The herald., 1897-05-02
PORT BANES
Again Comes Under Con-
troll OF Spain
DESPERATE BATTLE FOUGHT
ONE MAN KILLED AND SEVEN
TEEN WOUNDED
DESPERATE BATTLE FOUGHT
Hereafter Filibusters Will Find It
More Difficult to Land Supplies
for the Insurgents

Associated Press Special Wire.
HAVANA, via Key West, May 1.-The
port Of Banes, in Santiago de Cuba,
held by General Calixto Garcia and 5000
Cubans, ever since the Laurada landed
Roloff's expedition, has been recovered
val forces under General Gomez Ru-
berte and Admiral Navarro. The Span
ish forces combined at Nipe, and Gen.
Gomez Ruberte formed his forces, con-
sisting of two columns, including 700
marines, 400 navy and 400 infantry
These columns boarded the Spanish
feet under command of General Navar-
70, and protected by artillery landed un-
der a heavy fire from the insurgent
musketry at Ramon peninsula, off
Banes, losing during the removal of the
troops one killed and seventeen wound
ed. Meantime the marine forces. in
armed bands, were sent to reconnoitre
at the entrance of the port of Banes.
They succeeded in removing three wire
cables and torpedoes. The Nueva Es-
pano was the first boat to enter the port
of Banes. The Ligera followed, with
Admiral Navarro, Gen. Ruberte and his
adjutants on board The Spanish col
umns then advanced, protected by fire
from the Nueva Espana. which bonn
barded the insurgent heights and ulti-
mately captured the Cuban fortifica-
tions with loss of forty men.
The gunboats then communicated
with Santigao de Opico, who, with
fifty men, commanded an ironclad fort.
Within this fortification his men had
heroically defended themselves during
a forty-ive days siege. The fort was
constantly surrounded by the insur-
gents, who, however, failed to reach the
stronghold, which was to some extent
protected by wire netting. The Cuban
forces were at all times too far removed
from the fortifications to do aSH seri-
Gus injury to the fort, as their artillery
was short of range, due to the great
height of the range. De Opico denies
having received any water supply from
the Cubans. and says that when the
Laurada entered Port au Bane he sent
an armed boat with twenty men out
into the harbor. He claims that the
Laurada attempted to ram this boat
and that the men were compelled to
seek refuge on a nearby quay. The
Laurada then proceeded to the interior
of the harbor, landing the expedition out
o fthe reach of the fire Of the fort, re-
naming in port twenty-four hours.
The cruisers Magallenes and Nueva
Espana remained at Banes for the pur-
pose of protecting the town Of Banes
from further attacks. The fort built
in the interior of Banes and the wharves
have been destroyed and will be recon-
structed at the entrance of the harbor,
within easy reach for defense and sup
ply, thus preventing the future land
ing Of expeditions. The Cubans, in view
Of the combined attack of the army and
navy, abandoned their stronghold with
out further resistance, leaving a large
quantity Of ammunition
A FILIBUSTER CAUGHT
KINGSTON, Jamaica, May Ed
ward Murphy. formerly of the Ameri-
can steamer Laurada, was arrested at
Port Antonio yesterday on his arrival
there from New York, by order of the
Jamaica government, on two charges Of
filibustering. He will be tried on Thurs
day next