Evening journal., 1896-04-29
.OT TO SEIZE A PORT
ae Scheme Of Cubans to Aid
General Maceo.
|soOVERED BY TIE sPANIARDs.

Mantle Placed Under the Palace OF
Captain General weyIer-Bomb Wreck
ID n Portion Of the Building
gents Attack Spanish Gunboats.
WASHINGTON, April 29-The Spanish
"a thorities here and in New York claim
have discovered conspiracy form
by Cuhans to blow up a Spanish war
Xip and at the same time intercept a
* ninsular mail steamship and rob her O,
e large quantity Of gold intended for tho
#Dvernment troops in the island. Tho
Not included, further, the capture of tho
|aport town Of Nuevitas and contemplate
certain demonstrations along the north
n sections of the eastern Cuban provinces
order to precipitate a rush of troops
#om the west and effect a weakening OF
4 le military trocha across Pinar del Rio.
While tho disclosure of tho conspiracy
K ay not discourage the Cuban leaders. ib
Ill require an entire change Of tactics in
be attempt TO FREQ Antonio Macoo from
be uncertain position he occupies In the
streme west Of Cuba. and in Spanish cir
= es it is looked upon in the light Of IA
+ low to the Cuban cause.
* 1t is said that the plot originated and
Fas perfected in New York, with tho as
stance Of the insurgent leader in Cuba
no first blow was to be struck a month
ence. The revolutionary congress at
Hubitas has felt for some time the neoossi-
& OF seizing and holding a seaport town
E nd has made several attempts TO get pos
sssion Of small towns on the coast OF
Auba
Nuevitas the Place Selected.
8 Finally the congress decided that Nue-
4 titas, on the northern coast Puerto
Principe province was the most available
loint. 1t is situated at the head Of the
|farbor Of Nuevitas, which can be entered
Inly through a long winding and narrow
|hannel The harbor is we'll sheltered
rom the sea and affords an excellent an
|horage. The town is not strongly gar
Ilsoned.
The coast line peninsular mail steamer
ltops at Nuevitas at regular intervals, and
when there are funds and supplies on
board the boat is escorted by Spanish
|,ruiser. After a long survey the Gubans de-
|vised plan by which a formidable demon
6tratlon could be made at Nuevitas, IN
order to force General Weyler to send
strong bodies of troops to the eastern end
of Cuba.
It was decided that 1t would be possible
to blow up a Spanish vessel as she passed
through the narrow channel TO Nuevitas
harbor, and that the wreck would so com
pletely block tho entrance that no other
vessel could pass in TO dislodge the rebels
after they had captured the place. The
rebel insurgcnt president, CisnerOs, in
trusted the carrying out Of the plot to one
of the members Of the Cuban revolution
ary party in this city. The latter called
to his aid an adventurous young Ameri-
can, who began to perfect all the details.
It was not long afterward that the Span
ish and American detectives were on the
trail of the Cuban plotters.
To Garry Arms and Dynamite.
Negotiations were entered into by the
Cuban agents for the purchase Of Cape
Ann schooner, and New England skip
per was employed to navigate her. a
small steam tonder was purchased, which
was to be carried on board the schooner.
The entire outfit had been estimated &c
cost not more than $4,000.
Those engaged IN the scheme wero
promised, in the event OF success, 500, ,OOO
and one-h half Of any prize money found on
board of the mail steamer to be trapped
and seized.
The schooner, the Spanish authorities
learned, with her crew, was to sail from
this port as a fisherman. She would car
~, In addition to 80 days provisions for
four men besides the crew, the steam ten
der, coal for the tender, several small Kegs
TO be converted into submarine torpedoes
an electric battery and about two thou
sand pounds of dynamite. The schooner
was to take the far outside course. Tho
programme was to launch the steam ten
der at night when near the Cuban coast
and TO work back and forth between tho
shore and the schooner under cover Of
darkness, using no ship lights. The men
who wero TO do the wrecking OF the Span
ish cruiser, the dynamite and other ma
torial were to be landed and concealed on
a plantation near the coast, close to the
entrance to Nuevitas harbor. From this
plantation the Cubans could reach the
channel and lay torpedOes at the only
point where a warship could pass In less
than two hours time.
Information received by the Spanish
authorities indicated that as soon as Nue-
vitns should fall and the cruiser should be
destroyed strategic movements were to be
mado around Puerto Principe, Santa
Clara. Guibara, Cardenas and other east
orn points