The record-union., 1896-04-21
Built Trocha Across the Island and
Kept It Intact.
The Spanish Report a Victory Near
Juaraco, Defeating the Rebel
Forces, With Severe Losses
Many Fires in the Cane Fields in
the Provinces of Havana and
Matanzas Reported-Several Ar
rests on Charges of incendiarism.

|
rests on Charges of incendiarism.
HAVANA, April 20.-From a staff
| correspondent of the United Press-Gen-
eral 'N-eyler has succeeded in accom-
| plishing what Martinez Campos and
other Captan-G Generals have attempted
| in vain. He has built trocha across
the island and kept it intact for two
weeks. That the present trocha is for
Inidable, even the insurgents admit, but
! they profess that it alarms them not
| at all.
! When Maceo passed through Havana
province to the west, and Weyler sta
toned 1000 men along the twenty-one
miles from Mariel on the north coast to
Majana on the south coast, he cabled to
| Madrid announcing that the second
man in command of the rebel forces
was penned up in the western provinces.
After stalking his reputation on the alb
solute impossibility of Maceo's crossing,
/ he found that detached parties of from
! 100 to 200 insurgents were getting
| through the line at will. He then
| brought all troops from other parts of
the island that could be spared, leaving
towns in the middle provinces forces
| barely sufficient for garrison duty, and
practically suspended active operations
/ in all but the western province.
This concentration raised the force of
the troops to $4,000, and gave 5000 for
use in dying columns acting in con-
| junction with those in line. The troops
We're set at work building forts, digging
! trenches and erecting barricades. The
/ work has been pushed night and day,
! and the first trocha Spain has ever
! built in Cuba now confronts Maceo.
Through the hilly country south from
Mariel redoubts have been built for
artillery upon every eminence
between Guanajay and Artemisia.
About the middle part of the line forts
and blockhouses, with earthworks be
tween, have been constructed from Ma
jana to the south coast; through marshy
land broad ditch, backed by a stock
ade with blockhouses at intervals
General Aerolus, who IS in command
of the troops on TIE line, says the in
surgents cannot cross without tremen
dous losses.
The troops are under arms night and
day, but though they have waited two
weeks Maceo has not attacked the line.
l.
line from a military standpoint
| To maintain it's strength at all points
| leaves only a few thousand men who
can be used in aggressive operations
Maceo's own force, with those of Ban
dera and Delgado, number about 10
! coo men. They have been in the hills
around Lechuza, fifteen miles west of
the trocha, for two weeks They have
plenty of provisions, and have the whole
province of Pinar del Rio at their backs.
| They nearly wiped out of existence the
| column commanded by Lieutenant
! Colonel Debos, who attempted to drive
them out Of the hills, and was driven
| to the shores of the Cabanas Bay.
| Meanwhile the main body Of the Span
| ish troops holds the trocha.
General Medguizo reports that his
command has dispersed parties of reb-
els near Juaraco, Province of Havana.
/ The rebels lost ten killed and the troops
| six wounded The gunboat Centinela
| fired upon a party Of rebels who were
| attacking a boat carrying supplies at
| Estoro. near Manzanillo. Nine men,
| forming part of the boats crew of thir-
/ teen, were disabled by the fire of the
rebels. In further engagement up the
| river between the rebels and gunboat
five more Spaniards We're wounded.
| The rebel loss is supposed to have been
| heavy.
The trial of Julio Sanguilly, who is
said to have been implicated in the kid
naping of Fernando de Castro, rich
planter, will be held on Thursday be
| fore the Supreme Court in this city De
Castro obtained his release by paying
a ransom of $4,000.
Many fires in the cane fields are re-
ported from the Provinces of Havana
and Matanzas There have been fire.
quent fires recently in stores in Matan-
| zas. Incendiaism was suspected, and
an investigation led to the arrest of the
owners of the stores. The buildings
were heavily insured, as We're also the
/ stocks. and the men arrested are
charged with starting the fires in order
| to obtai nthe insurance money.
Juan Urralde Martin, who was ar
rested in Spain on the charge of being
/ the author of the robbery perpetrated
on August Belmont & Co. of New
| York by means of a forged draft for
$24. 900. purporting to be signed by Hi
dalgo & Co, a well-known firm of
this city. is expected to arrive here on
!
| day next. j. FRANK CLARK.
CUBANS REPELLED.
! HAVANA, April 20-News has been
received here that the Spanish column
| under Colonel Elola, while marching
| from San Jose to Valiente, near Cien-
| fuegos. came upon a party of 1000
rebels holding strong positions and at
! tackled them The official report of the
engagement says that the rebels were
dislodged from their positions by a
brilliant charge with bayonets and
machetes and retired leaving eighty
six dead upon the field. The Spanish
| loss was one killed and six wounded.
From other sources it is learned that the.
! rebel losses are exaggerated, and that
the losses of the Spanish troops were
much greater than the Government adj
! mits. The name of the leader of the
| insurgent party is not stated.
/ WASHINGTON, April 20.-In the oral
| discussions of Cuban affairs which have
taken place between the Spanish Min
lister and Secretary Olney during the