Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-07


HAVANA THRleArENED
The Inhabitants Fear An Attack From
the Insurgents.
Havana, January 5.--Havana has spent
DAY OF nervousness ana anxiety, anu
has been in hourly apprehension of an
attack By the insurgent army OF part Of
1t. Nesiotday the bands commanded BY
Nuhts anu herniudez were seen al Mar
aqua, u village not more than twelve
miies from havana. II must not be SUP
lolcd tina, the city is open to the al.
vance OF tn. insurgents or there are mono
within Its bofdcTS to oilcr resistance.
There has been io avert net OF the an.
thurities within the city and there have
been numerous voluntary offers 10 bear
arms In deiensc Of the city. But there
has been comfortable conviction in the
mlndh OF the residents OF Havana from
the beginning OF the lnairrcctiun that
they We're IN no roal danger OF molcsta.
ton from the Insurgents, Many hundreds
or non-combuiantH on the Island have
ccmc to Havana TO await the passage
OF the storm. san more have sent their
wives ana families hero MS Fnfc refuge.
This class OF the population 10 In state
OF utter CONSERVATION and dismay and
panic.
Tho authorities no longer make tho
slghtcst conccalmcnt OF the serious view
they take Of the situation and there are
some who do not hesitate to rail at the
Spanish generals and troops and make
bitter criticisms OF them. There have
been great fears that the water supply
OF the city would be cut of by a sudden
raid OF the insurgents,
The idea OF tho city being left In total
darkness for tho unforeseen plots and
seditions Is Itself enough to work panic
In tho nervous condition OF the public
mind. Special preparations for the de-
Tense OF the works that supply these have
been made and artillery has bean placed
TO command them against all possib q
sources OF attack All possible recruits
have been enlisted for the defense OF the
city AMI tho available ground about the
city has been filed with batteries Of
artillery. which arc manned night and
day
Tho Spanish authorities have main
tanned n Gordon OF military forces running
from Havana to the town OF Batnbano
on the south coast since the invasion OF
Matanzas province by Insurgents he
yond which they hoped to prevent adj
vance OF the destroying columns OF tholr
enemies. This Gordon has proved no more
effective than did the line Of La Traneha.
which was laid to keep the insurgents
out OF Santa Clara province. This line
was broken yesterday by the forces under
Gomez, and tho main body OF the lnsur-
gents today passed into the priynce OF
plnar del Rio, nenrly overrunning that
province with sword and ire The pas
sage was effected near Batnbano Mt Phea
Redondo and Gomez burned the village
Of Gabriel on tho way and partially de-
stroyed the towns Gulra Melenn and Al
quisar. The work OF destruction IN 1ln-
vnna province has been az complete as
was that in Matanzns and the sugar lands
In pinar.
The work OF destruction in Havana
province has been as complete No was
that In Matanzas and lands of Pinar col
Rio are being put into the same desolate
condition.
The proclamation of General Campos
that all horses In the island are 10 I've
held subject TO reGuisltlon by the spanish
authorities has had little effect beyond
its force as n confession that the Spanish
forces IRE badly handicapped by tho lack
of mounted troopa and are practically
helpless against the cavalry forces OF the
Insurgents.
In fact, the whole island Of Cuba out
side OF the city of Havana IL now in
the hands OF the insurgents. They have
not nnnihilated tho Spanish forces, nor
have they routed the whole army In any
single pitched battle, yet the situation Ia
completely In their hands. and 30 com
pletely have they outgsnoralled the Span-
ish that 10 all appearances campos' army
might as well be In Spain for any check
II puts OH the movements OF Gomez
army, The lntter's progress has been
marked with continuous ncccsslons to
his force by volunteers and he has cap
tured enough horses. rincs and artillery to
add Immensely TO the effective strength
OF his men. He has practically carried
his base OF operations with him and hua
usually countermarched over wholly
different route from thnt OF his advance,
apparently counting with confidence upon
living upon the country MS he went
There Is but little doubt really felt here
that he will get as much or mora sym
pathy in plnar del Rio than he dli in
Santa Clara and Aininnzas, and the gen.
crai fear here Is now that inter sweep ny
over Pinnr del Rio he will come upon
Havana from the weat. operating In an
attack with tho forces Of the Insurgents
which have been cast OF Havana for sew
eral DAYS past. The advance OF Gomez
beyond Batabano has cut the line Of tele-
graph and cable communication with the
ensiern part of tho island and on which
Camnos principally relied for directing
his forces In Santiago dc Cuba, Puerto
Princlnc and Santa Clara.
Details nrc mesger Of the movements Of
Gomez In Piaar dcl Rio today and II
is not known whether he IL proceeding to
tho westward portion OF the provinces or
has turned northward 10 Havana.