The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-01-14
CUBANS BURNING TOWNS j!
Residents of Havana Again in State
of Terror.
SAN FRANCISCO DE PAULA AFLAME.
The Town only Five Miles Distant From
Havana, and Fears Are Again En-
tertained For the City's
Water Supply.


HAVANA, Jan. 14.-There was another
alarm here yesterday afternoon. Clouds
OF smoke were seen arising in the direction
of the village of Vegas, near san Francisco
de Paula, II small town only about five
miles distant. This was followed by red
glare, showing that great fire was in
progress in that direction. The alarm
spread once more throughout the city, and
the report was again circulated that the
insurgents We're approaching.
But this was rs nothing to the feeling Of
terror which came over the more timid
portion of the population when still
larger fire was seen to have broken out.
This time it was made out that the town
of san Francisco de Paula had been set
fire to by the insurgents, and the alarm
increased, although the authorities pro
fessed to sncer at the matter, claiming
that the fires were only the work of a few
beaten and rctreating insurgents who had
been driven to desperation.
In spite of these assurances, and the
statement that the Spanish generals have
for three days past been aware Of the
whereabouts of General MaXimo Gomez
and completely ignore his presence near
Havana, it is claimed that the troops must
be very busily engaged elsewhere for the
insurgents to be able to burn a town and
village within sight of Havana, and yet
remain unattached by the government
forces.
The insurgents also burned the village
of Salud and have partially burned the
village of Quivican, and then marched to-
wards Bejucal and burned on the way
freight train and destroyed the engine.
They then attacked the town of Bejucal,
but were repulsed.
The greatest apprehension is felt here for
the safety of the water works which sup
ply Havana. They are situated at Nento,
about five miles from this city, and less
than that distance from San Francisco de
Paula reported to have been burned by
the insurgents.
The friends of the insurgents have re-
peatcdly asserted that they expect pOpu-
lar demonstration in their favor to be
made in this city as soon as they arrive
in sight of Havana. But they are now
practically in sight of the city, and yet
there are no signs of an uprising, and the
authorities claim that there is absolutely
no danger of such an outbreak.
Every measure which is possible to take
/ for the defense of the city and in order to
]
ton to the military, volunteers and civil
guards, all the different branches of bust
ness have organized special corps of men,
who will take part in the defense of Ha-
vana against an enemy from without or
within. OF course, the insurgents in small
bands may succeed in approaching still
nearer to Havana, the Spanish authorities
admit, but the military men insist that
they have completed their plans to drive
the insurgents out of this province.
Regarding the rumor that the insurg-
ents have planned to explode bombs and
start fires in several parts of this city upon
a given signal, so soon as the insurgents
are near enough to Havana for them to
be in the position of making u dash for
the capitol, the authorities say that steps
to defeat any such movement have been
taken for weeks past, and that it would
be utterly impossible to cause any diver
sion of Importance here in favor of the in
surgents
Although the Spanish authorities are
making the best of the situation it is
known that the captain general is very
much disheartened at the turn events
have taken during the last six weeks, and
rumor succeeds rumOr, day by day, of his
probable retirement from the command of
the Spanish forces here if not his return
to Spain. He attributes great deal of the
success of the enemy to their great super
iority in moving quickly from point to
point, and is still confident that if he is
supplied with n sufficient number of cav
airy regiments he will be able to event
ually put down the insurrection This
however is a hopeful view of the situa
ton which is not taken by all thoughtful
people here, and the adherents of the
Spanish government are anxiously long
ing to hear of decisive victory for the
Spaniards and of the arrival of further
endorsements from Spain.
The insurgents, according to report, now
have as many men as they want, but they
are still sadly in need of arms and ammu
milton with which to equip them. That i.
now said To be the main difficulty under
which the insurgents are now laborinl
and the feature Of their campaign which
is the most difficult to overcome. 1t il
known, however, that they are receiving
support in many quarters hitherto op
posed to them, and they are expecting tn,
arriv, of supplies ON the northern coas
of the province of Pinar dol Rio, wher
Garcia recently landed at the head of al
expedition.
Muslin Underwear.