The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1897-04-29
THE SITUATION IN BANES
Weyler Will Attack Cubans
by Land and Sea.
SMALLPOX HAS BROKEN OUT
Four Americans I'm cabanas Have
Contracted the Dreaded Disease
One Already Dead-Lee Intervenes.

-FOUR Americans IN Cabanas Have
Contracted the Dreaded Disease
One Already Dead-Lee Intervenes.
New York, April ga dispatch to
the Herald from Havana says:
Smallpox has made its appearance in
Cabanas prison. Owen Melton, an
American correspondent and member
of the Competitor crew, contrived to
send note to friends here under date
of April 1S, in which he says:
Smallpox has appeared in cell No.
4, in which there are four Americans.
One prisoner has died and three others
have got the disease. l nursed a friend
named Gonzales, not knowing he had
smallpox, and SO l suppose l will have
it. l can only hope for the best
This information was carried to Cen
eral Lee and he promptly informed the
United States government of the state
of affairs, also wrote Acting Captain
General Ahumada inquiring if there
had been smallpox in Cabanas, and
what steps had been taken to guard the
health of the Americans imprisoned
there A reply was received making
no statement of the prevalence of the
disease, but stating that the Americans
would be vaccinated at once.
1t is thought here that the appear
ance of smallpox will make the Amer
lean government press for the release of
Melton and others, as it is understood
Spain has practically decided to liberate
them. General Weyler is an obstacle
to the release OF any Americans. He
said last week in Santa Clara that
Americans were set at liberty without
good cause.
General Weyler's recent declaration
that Santa Clara is pacified means that
newspaper fighting there will be meager.
Nevertheless he admits that within
three days of his declaration of tran
guilty more than ninety rebels were
killed in the province. He says he will
no longer require any troops to fill the
places of his killed and wounded, which
means simply that he has been told to
expect no more soldiers from Spain.
The situation in Banes, a seaport
town in Santiago de Cuba, now COM
mands much attention here. The gun
boat Galicia and the cruisers Nueva
Espana and Reina Mercedes are waiting
outside the narrows until three columns
sent by General Weyler have had time
TO move on the rebels by land. The
insurgents have held the town since
Roloff's expedition landed there on
March 90. The harbor is one naturally
capable of easy defense, and it is said
the insurgents have placed torpedoes in
the channel. 1t is most difficult TO
learn any definite news of the recent
operations there, but it is plain that
the Spanish recognize the necessity of
moving in force against the town and
attempting to attack it simultaneously
by land and sea, for the purpose of pre-
venting the rebels from continuing to
hold the port.
General Gomez, according to the last
reports, has left Arroyo Blanco district
and moved nearer Trinidad. There is
a rumor that he may be elected presi-
dent of the republic to succeed Cis-
neros. Another idea is that he has
decided to contest the possession of
Banes, and many who thought his siege
of Arroyo Blanco was a ruse to entice
Weyler into the country where moder-
ate force might be attacked to advant-
age, now believe that Weyler's move
ment toward Banes will meet steady
resistance which will add to the evil
dence already piled up to disprove Cen
eral Weyler's declaration of pacifca-
tion.