The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-01-18

lompo6' wall or troops has failed TO
keep him west The situation is more
grave than at any time since the be-
| ginning of the war. Thousands OF
| troops have been thrown into Havana
province. yet the destruction Of towns.
| residences and estates continues. Many
| towns Offering resistance are burned;
| those surrcndering are spared. Rail-
rond traffic I'm the entire island Is par
alyzed. The engineers of the Havana
| roads have refused 20 run trains and
| the companies uphold their action. The
roads have stopped the trains until the
safety of property is assured. Inn
| portant towns burned in the past week
were: Gabriel. $500 inhabitants; Gut
ara. $500; Artemsi, Agucate and BEN
avides.
The insurgents since the invasion of
the western provinces have succeeded
In avoiding serious battle. There nre
sl<irmishcs daily. The only important
engagement wns or the ietfi inst. near
! Quivican. when the Gomez party was
attacked by Adecoa. Thirty-six
wounded Spaniards were brought here.
The insurgcnt loss is unknown. Prob
UDly u ttlt VIZ AAAt lriutlN NUS
been burned. Grinding has almost en-
tirely ceased. Gomez has issued orders
TO stop burning cane, and IL the estates
attempt grinding he will destroy the
buildings and machinery. Owing to
the friendliness of the tobacco growers
and workers. the crop of tobacco has
been spared. The insurgents now burn
towns instead of crops. The Cubans
claim that all the towns in Pinar prov
ince have surrendered. Gomez and
Maceo have gained many recruits re-
Gently. The eastern columns under
Jose Maceo. Rabi and Ccbreco are com
ing west. Caspedes, Carrllo and
Aguirre have already reached Ma
tanzas province. IL is expected union
OF rebel forces will take place near
Havana.
Madrid. via Bilba. Jan. 10.--Cnpt.
Gen. Campos has asked for cavalry re-
Inducements 10 be sent TO Cuba. and
II Is officially reported that the situa-
tion there is regarded as being OF the
most critical sort. Mnceo continues
TO oyerrun the province of Pinar del
Rio. He recently reached the gates OF
Colonnn, seaport town south Of Pinar
del Rio, capital of the province of that
name. whereupon the project embarked
on board gunhoat. A late dispatch
says that the insurgents are now 20
l<ilometers from Havana.
Havana. Jan. 16.--Much confusion is
manifest in the reports given out In this
city OF the movements OF the insur-
gents and of the whereabouts of the
different leaders. This is due partly
10 the swiftness OF the insurgents
movements and partly to the cutting
OF wires and interruption of commune
cation. Maxine Gomez seems To he
everywhere, according TO the reports
OF his activities. Gen. Suarez Valdez
supplements the report that Gomez in
person led the second attack ON Be-
iucal Tuesday, which was repulsed by
Gen. Linarcs. with another report that
his column overlook Gomez Tuesday
at the head OF 1900 insurgents moving
from Vereda Nueva in the direction OF
Hnto Ariguannbo. near the border OF
pinar del Rio. The insurgents made
n stand and engaged Brig. Gen. Cornell,
who led Valdez vanguard.
IL seems that after an hours hard
fighting, the main Spanish column
coming up. the Cubans retrcated and |
their position was taken. The hot fire |
which they had been pouring into the |
Spanish ranks was stopped by the artil- |
lery of the Granada regiment. When |
the Cubans were dislcaSea their rt- |
treat is said TO have been precipitate. |
and nine dead were left upon the field |
and five wounded. What direction the |
insurgents took is not stated, but their |
movements nfter the attack on Ben |
jucnl seems TO indicate purpose 10 |
turn TO the province OF Pinar del Rio.
Many families have already left Ma
nngua. fearing that the insurgents |
may make another attack upon IL. and
large numbers OF people continue TO
leave the other towns around Havana
for this city.
The distress IN the province of Ma |
tanzas and other places devastated by |
the insurgents Is very great. and the
local authorities In various districts |
have been granted the necessary per- |
mission 10 collect funds by public sub
scription for the relief of the sufferers. |
In addition all the soldiers and all the |
employees of the different branches OF |
the government have agreed TO give one
days pay each month toward the funds |
being collected to relieve the distress
The opening of the wires In Matan-
zns has brought intelligence Of hot
engagement nj Las Charcas, near the
mountains of Santa Marin. in that
province. The column ofSpanish troops
wns led by Capt. Martin Sanchez and
the number OF his troops is placed by
the official report nt 240. Tho insur-
gents engaged were under the Cuban
leaders Lacrct, Clotildc. Garcia. Perez
and InRlesito. and the official report
places their number AZ 1900.
The battle. II Is said, ragged fiercely
for two hours, the insurgents pursuing
their usual elusive and hnrrassing tac-
tics. They gave back before the Span
iards. who finally took their camp and
found there II dead insurgents and five