The Indianapolis journal., 1896-08-20
CAPTURED AND BURNED
MYSTERY OF a MISSING CUBAN PAS
sENGER TRAIN SOLVED.
DeraiIed by Insurgents. the Cars De-
strOyed by Fire and Some OF the
Spanish Guards Killed.

Copyright, 1896. by the Associated Press)
HAVANA. Aug. 19-The mystery of the
missing military passenger train has been
solved and il furnishes another instance of
the audacity of the insurgents and of the
troubled state of affairs existing in the
province of Pinar del Rio. On Sunday last
a train having on board number of ci-
william passengers and a strong escort OF
troops. consisting of regular cars and ar
mored cars for the military escort, left Con-
solacion del Sur Pinar del Rio, for this
city and should have arrived here the same
day. but the train did not appear. The
railroad authorities became alarmed and
the military authorities were notified. APP
parently however, the latter were very
slow in taking action in the matter In any
case throughout Monday the military au-
thorities professed absolute ignorance OF
the whereabouts of the train, although 1t
was understood that inquiries of some de-
scription had been sent along the line. but
without any definite result. This failure
to obtain the necessary information caused
the railroad people TO renew their repre-
sentations to military headquarters and
eventually, on Tuesday. several exploring
parties were sent out to search for the
train. Two of those parties, consisting of
cavalry scouts, reported having heard
heavy firing yesterday between Bacunagua
and Taco Taco. The latter town is about
one-thrd of the distance between Conso-
lacion del Sur and Havana and not far
from the important town Of San Cristobal
Consolation del Sur is only short distance
from Pinar del Rio. capital of the province
of that name Later the scouts reported
that the engine and passenger coaches. to-
gether with the military cars, had been
derailed between Bacunagua and Taco
Taco and that it appeared that severe
fighting had taken place between the eS-
cort of the train and the insurgents who
attacked Ii.
This news stirred up the military author
tiles sufficiently to cause them to send re-
lief trains loaded with troops towards the
consisted of the Arapiles and BasbastrO
battalions, under the command of Colonel
Arizona, and they have just returned with
the story OF the delay in the arrival here
of the military passenger train from Con-
solacion del Sur. The troops brought with
them the passengers who are over forty
eight hours late. and the survivors and
wounded of the military force The train,
Ii appears, was running between Bacuan-
aqua and Taco Taco. When near the point
known as Kilometer liz the train was COM
PEELED to slow up on account OF an obstruc-
ton across the line and as IL did so a smart
rifle fire was opened on the train from
both sides of the road, while party OF
insurgents seen to dash out of con-
cealment and place heavy distractions
across the road Other insurgents occupied
themselves actively in removing the rails
behind the obstruction, thereby catching
the military train In a trap, from which
IL could neither advance nor retreat. The
troops promptly returned the fire of the
insurgents. who kept well under cover and
whose bullets splintered the and fiat
tened themselves on the sides of the
mored wagons. The firing lasted three hours
according to the official statement, at the
end of which time the insurgents are said
to have been repulsed. Ii Is added that the
military escort on the arrival of the relief
and returned TO this city with the Arapiles
and Basbastro battalions.
Unofficial versions of the affair, however,
say that the train was derailed and sub
sequently burned by the insurgents and
that the escort of the military train were
rescued just in time to save them from
being exterminated by the enemy. AS it
was, six soldiers of the escort are admitted
to have been killed and one lieutenant and
twenty-one soldiers were wounded.
Later details confirm the statement that
who dynamited ii and afterterwards de-
Stroyed the cars completely. The defense
made by the escort is said to have lasted.
practically. three days. although it is not
claimed that the firing continued ali that
time. The insurgents who attacked the
developed later to-day they also tried to
dynamite the relief train. but without re-
suit. Colonel Arizona reports that in re-
firing with the rescued escort of the train
he was attacked by Antonio Maceo and a
force of 5000 insurgents. Artillery fire. how
ever. was opened on the enemy and the lat
ter retreated. The insurgent loss is not
known. The Spaniards claim that the in
surgents did not burn the military train
until after the relieving column of troops
had retired.
The statement published In the United
States that Pelo Garcia has captured the
city Of Holguin. province of Santiago de
Cuba. is pronounced by the authorities
here to be utterly false and they also deny
that there is any truth in the statement
that the OteiZas filibustering expedition has
landed in Cuba.
The general situation is about the same
as il has been for months past. Each side
seems confident OF firing the other out and
little or no progress Is being made by either
the insurgents or the government forces.
The threats of Captain General Weyler to
take the field in person against Antonio
Maceo have turned out 10 be nothing more
than rumor Maceo practically holds Pnar
del Rio. while Maximo Gomez appears to
be doing as he pleases in the eastern part
of the island.
Questions Not Answered.
MADRID, Aug. BIN the Chamber OF