Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-19
INSURGENTS ARE DELIGHTED
They Went Wild With Joy When They Saw
General Callazo.
EXPEDITION STARTED FROM FLORIDA
Fast Tug and Schooner Were Used to
Transport the Filibusters to Cuba-It
May Change the Character of
the War.

Jacksonville, Fla, March 1s.-A special
to the Times Union from Key West, Fla,
says:
The steamer Three Friends of jack
sonville, in command of Captain Napo-
leon b. Browder, arrived here at noon to-
day, having succeeded in landing in
Cuba Gen. Enrique Collazo, Maj. Charles
Hernandez and Duke Estrada, besides
fifty-four men taken off the schooner Ar
dell from Tampa and the entire cargo of
arms and ammunition of the schooner
Mallory from Cedar Key. 1t was by long
odds the most important expedition that
has set out from this country, and the
Cubans here, when they learned that the
Three Friends had safely fulfilled her
mission, shouted viva la Cuba" until
they were hoarse They declared that it
would change the character of the whole
war, as the unarmed men would now be
armed and those without ammunition
would be supplied, and that Maceo, who
had before been wary and cautious,
would be more aggressive than he had
ever been before.
The cargo of arms landed by the Three
Friends and Mallory was as follows:
Seven hundred and fifty thousand rounds
of cartridges, 1900 rifles, 2100 machetes,
400 revolvers, besides stores, reloading
tools, etc.
The Three Friends met the Mallory at
Alligator Key. The Ardel had just fin
ished transferring the men to her. While
they were rendezvoused there behind the
pines in deep coral-walled creek three
big Spanish men-of-war steamed slowly
by, but they did not discover that there
was anything suspicious looking in shore,
although with glass men could be seen
in their lookouts scanning the horizon, as
we'll as searching the shore. Sunday
about noon, no vessels being in
sight, the Three Friends took in tow the
Mallory and steamed southwark under
a good head of steam. The Three Friends
is a powerful tug, and by Monday night
was close enough to the Cuban shore to
hear the breakers. Several ship lights
to the west were seen, one of which was
evidently a Spanish man-of-war, for she
had search light at her bows and was
sweeping the waves with 1t, but the
Three Friends was long ways off and
had no light and was soon out of the
neghborhood of the Spaniards.
AT 10 o'clock that night, by the aid Of al
naptha launch and two big surf boats,
which had been taken out at Jackson
vile, the Three Friends landed the men
and ammunition from her hold and from
that of the Mallory. 1t took four and a
half hours to complete the job. There
were hundreds of men on shore to assist
her. and they did it silently, appreciat-
ing the peril of the undertaking.
The Cubans on shore recognized Gen
eral Collazo Immediately and no words
can describe their joy upon seeing him.
He is a veteran of Cuban wars and is
one whom Spain fears. 1t fact, it is
known fact that during his sojourn in
Florida he has been shadowed by detec-
tives, who have been instructed to spare
no expense to keep Collazo from reach
ing Cuba. When it was whispered
around that Collazo was really among
them ~ seemed not to believe their
ears, .ut came forward and looked and,
seeing that there was really no mistake,
threw their arms about him and wept.
Major Hernandez and Duke Estrada
were also enthusiastically welcomed
1t was reported that night that Maceo
had received the arms of the first expedi-
tion that set forth three days before the
Three Friends landed. These were not
from the Commodore, for they reported
that they were now on the lookout for
that vessel They said, too, that at the
end Of the week four expeditions were
afoat. Two, includingfhe Three Friends,
had landed already and two more were
on the way. On Monday morning as the
Three Friends was returning she sighted
q steamer that answers to the description
of the Commodore She was headed
southwark and pushing along apparent
ly at the rate of fifteen knots an hour.
This vessel has an engine capable of
driving ship twice her size and has
speed of seventeen knots an hour.
lazo Major Hernandez and Duke Estra-
da left Tampa, and reached Jacksonville
the next day. They remained at the house
of j. M. Bars incognito until the 18th,
General Collazo knowing that detectives
had been on his trail for weeks. They
intended to leave on the night of March
5, but their departure was delayed on
account of the capture of the Mallory
until the 18th, when. the Mallory sailed
with a part of the arms found at Cedar
last fall island
in house and some that had been jetti-
soned and had been released through the
efforts of H. s. Rubens, general counsel
of the Cubans. The schooner Ardell left
Tampa the same night with fifty-four
men and Brigadier General Vasquez, a
brother-in-law of General Collazo. Five
tons of the Mallory's ammunition were
taken from her at Tampa and shipped
by Knight & Wall to George r. Fos-
ter Jr., of Jacksonville, in a sealed car
with Instructions not to open until called
for When the car arrived in Jackson
vile one of the clerks Of the railroad, not
knowing of the order. opened the car and
unloaded it in the freight depot of the
Florida Central and Peninsular and this
discovery led to all sorts of rumors go
ing afioat. 1t was known that the boxes
contained arms, for they were heavy and
were labeled Colts Firearms Company"
They were promptly removed to the
warehouse of Wightman & Christopher
the Junior member of which firm is
known as the president of the Friends of
Cuba club at Jacksonville. The arms re-
mained in this warehouse until the night
of the 18th instant Meanwhile the NAL
lory sailed from Tampa with the remain
der of the cargo to Alligator Key, the
appointed rendezvous. Alligator Key is
about 100 miles south of BiScayne bay.
1t Is a part of the Florida reef, and being
well wooded. is a splendid spot for the
purpose. There the Mallory was joined
by the ArdeI1 and these two waited for
the Three Friends This " -sei left the
dock of the Alabama Coal company in
Jacksonville at 8 O'Clock ON the night of
Thursday, the 18th instant, and proceed