The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-11-18

Speculatins as to What Mckinley VIII
Do When He Takes Charge of Things.
New YORK, Nov. 12.-Ncw that
Mckinley has been elected President
of the United States, Cuban sympa-
thizerS are beginning to ssk what steps
he will take TO put an end 10 the
bloody struggle now going on IN that
. unhappy island.
There was no uncertain ring to the
Republican platform sdopted in ST..
Louis. and the very least the new
President can do when ne takes the
Presidential chair will be to bring the
matter before a sympathizing con
gress.
In the meantime, what are the Gu
bans going to do TO help themselves?
For the last siS months they have re-
manned practically idle as far as efiec,
tive warfare is concerned. They have
burned several towns and have fought
several battles, but nothing strategic
ally important has been effected. y
~grsat deal of this idleness has been i'm
posed by the rainy season.
It is no easy matter to move troops
over a country that is knee deep IN
water and reekipg with fever and ma
laria. Another thing that hampers the
Cubans Just now is their lack of hor-
ses. Thousands of animals were rid
6en to death on that long zizag march
down the island to Pinar del Rio, and
thousands more were shot by the
Spaniards. At present the Cubans are
in bad way for horses, and without
horses they cannot move with a celer
ity sufficient to circumvent mounted
forces such as the Spaniards have.
This, according to reliable Cuban
information, is why nothing has beer
heard from Gomez in such a long
time and why Maceo has remained SO
quiet in Pinar del Rio.
The latter has done almost all the
fighting during the last summer, but
he has done the most Of it with his
foot soldiery. Atpresent il is said that
he has barely sufficient horses to trans
port MS camp equipages.
All this, however. is to be remedied
st an early day. Until then the Gu
bans will remain quietly in the noun
) famous districts, avoiding open en-.
gagements and confning themselves
10 occasional sorties on the Spanish
lines.
am told that arran gements have
been made to land between 1000 and
5000 horses in the Vuelta Abajo dis
trict at an early day, and an equal
number will be landed in the vicinity
OF Cape Maisi. Then the patriots will
begin their old scheme of marches and
counter marches and their quick at
tacks on the Spanish positions.
These horses will practically drain
the Cuban treasury. buff they can be
safely landed the wornout soldiers
will welcome them with far more sat-
isfaetion than they would welcome
guns and ammunition.
It is not likely that 10000 horses
would last the Cubans over season
almost. -Jnaccimated horses are in
evitably stricken with fever-a sort of
equine yellow fever in fact-which
carries them off in great numbers.
Within two months, however, it is
expected that the Cubans will make
decided move in the direction of Ha
vana province. Maceo has already de-
monstrated that he can cross the rocha
when and where he pleases, and as
soon as Gomez gets his horses he will
move westward from Puerto Principe.
VIII they attack Havana2 Most GER
tainly, If the Spanierds do not beat
them back before they reach that city.
Not that they would have any chance
Of capturing the place. Such thing
without seize guns would be practical.
" impossible, but an hours dash
through the streets of Cuba's capital
and possible dynamite attack on the
palace of the Governor General is by
no means an impossiDility.
The Cuban Junta says that such g
thing will happen within the next
three months. 1t would be serious
thing indeed if Havana, the last
stronghold of the Spaniards in this
hemisphere, should be attacked by the
Cabans.
As for the Spaniards themselves,
they would not hesitate to bombaro
their own city in their efforts to oust
the Cubans From the Moro Castle,
the Cabanas and the Punta there
would come a steady rain of shot and
shell. 1t is doubtful, however, if such
bombardment would do much dam
age to the invading forces. Havana
streets are so narrow and the houses
are so strongly made that hitting an
invader would be a work Of art.
Most of the forts are exceedingly
antiquated. The guns on the bastions
of Moro Castle are all of the ancient
Dahlgren pattern. Two or three shots
from a modern battleship would utter
ly dismantle the fortifcation. The
Moro stands at the mouth of the bay.
In the ofden> times-that is, hundreds
of years agoS&hen it was built, the
fort might have been formidable. At
present it is not worthy of the name.
Just behind the Moro is the Cubanas,
little more modern, little more
roomy and little more formidable.
At the same time, both Of these forts,
even assisted by the low stone fortlti
cations of the Punta or La Reina,
could not stop amodern battle ship on
her way up the bay, provided there
were enough water for her to proceed.
The fort on the Punta is just oppo-
site of the Moro Castle, and it IS quite
as futile in the matter of defence.
Further around on the ocean side is
the Batera Ia Raeina, at the foot Of
Gale del Belascoin.
1t is rickety structure Of stone and
will probably prove quite as dangerous
as old Fort William, on Governors
Island.
These three forts, without ever
catching a sight of the invading Gu
bans, would probably lombard the
town in a blind way, without doing
other damage than tearing down build,
ings and playing into the insurgents