River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-02-06
MAXIMO GOMEZ is Willy.
Great Generalship Displayed in
Outwittine the Spanish.
While Marin Is Pursuing Him He Breaks
Through the r;nerny's Lines Our
Citizens In Havana Want
War Shin.

Havana. Feb. 4.-Maximo Gomez, ac-
companied by 1000 mounted men, sue
ceeded late Thursday in recrossing the
trocha or military line established by
the Spaniards between Havana and
l;atabano.
lie crossed few miles south of Be-
iucal, near Buena Ventura, which is
about ten miles north of Quiyican. At
the same time he destroyed a small cul-
vert, tore up the railroad tracks. cut
the telegraph wires and crippled the
section of railroad between Rincon and
,luivican.
People wonder how Gomez evaded
the Spanish columns. how it was
possible for him to recross and practi-
cally cut through the wall of men of
which the Spanish generals expect so
much. At the very time Gomez played
this trick on the Spanish guard along
the trocha Gen. Marin, the acting gov
ornor general of Cuba, who had left
Havana the same day Mt the head of the
best-equipped force put in the field dur
ing the present rebellion, was slumber-
lug quietly. surrounded by his
troops, at San Antonio de Los Banos.
about ten miles east of Guanajay While
Gomez was coming east and approach
ing the trocha Gen. Marin and his corps
We're going west on n train from Rincon
towards Guanajay.
Gomez route of march was parallel
with the railroad used by Marin and not
more than from six TO ten miles distant
al any time. Yet the forces did not
meet.
Gen. Marin did not learn until the
following morning friday that Gomez
was again i'm the east. The first init
nation reached him by a roundabout
telegram from Quivican.
Spain is reported to be mobilizing
1926 troops TO reinforce the army in
Cuba.
Hundreds Leave Havana.
An exceedingly large number of peo-
pie have left Cuba in the last fortnight,
and il seems as if the exodus had OILY
Just begun. Every steamer leaving
Havana carries hundreds of families not
only to the United States, but to Mex
leo. South America and West Indian
ports. Steamship agents talk of put
ting on extra steamers to carry the pas
sengers away. Business is practically
at a standstill. Merchants who have
s.orehouses filled are unable to sell their
goods, particularly provisions, owing to
the interruption of traffic on the rail
road lines running from the coast ports
into the interior of the island.
Americans Uneasy.
Havana, Feb. l, via Tampa, Feb. A.
Ar,orf.a,, &c hn,. 10
alarmed as to their safety i'm case the
report of the committee on foreign af-
fairs becomes law. The news of the
action of the committee caused many
bitter utterances in the local papers
against Americans. The feeling against
americans has been fed by newspaper
editorials and public utterances OF
rabid Spanish oiiice-holders, to the ef
feet that the United States is to blame
for all the trouble that has come upon
Spain. The feeling has been intensi-
fed since the recall of Campos, ard
American citizens who are merchants,
business men, professional men and
VINO are permanent residents here. are
very much worked up over the outlook.
They would feel much more secure if
one of Uncle Sans war ships were an
chored IN the harbor.
Reports of Recent Skirmish.
Havana, Feb. 4.-Gen. Marin has
had an engagement with a body of in
surgents, which he reports to be the
main force under Gomez, and which
was put to fight with loss Of 20 killed.
The entire absence of any details as
to the number of insurgents in the body
attacked leaves some ground for doubt
as to whether il was i'm truth Gomez
Immediate following. Pretty much the
whole of the combined columns under
Gen. Marin, including 1,700 cavalry
seem to have been engaged. The force
was equipped with special view to
running down and cornering the in
surgents when once il should come
face to face with them, and great ex-
pectations were founded en- its sup
posed ability to do this. But the re-
port of this engagement, although it
indicates that the Spanish attack was
made with great dash and vigor, seems
tn indicate that the insurgents were
as successful in evading the Spanish
forces as they have been at any time
heretofore.