The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-22
TERRORS OF THE CUBAN TORCH
GOMEZ CAUSING WIDESPREAD
HAVOC ON THE ISLAND.

The Seaport of CabanaS Captured by
the Insurgents, But Lack OF Can
non Prevents Them From Holding
1.-THE Holding of the Town Would
Have been Strong Argument in
Favor of Their Recognition as Hell
ligerents.
Havana, Jan. H.-News has been re-
ceived here of a severe fight near Taci-
onas, seven miles south of the capital,
In the province of Pinar del Rion. The
official report of the battle says that Col.
Sanchez with 100 men Of the Basa bat
talon, and 100 men Of the Cattolica bat
talon, was attacked by a force OF 1900
insurgents, under command of Antonio
Maceo. The Spanish force, which was
composed entirely of infantry, with the ex-
ception of twenty mounted guerillas fought
with such determination that they COM
PEELED the rebels, who were mounted. 10
retreat The report says that thirty dead
rebels were found on the field, but 1t
is believed that the rebels lost 800 men
in killed or wounded. The insurgent
leader Bermudez is said to have been
wounded twice. The loss of the Span
iards was three soldiers killed and one
Correspondence of the United Press.
Havana, Jan. 16.-As the news OF the
ruin and desolatlon wrought by the rebels
throughout this and adjoining provinces
slowly reaches this city, in spite Of the
omission of most of 1t from the newspa-
pers. and the people are beginning to real
lie that Gomez and his followers. at their
will, destroy what they please and have
chastised by the vast army which has been
sent over from Spain, they have begun to
wonder where IL will all end. Spanish
residents do not for a moment believe that
Gomez can beat the armies of Spain and
win the freedom of Cuba; but they now
believe that he can wreck her resources.
They see that he has kept his word and
burned their sugar crop, that he has burn
ed small hamlets, then towns, and now,
even cities have been given over to the
torch. He has decreed that railways car
rying troops Will be destroyed, and as
the companies had either to carry troops
or forfeit their charters, they have fallen
under the ban, and are now stopped, af-
ter losing trains, engines, bridges and
stations amounting to many hundred thou
sand dollars. Plantations, which have de-
Ned the rebels and have attempted to
grind cane, have had their buildings burn
ed, and their costly machinery destroyed.
Towns of 5000 inhabitants down to ham
let's of dozen huts. which have refused to
surrender. have been looted and then
Illustrates Gomez's methods. lie sent
word TO the alcade, calling upon him to
surrender. There was g meeting Of citi.
houses all over town. The Spanish volun-
teers, numbering 100, turned over their
arms without firing a shot.
small detachment of Spanish regulars
IN q wooden fort refused to surrender and
held out. Gomez entered the town and
occupied all of 1t except the plaza about
the fort. He was leaving town when
Sn0t "a hOilgn
OF his men. He then ordered all OF the
houses In that part of the town burned,
and thirty-six, were laid in ashes. He
burned the railway station and loaded
train of freight cars.
AT the seaport town of Cabanas, about
twenty miles west OF Havana, a detach-
ment of marines landed from the gum
boat Alerta, and with the Spanish regu-
lars stationed there, fought the tnsur-
town, from the church. The church was
burned and those of the marines and sol
diers who escaped sought refuge on the
Alerta. The rebels occupied the town. and
II is said got 11,000 rounds of ammunition.
The Alerta fired several shells at the in
surgents in the town, but the official re-
men. BY taking this town the insurgents
captured a port, and had they been able
to retain 1t, would have afforded an ar
gument for their friends in the states
who are working for recognition by con-
gress. But without cannon and without
an armed vessel they were compelled TO
eVHcuAte the toWns ana the little gunboat
Alerta won the distinction of having been
the first of Spain's navy to engage the
enemy.
Madrid, Jan. 21-Delegates from the con-
servative and reformist parties Of Cuba
visited Gen. Weyler, the newly-appointed
captain general of Cuba yesterday, and
presented their respects Weyler left
Madrid last evening for Barcelona to en-
bark for Cuba. A large crowd of people
bade him farewell at the station.
In response to the cheers of the crowd
he said he had strong hopes of being able
to announce the complete restoration of
Spanish sovereignty in Cuba.
Queen Regent Christina yesterday sent
long cablegram to Gen. Martinez Campos
cordially thanking him for his services in
Cuba, to which the latter replied, express
sing his gratitude for her maJesty's fa-
vors.
The Imparciars special correspondent
in Havana telegraphs that at the moment
of his embarking for Spain Gen. Marti-
nez Campos wired to the government at
Madrid message expressing patriotic SEN
timents and his gratitude for the favors
he had received at the hands Of the Queen
Regent.
Washington, Jan. H.-All the members
of the Georgia delegation were interview
ed to-day on the Cuban question, and the
majority of them expressed themselves
in favor of this government recognizing
the insurgents as belligerents. From an
questionable source, IL is learned that
congress will take no action in the mat
ter until the President has made some
recommendation on the subject. Either the
Senate or House can adopt resolutions ex-
pressing the sentiment of their respective
bodies, but they cannot adopt any legis-
lation that will commit this government
to formal recognition of the Cuban in
surgents, except with the approval of the