The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-25
GOMEZ AND MACEo ON THE GO.
THE INSURGENTS TRYING TO TIRE
OUT THE TROOPS.

Accounts From Residents of JarucO
Put a Different Aspect on the Re-
suit of the Cuban Attack on the
Town From That Sent Out by the
Spanish-The Grinding of Cane
Not General Yet.
Havana, Feb. %, via Tampa, Fla, Feb
A.-The government accounts of the at
tack upon JarucO. railroad town midway
between Havana and Matanzas on Feb.
IS, are vague and lacking in many i'm
portant details. Those CLEANED from resi-
dents of the town are quite different.
The attack was made by Aguirre, with
400 men. The volunteers of Jaruco. num-
bering $50 men, surrendered by precon-
certed arrangement They joined the in
surgents. taking with them 10000 rounds
Of ammunition They freed twenty-eight
prisoners, burned the jail. the town hall
and many other buildings. The train load
of troops sent from Havana was attacked
upon its arrival, and the troops driven
from the cars. one of which was armored.
Several soldiers were found dead in that
car Some of the soldiers ran and Joined
the rebels, being fired at by their COM
rades as they deserted. Others held to-
gether and escaped only after many were
shot. The town, which was an import
ant one of over 1900 inhabitants, is now
in ruins. The railroad station is one of
the few buildings which escaped.
After the burning of Jaruco, a series of
engagements with the parties of Gomez
and Maceo followed, lasting two days.
The insurgents, as usual, moved about
from place to place, firing the columns of
Gems Aldecoa, Linares and Col. Herman
dez, and occasionally giving them a short
fight, but moving on when the troops be-
gan artillery fire. In addition to the
forces which have recently Joined Gomez,
other bands of orientals are moving west
through the Santa Clara and Matanzas
provinces.
Government troops are being concentrat-
ed in the territory in which Gomez ana
MaceO now operate, and decisive en-
counter at an early day seems probable
OF all the sugar estates in Matanzas
Havana and Santa Clara provinces the
only one now grinding cane Is the Cons
tancia, near Cienfuegos. 1t is owned by
an American syndicate, at the head of
which is the firm of Perkins & Walsh of
New York, which recently failed. In
spite of many attempts to destroy the cane
and machinery, the crop Is being gathered
and as rapidly turned into sugar as pos
si5le. Grinding began Jan. 20 and has
been kept up continuously since that date.
duced, and it is hoped 10000 bags Will be
ground before the season ends.
AS this is the only estate on the entire
island outside of Santiago province which
is grinding cane, something about the
method followed may be interesting. A
chain of forts or block houses have been
built around the estate. There are forty
six of these forts. In each are ten TO
twelve men, and mounted guerrilas ride
from one fort to another, and are always
in readiness to move to any point which
is threatened. $50 men are employed as
guards, and a detachment of 100 Spanish
troops is also stationed on the place. The
numerous small bands of insurgents in
the neighborhOOd make frequent attacks,
and exchanging shots with the enemy IS
a part of the daily routine. These en-
counters seldom result more seriously
than in the wounding Of one or two
guards, and occasionally the death of an
insurgent. The latter have burned twenty
cabins on the estate, but have not sue
ceeded in burning the cane or mills. "A
force of 200 men are now at work on the
estate. The extra cost Of the guards Is
about $4,000 a month. The manager OF
the estate the Marquis Apezteguia, cal
culates that the increased price of sugar
this year will make the grinding prohtaple
The owners of estates in Matanzas prov
ince who have been ordered to begin
grinding by Gen. Weyler, will find 1T nee
essary to employ guards, as is done at
Constancia, and even then they Will FISK
losing cane mills and all If they violate
Gomez's orders prohibiting grinding.
The estates at the east end of the is
land which are grinding are near San Do
mngo, Manumillo and GabaTia. II is said
that they are paying revenue to the insur-
gents for the privilege OF grinding. They
also must pay their tax to Spain, but will
even then come out at a profit.
In Havana province the only estate that
has ATTEMPTED to grind is the Toledo,
which finished with 5000 bags about a
week ago. The hundreds of other estates
with millions of dollars worth of cane
ripe in the fields have not attempted to
grind for fear of losing their machinery
and buildings, as well as their years crop
Permitting the cane to rot on the stalk,
or having it burned will not prevent a full
crop being produced next year, provided
quiet has been restored, and help can be
obtained to clean the fields of weeds.
J. Frank Clarke