The herald., 1896-01-26
CLEARING THE GROUND


crossed the Conto river, marching toward
the west.
(Signed.) MARIN.
Minister Dupuy de LONE adds:
Jose Maces, reported now as passing
Conto river in the eastern part of Cuba
near Baymo and Manzanillo, was. accord: q;
ing to insurgent reports, in the province OF
Santa Clara with Rabi. This leader. as
already reported. was wounded in an en-
gafement with Gen. Gasco.
General Maceo and Leader Varona on
the Goth instant effected q union with DR..
Gainas.
Maceo's forces were worn out from the
marches since his last engagement al
Tairona and Larados. Retreating towards
taken and defeated. with considerable loss
on the part of the insurgents. Besides
losing a number of their men they
lost 900 horses and they were unable, in
the province of Pinar del Rio to get any
others. Consequently Maceo has sent for
reinforcements from the province of Ha-
vana, but up to the present time he has
been unable to secure the hoped-for as
sistance. Private soldiers who have ar
rived here agree that Maceo's position il
an unpleasant one.
ARMING F1LIBUsTERs
PHILADELPHIA, Jan, 25.-The Hart line
of steamers, plying between this port ant
Cuba and the West Indies, will, in future
! be armed with cannon and Maxim guns
Captain Ker, counsel for the owners, hai
notified the collector of the port that they
will carry bow chasers and stern chasers
Two vessels first in the list of equipment
are the Horsa and Laurada, both of which
have gained no little notoriety from their
alleged connection with filibustering expe
dltions to Cuba. The Laurada has been
chartered to carry 200 negroes to Liberia
and the Horsa is soon to start south.
ward with party who are going
to Matamoras to see the aher-Fitzsim.
mons fight. Captain Ker AYERS that both
vessels will need arms for self protection,
the Laurada from the pirates which infesv
the coast Of Africa, the Horsa from the
Spanish gunboats. The Spanish authori.
ties in this city, however, look with sus.
picion upon any such movement by the
Hart company, and will exert every influ'
ing the port of Philadelphia with arms on
board. As soon as the vessels are ready tc
sail application for clearance papers will
be made and the result is awaited with
great interest by all parties concerned.
Captain Ker, In an interview in regard to
the arming of the vessels, said:
II am told that the Spanish authorities
have said that If they catch sny of the
Hart line in Cuban waters they will make
it hot for them. This information may not
be true but have every reason to distrus,
the Spaniards. We are going to give uI
the West Indies trade and we know there
are no United States war vessels to protect
us. We have concluded to 60 into
the protecting business ourselves, and we
will put guns on our boats and use them il
necessary. There are lots of young men
from our training vessels who would be
only too glad to get positions where they
could show their capacity, and there are
no better gunners in the world than they
are.
1--WE are not going to seek trouble with
the Spaniards, but we cannot afford to have
our vessels chased, and do not want to &C
to the expense of extra coal that would be
used in getting up steam to run away from
Spanish cruiser"