Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-28
Weyler Changes His Campaign in Western
Province of Cuba.
DRAWS A GORDON AROUND RUlS RIVERA
VIII Have Troops Enough To Trap the
Insurgents in the Hills nnd
Crush the Remaining
Rebellion.

ince. The western trocha has not been
abandoned, but the force along that military
line has been greatly reduced already. Three !
brigades of infantry have gone into the
mountainous country on the north coast,
the only part where the insurgents find any
thing like security
The trocha was a costly mistake in many
rospects-in others it served its purpose,
The works were too extensively built Al
though intended for a temporary purpose,
the block houses in many instances were OF
brick and finished as IL for permanent use.
Even the mortar at the joints was nicely
fooled. The same disposition to erect mas
sive-and permanent works that distinguished |
the Spanards in the days of the colonial !
tion of America exists today. The trocha
caused Macco a great deal of annoyance. 1t
STAYED the passage of large bodies of men
east and west. Only small groups succeeded
I'm crossing. The maintenance of the trocha
has cost dearly in human life. The country
, through which II runs Is malarious naturally,
and the throwing up of earthworks lett
I pits. which filled with stagnant water In the
rainy season More than 1000 soldiers have
died from disease contracted there. Even
now many are sick, mostly with chills ana
fever. yellow fever and dysentery have been
EXPECTS TO END 1T,
The insurgent bands in Pinar del Rio are
they have confidence. The Spanish belieye
that when the movement General Weyler Is
now conducting ends the province may DC
safely turned over to the civil guards ana
the guerrillas. The rebellion is in bad
way in that province. The leaders are eX-
tremely bitter against the iunta and lay
MacCo's misfortune at rs door.
General Weyler was last heard from NOV
Ing west from San Chrstobal with large
force. He had met no armed band up to
Yesterday afternoon. large force from
General Melquizo's command at Plnar del tIIo
City Is cooperating with General Weyler;
indeed all the Spanish columns in the prov
ince are active The plan is to form huge
dragnet, picking up whatever falls IN the
way. General Woyler has soldiers enough
to form a Gordon about the rough hills of
the north coast and occupy all the passes anG
points formerly held by Maceo.
Tie insurgents lack almost everything
ammunition. clothing and medicine. There
are still many cattle to be obtained, nut II
tha Spanish line is formed around the Dase
of the hills the insurgents hiding in the
iungles and almost impenetrable hilltops
win be hard pushed. The greater portion OF
the province is free from armed bands ana
the hills In the ncrth contain what there are.
can obtain no intelligent knowledge OF the
number OF insurgents thsre.
The government says 1t has n clear case
agairst Harry Dclgado formerly a Ward
line purser He used to run on the south
side line to Santiago and Cienfuegcs. Sub
scuuently having been compelled to quit the
conpany's service he came to Cuba ard
turned up in pinar del Rio province as chief
OF artillery FOR the insurgents. He had also
authority to correspond with an evening
newspaper in New York. ] am informed by
a medical officer that nelgado, who Is now in
the prisoners ward OF the old San Am0rcsa
hospital has a serious malady Being in the
first stage of the law of trials 0ncommuni-
calO), nobody Is permitted to visit him.
There is a small concentration of insurgents
4, in Santa Clara province, presumably in eX-
, pectation of an expedition.
Antonio MaCeos body is buried at a point
known to certain people, who were his
friends, between Rincon and Santiago de
Las Vegas villages. a short distance from
Havana. coffin provided. and, l am
informed taken out from Havana. At any
rate the body lies in a spot from whence it
may be removed at any time circumstances
may warrant.
CONSUL is IN NO DANGER.
Consul Brico at Matanzas reported, as has
been cabled to the World, that an American
citizen In that city feared trouble; that the
American consulate was threatened, and that
the governor had interfered to prevent any
unfriendly demonstration. After careful In
VCstigation. ! am satisfied that there is no
substantial basis for the cOnsul's fears. He
is surrounded by people whose interests lie
in bringing about trouble between the United
States and Spain, and all manner of sensa-
tonal rumOrs are sent to the consulate, but
beyond idle talk in cafes and corner gro
ceries, there is nothing to warrant fear of
violence.
Matanzas contains few nativeborn Amer
lean citizens. There are a number of peo-
pie who have naturalization papers, but have
never resided in the United States, who
continually intriguing against the Spanish
government and fear detection That city
is gutter than Havana is. II Is like n tomb,
so to speak The slightest sign of disorder
would be suppressed with bullets and bay
onets
General Losada the surgeon general OF
the Spanish army in Cuba, has shown the
statistics OF deaths, sickness and wounds
since he assumed office. General Losada is
n highly educated, energetic kindly old
man, much respected by all classes. He
said that the medical department has been
called on 10 treat but few wounded men
since the beginning OF the rebellion. Il
have treated wounded soldiers in all the
military hospitals" added he, but they
have como In small numbers from diherGnt
points. The wounds were results OF skirm-
ishes with insurgents. The largest number
of wounded treated at any one time
eleven to each 1000 men in the army, the
number Of deaths from which is Is per cent
of the total. The largest death rate from
yellow fever was 3S to 900. The health
OF the army is sngularly good compared
with the former rebellion The highest sick
rate this year was in August, when there
were $50 sick out OF each 1000. In that
same month Of 1877, the proportion was 300
to 900 The highest death rate last Au-
gust was 80 to lOoO in August, 1877, II
was 6S, The troops have suffered severely
from simple malara poisoning, chills ana
fever, but the health OF the army is inn
proving now very rapidly, The cool
weather prevailing will end the yellow
fever"
General Losada surprised me by stating
that quinlns had not been used until the
signs OF malaria diseases were apparent
- The medical department does not use qulnine
\Os a preventative was generally done in
the United States army in the civil war.
Change OF locality Is the only precaution-
airy measure adopted here Losada laughed
over reports published In the United States
OF severe battles In Plnar del Rio province,
resulting in many OF the troops being
wounded Many have been III Of malaria
but The killed aud wounded we're few and far
between. lie has used X rays In locating
40 puNots, and Is preparing statistics regarding
= Tho effect OF the bullets fired from The new
small-boro rifles. lie has comparatively few
cases, however, TO draw conclusions from
lie prounounces the reports OF injured
soldiers from dynamite absurd, except In
cases whore trains have been blown up. on
such occasions sorIa soldiers have been
KILLED and others wounded but he says there
ie no truth In reports OF mines being ex-
ploded under the feet OF marching columns