The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-01-16
NEWSOF THE CUBAN CONFLICT
Reported Narrow Escape From Capture
of General Gomez.
BRAYELY FOUGHT HIS WAY OUT.
Surrounded by Spanish Infantrymen, but
Escaped without a scratch-Cost of Liv-
ing in Havana Has Increased Fifty
Per Cent, and Prices are Rising.

HAVANA Jan. lb.-Ine cause OF neaVy !
artillery firing heard on Tuesday in the
direction of Bejucal, south of this city |
and about half way between Havana and |
Batabano, remained mystery until yes
terday noon 1t now appears that General
Linares, commanding strong force of |
Spanish troops, moved from the vicinity
of Managua Santiago, Rincon and Salud |
upon Bejucal upon learning that Gomez !
forces had attacked Bejucal and were re
pulsed by the garrison Of that place after
five hours fighting
Not satisfied with this repulse, the in
surgents prepared to make second at
tack upon Bejucal. But by that time not
only had the garrison been strongly rein
forced, but the Spanish troops commanded
by General Linares had taken up we'll
chosen and concealed positions in the vi
cinity. The insurgents were allowed to
get within short distance of Bejucal and
then the garrison opened fire upon them.
This was the signal for the Spanish force
to unmask its batteries, and a heavy artil-
lery and rifle fire was poured into the in
surgent ranks. The enemy was taken
completely by surprise, came to a halt,
feebly returned the fire of the Spaniards,
then wavered broke and fled The insur-
gents are said to have been commanded
by General Maxine Gomez in person.
General Linares is reported to have
started in pursuit of General Gomez with
all the Spanish troops available in the
neighborhood of Bejucal, but as the in
surgents are mainly mounted men, and
the Spanish troops in that vicinity are
nearly all infantry and artillery, there is
not much prospect of coming up with the
| fleeing enemy.
1t became known today that General
Gomez had n narrow escape from being
! captured shortly after he executed his
countermarch in the province of Pinar del
! Rio and made once more for the borders of
| the province of Havana He was in the
| neighborhood of Las Mangas, southwest
of Artemisa, at the head of n small escort
of insurgent cavalr. men, when he sud
! denly came upon Spanish bivouac Be
fore the insurgent commander-in-chief had
recovered from his surprise he was almost
surrounded by Spanish infantrymen. But
Gomez was equal to the emergency. Spur
ring his horse forward he emptied his re-
volver r. yht and left, and then, drawing
his machete, he literally cut his way out
of the ring of Spanish soldiers, killing five
men with his own hand, and getting
away, with his escort, without n scratch.
1t is said that the principal object of
Gomez's attack upon Bejucal and the
other places south of this city is to create
a diversion under which his lieutenant,
General Antonio Maceo, may retro from
the province of Pinar del Rio But, it is
claimed, the Spanish generals will be able
to pursue MaceO and pay attention to
Gomez at tho same time. They hope to
be able to crush these two insurgent COM
manders before the second insurgent army,
now moving westward through the prov
ince of Santa Clara, can effect a junction
with the insurgent forces in this vicinity
The damage done by the insurgents in
the province of Pinar del Rio is described
as enormous. They are said to have de-
stroyed all the railroad bridges and all
the culverts on the line of railroad rum
ming from this city through Guira Melena,
Artemisa, Candelania, San Cristobal,
Paso Real and Consolascion to the city of
Pinar del Rio in addition to sacking a
number of towns, burning plantations,
plundering houses, and doing damage
north and south of the railroad line.
General Maceo's present whereabouts,
according to current rumor, is in the i'm
medi@te vicinity of the town OF Pinar del
Rio, and he is said to have the into sion of
making an attack upon it, Plndr Rio
is strongly fortified, but Maceo Is said to
be under the impression that he can use
dynamite with considerable effect against
the town. This is denied by military men
here, who are acquainted with the nature
of the defenses of Pinar del Rio and 1t Is
said that he will more likely pass around
to the westward and effect junction with
the insurgent bands believed to have been
collected in the mountainous districts.
1t is reported that while Maceo was
moving along the northern coast of PinaT
del Rio he received considerable additions
to his supply of arms and ammunition. A
schooner loaded with arms, etc, is said to
have awaited the insurgents at La Mulata
and other such consigDments are said tC
have been received AT various parts of the
coast This is denied by the Spanish arl.
thorities.
The distress in the province of Matanzas
and other places devastated by the insur
gents is very great, and the local authori
ties in various districts have been granted
the necessary permission to collect fund.
by public subscription for the relief of the
sufferers
The prices of provisions, etc, are rising
very rapidly here, and the expense Of liv
ing is fully 30 per cent. more than it was a
month ago. At the rate things are going
the city of Havana will soon be the most
expensive place IN tne Woflu 10 lTe IN II
this is the case with the insurgent force
now in this vicinity it may be judged tha
matters will be considerably worse If the
Spanish commanders are unable to CHECK
the advance westward of tho second Cuban
army.
1t is known that the holding of th
country Immediately around Havana b,
the insurgents is regarded as the mos
dangerous feature of the situation by tn
, authorities, and they would probably b
glad to have it vacated on any terms s.
far as securing any provisions goes, tn
city is much as though it were in stat
of siege. The Spanish authorities seem t.
feel hopless of bettering conditions unit
they can secure an adequate cavalry fore
to operate against the insurgents.
The air is full of rumors regarding ne