Traps.
These places are all held by the Gu
bans. and are also protected by mines
and traps which are unknown to any
but the guides of the Cuban army.
Should the Spaniards succeed in get
ting to the top Of any OF the hills they
would have to pass over countless dy-
Mantle mines. which are ready to be
set of by the pressing of n button. The
Spaniards have only on two occasions
managed to get half way up the hills.
Once was when General Suarez Inclan
attempted II at Taco Taco, and anoth-
er time when General 'GanxaIes
Munoz attacked Carcarajicara, both
attempts ending in signal defeats for
the Spaniards.
Says the 'ssun IL Rising"
I'm this range of hills there are spots
of from one tn five acres where General
Maceo has established procedures. and
where Is cultivated truck farming. and
also where are our manufactures of
cartridges. power. dynamite and other
explosives: also our hospitals. and
these places IL Is impossible for the
Spaniards to reach without first de-
stroying the Cuban army" In conciu-
sion Captain Andre said: "The SUI ID
rising ard every day IL grows brighter
can plainly see I'm the no distant fut-
ure new republic on the American
continent. advanced. civilized, in close
ties Of friendship with this country"