The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-03
Spanish TROOPS Defeated
Rebels Are Pressing Toward the
Province Of Havana.
THE BATTLE At Ell ESTANTE
Cubans Drive the Government Force!
Before Them-Prc pnratiOns Arc Be.
ing Made for the Defense Of tho
CNpital-PrOpcrty Destroyed

Havana, Jan. Am engagement be-
tween the Spanish troops and the in
surgent forces has taken place at FL Es-
tante, south of Alfonso XII, and not far
from the frontier of the province of Ha-
vana. The official announcement says
that the Spanish troops captured the
rebel positions, but that the loss to the
enemy is not known 1t is admitted
that two Spanish officers and four SOL
diers were killed and nineteen We're
wounded. The insurgents did not ac-
cept decisive engagement, but after
the skirmish proceeded westward, de-
vastating the country as they marched.
The authorities here, in announcing
this skrmish, added the significant
statement that the troops We're moved
closer to the province of Havana
which would seem to indicate that the
Spanish forces are once more in retreat
Later in the day 1t was announced
here that further fighting between the
Spaniards and the Cubans was taking
place in the vicinity of FL Estante
which, with the announced movement
of the Spanish troops, leads people here
to believe that the rebels have been in
pursuit of the Spanish troops in that
vicinity. The latter are commanded by
Colonel Galvis, who was also in COM
mand of the troops first engaged in the
vicinity of FL Estante, which seems to
to be confirmation of the supposition
that the Spaniards We're worsted and
that the Cubans are making for the
frontier Of the Province of Havana, In
spite of all the statements to the con-
trary.
In view of the fine work and rapid
progress of the insurgent cavalry, Cap
tain General Campos has ordered the
Spanish officials in all the disturbed dis
tricts to seize all the horses they can
lay hands on, in order to prevent them
from falling into the hands of the enc
my. 1t Is believed. however. that the
Cubans are already as well mounted
and supplied with horses as they need
be.
Feeling OF Nervousness.
The news that the insurgents are on
the borders Of the province of Havana
has increased the feeling of nervous
ness which has prevailed here from the
time they entered the province Of Mat
an2as. and no explanations which the
authorities can furnish seem able to
dispel the popular impression that
there has been no real check of the
rebel advance. Every man. who could
be spared from the regular and vOlun-
teer forces has been sent to the front
but this does not seem to have changed
the situation, and the military nuhor-
tiles continue working night and day in
their efforts to place Havana in the best
possible position to resist siege. But
the sentiment of the population here
is gradually undergoing change ia
vorable to the insurgent cause, and
OH 1,A
that 1t has taken a more decided form
than passive sympathy. The police are
carefully watching the quarters inhabi-
ted by persons supposed to be in SYM
pathy with the rebels. but this has not
prevented numbers of young men from
escaping from the city and making their
way to the insurgent camps. In addi-
tiGN to the trouble threatened from the
direction of Matanzas. 1t is feared there
will be more trouble from the direction
of the province of Pinar del Rio, on the
other side of Havana. Although all
news on this subject Is carefully guard
ed. it is known that the insurgents in
that part Of the country are rapidly in
creasing in number and daring.
The damage doing by the Cubaps Is
very great. They have burned the best
part of the town of Jaguey and the
cane-feids of Perla. Rosario and Aus
traia in that district and in the Ma
varrete district the plantations of Vinas.
Mendez, 'Caray. Escalant, and Haza.
They have also burned many houses I'm
the Cardenas district Of the province of
Matanzas and many cane fields in the
Union de Reyes, Buena Vista. Jaguey
Grande and Macurijes districts. In
this part of the province of Matanzas
n lnnn h.A ha tuh to-
nearly all the immense cane fields of the
neighborhood having been burned, and,
besides, the village of La Yagua, whose
inhabitants did not receive the insur-
gents as well as the latter would have
liked. Between La Yagua and Cumana-
yaguay alone. five railroad bridges and
three culverts have recently been de-
strOyed. In fact, the Cubans are an
parently using the torch with even more
success than the machete, and the
amount of damage done in spite of the
efforts of the Spanish commanders,
gives the lie to stories told of rebel de-
feats.
The Work Of piIIagc.
But the rebels are not paying atten-
tiOn exclusively to the plantations. The
houses Of the wealthiest classes and the
stores of the inhabitants of the invaded
districts generally are being sacked un-
less ransomed by the payment of sums
of money In proportion to the value of
the property. This is admitted by the
friends of the insurgents here. and they
claim that it is perfectly fair for them
to do so. as the planters and others are
the chief support of the Spanish gov
'ernment here, and that in lessening the
revenue-contributlng power they are
only cutting off the sources Of supply
of their enemies. The government Off
cials. however. insist that the rebels are
robbing the poorest inhabitants of any