The herald., 1896-01-06
OF an Attack by the lnsurgent
Forces
HERE WILL BE RESISTANCE
But There Is CONSERVATION Among Nom
COmbatants
Aside From the City of Havana the Whole
Island of Cuba is In the insur.
gents Hands
Associated Press Special Wire.

HAVANA, IAN. O.-haVana mas spent
day of nervousness and anxiety and has
been i'll hourly apprehension of an attack
| ny the iusurgent army or part of it. Yes
| terday he bands commanded by Nunez
and Ber uudez were seen at Managua, a
village not more than than twelve miles
| from Havana. 1t must not be supposed
| that the city is open to the advance of the
| insurgents, or that there are none within
| its borders to offer resistance. There has
been numerous voluntary offers to bear
arms in defense of the city-thousands of
| them the authorities say But there has
been comfortable conviction in the minds
of the residents of Havana from the begin
| ming of the insurrection that they were in
no rea danger of molestation from the in
| surgents. Many hundreds of norl-com-
Blatant Inhabitants of the island have come
| 10 Havana to await the passing of the
| storm. Still more have sent their wives
and families here as safe refuge. This
class OF the population is in a stale OF con-
sternaton and disnay and spreads an in
| fectous spir of panic throughout all other
| circles
The authorities no longer make the
| slightest concealment of the serious view
| they take of the 81 u alton, and there are
| some who do not hesitate to rail at the
| Spanish generals and the troops and make
| bitter criticisms of them. There has peen
great fear that the Iigh' and water supply
of the city would be cut off by sudden
| rid of the insurgent forces. The idea of
| the city being left in total darkness for the
| unseen working of plots and sedition is it.
| self enouy h to work a panic in the nervous
| condition of the public mind. Speci al
| preparations for the defense of the works
| that supply these have been made, and ar
| tiliery has been placed t, command them
| against all probable sources of attack.
| All possible recruits have been enlisted for
| the defense of the city, and all the avail
| able ground about the city has been filed
| with batteries of artillery which are
| manned day and night.
The Spanish authorii lies have maintained
| Gordon of military forces ru ming from
| Havana to the town of Batabano, on the
| south coast, since the invasion of MataDzas
| province by the Insurgents, beyond which
they hoped to prevent the advance of the
| destroying columns of the enemy. This
| Gordon has proved no more effective than
did the line of La Trocha which was laid to
| keep the insurgents out of Santa Clara
| province. This line was broken yesterday
| by the forces under Gomez, and the main
body of the insurgents today passed into
| the province of Pinar del Rio, ana are now
| overrunning that province with fire and
| sword. The passage was effected near
| Batabano at Poso Radoudo, and Com z
burned the village of Gabriel on the way
| and partially destroyed the town of Guira-
Meena and of Alquizar. The work of
| destruction in Havana province has been
as comp etc as ,hat in Matazauzas and the
SUGAR lands of Piuar del Rio.
| The work of destruction in Havana pro-
| vince has been as complete as in MataEzas
and the sug lr lands of Pima, del Rio are
fast being put in the same desola'ion con-
dition. The proclamation of Gen. Campos
to the effect that a the horses on the
island are to be held subject to requisIion
by the Spanish authorities has little effect
beyond it's force as confession that the
spanish forces are badly handicapped by
the lack of mounted troops and are pract-
cally helpless against the cavalry forces of
the insurgents.
In effect, the whole island outside of the
city of Havana is now in the hands of the
insurgents. They have not annihilated
the Spanish forces, nor have they routed
the whole army in any single pitched bat
tie. Yet. the situation is completely in
their hands, and so completely have they
ou'genera'ed he Spanish that to al APP
pea ance Martinez Campos' army might
as we'll be in Spain for any check it puts
upon the movements of Gomez's army.
The latter's progress has been accom-
panied by continued accessons to his
forces of volunteers and he has captured
enough horses, rifles and artillery to add
Immensely to the effective strength of his
men. He has practically carried his base
of operations with him and has usually
countermarched over a wholly different
route from that of his advance, apparently
counting with confidence on living upon
the country as he went.
There is little doubt really felt here that
he will get as much or more sympathy in
Pnar del Rio than he did in Santa Clara
| and MatanZas, acd the general fear here
/ is now tha after sweeping over Pinar del
Il tl,x,
| west. cooperate in an attack with the force
of the insurgents which have been east of
Havana for several days past. The ad-
vance of Gomez beyond Batabanao has
| cut the tele raph and cable communica-
| ton with the eastern part of the island
| upon which Campos principally relied for
! directing his forces in Santiago de Cuba,
! Puerto Principe and Santa Clara.
| THE CRISIS APPROACHING.
| TAMPA, Fla, Jan. 5.-An American pas
senger arriving from Cuba reports that the
| insurgents are within fifteen miles of
| Havana. According to his statement Gomez
has 22.OOO men. The insurgents burned
| San Feline, Duran, Meleno del Sur and
| Guara Friday night. These places are
| twenty miles from Havana.
! Gen. Campos has issued manifesto to
his officers, urging strict obedience to his
orders, and threatening those disobedient
| to dishonorable return to Spain within
forty-eight hours.
| REPORTED WHOLESALE MURDER
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