Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-03-19
4 FATAf BLuNpER

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Leeds 0ne ep.nash eeaunn e Ass.e. 8.
8. 49, = - z.ss. ~ vrcrnded.
sefors he a1assskei 8 Disoovsrsd Losses-
believed TO % q rsaeer thAn Reported.
HAVANA, March l6.--An untoward.
military accident that occurred Satur-
dav night, growing out Of = misunder.
standing Of the reply to challenge,
resulted in the killing Of IL soldiers
and the wounding Of number OF
| others
A small band of insurgents had set
fire to the cane and buildings on q
sugar estate near Mariana, province OF
Havana. The smoke attracted the at
tention of two columns of Spanish
troops who were advancing in search
of the rebels. The column which first
arrived on the estate intrepched them
selves as q precaution against any sud.
den attack from the insurgents, who
| were supposed to be near.
The second column, consisting of the
San Ouintiu battalion, arrived on the
scene after dark. AS they approached
the entrenchment OF the first column
they were hailed by the usual .sAlerta
from a picket, and responded by call
ing out the name of their battalion
San Quintin. The picket, confused by
the sudden approach of the column,
misunderstood the reply, taking u,
from the similarity of the sound, to pc
Quintin Bandara, the name of one OF
the rebel leaders. He at once con-
Guided that the insurgents were NOV
ing to attack the column to which ne
belonged, and without further pariey
discharged his piece and fell back to
the intren chments, where the. report
of his rifle had caused all the troops to
seize their guns and prepare to repel
an attack.
The second column had In the mean
that they had come upon the rebels for
whom they were looking. They had
not gone far before the first column
poured volley into their ranks. Inc
second column. returned the ire ana
| then, in response to an order, liked
bayonets and rushed forward to take
the intrenchments by storm. As they
went over the intrenchments, the hrst
column poured another volley into
them. When the troops came into
close quarters, it was discovered. from
the uniforms and flags, that fatal
L : B i
1t is reported that the losses on Doth
| sides in killed and wounded, was over
| thirty, but there is strong suspicion
that they were much larger.
All the circumstances tended to the
making of the mistake. Besides the
darkness the smoke from the burning
cane fields. prevented the contestants
| from recognizing each other. The.
mistake is greatly deplored, and.
| though it is generally held to have
been unavoidable, it is pretty certain
that the officers in command of the
| columns will be court-martialed.
TAE STEAMER RERMuDA
Headed South. Laden with Arms and Am.
| munitions. Doubtless TOR the Cubans
| New YORK, March 16--The steamer
Bermuda, laden with arms and ammu-
milton, left her anchorage, about two.
miles south of Liberty Island, at s:15
o'clock yesterday morning, and passed
cleared Saturday for Vera cruz. and
| No attamnt xyas n,a1a n data;n her az
| she left the harbor.
It was said that groups of men were
on shore, ready to go out to her, blu
| only three men were observed ON deck.
besides the officers in charge when she.
sailed.
The munitions of war are undoubt--
| edly for the Cuban insurgents. A tug
| boat followed the Bermuda, and it is
understood was in the employ OF the.
| Spanish consul. Dispatches from
points along the Jersey coast say that
| the tug followed her out past Asbury
Park, but how far or for what purpose,
is not known, but she was far behind
the steamer.
The bermuda when last seen, had q.
full head of steam on and was headed
south. II, as was rumored, steamer
| is to meet and transfer men to the
Bermuda, it will undoubtedly be some
way down the coast.
Capt. O'Brien, an old Hell Gate nj.
/ lot, who is in command of the Bermu--
la, has taken out flibustering expedi-
lions in years gone by.
The EsAip INDIANA
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