The herald., 1897-02-15
Regarding the Progress o.
the War
CAUTIOUS REcONNolTERING
Shows That Local 6uefrillas Can Cos
troll the Rebels
the Spanish Troops Avoid Open Engage-
Ment-American Arrested
Associated Press Special Wire

and the civil governor OF the province OF
Santa Clara, Senor Vidal, arrived yes
terday from Placetas. In the interior
they met Gen. Weyler, who was stop
ping at the house of Lieut.-Col Palanca.
The civil governor and Gen. Solano had
breakfast with Gen. Weyler, Senior
Canarte joining the party. During the
course of the breakfast Capt. Gen. Wey-
Ter was interviewed. He said that from
the railroad lines of Cienfuegos and
Sagua columns and brigades were re-
connoitering continuously up to the
edges Of the rivers Saga ad Yaguay.
Gen. Weyler asked Senor Canarte about
the situation in Pinar del Rio province,
a part of the island in which Senor
Canarte had been travelling. Senior
Canarte detailed the operations there
and the work accomplished by the divi-
sion of Gen. Melquizo, and both agreed
that there was only work for local que
rillas. Capt.-Gen. Weyler said that in
the province of Santa Clara the revolu-
ton was still in primitive state, but
he added that by concentrating the
Spanish would soon obtain positive ad-
vantage and an increased number of
towns by the government forces would
soon be noted Gen. Weyler said Maxi
mo Gomez had intended to invade the
provinces of Matanzas and Havana, but
that he had been obliged to retreat ow-
ing to the tenacious prosecution of the
war by the Spanish and the activity OF
the government columns. He said the
so-called insurgent government which
came with Gomez had returned to Ma
jasi, fearing the rapid advance of the
Spanish troops.
Being asked where he was going,
Capt-Gen. Weyler said he did not know,
but that he would not return to Havana
until he had completely organized the
plan of campaign in the province OF
Santa Clara If other urgent necessi-
ties did not require his presence in Ha-
vana he would continue his operations
in the. field. He added that the recent
conference which he had held with In
tendente Fagoga and Secretary Hal
merola had been a most important one.
On being asked what steps he had
taken in the matter of the depreciation
of bank bills he said: II am disposed to
be severe according to the circumstances
required. The government regulations
must be obeyed even if we deplore the
same, and even though the enforcement
should send all spectators to the poor
prison. The dispositions regarding the
cultivation and expectation of tobacco
were ordered by me personally, but this
money question Is a governmental mat
ter and I am resolved to make all COM
ply with the rules in regard to the bills
I will try to prevent exchange houses
from becoming private bourses."
In conclusion the captaingeneral
said he would favor the industries tend
ing to enlarge the towns. avoiding the
scattering of houses through the woods
l,,,e off Si;r,or rnf
bandits.
Gen. Weyler had ordered that the
Placetas infirmary shall be changed in
to a hospital, and has sent for vaccine
virus and ordered free vaccination.
NOT YET PACIFIED.
CINCINNATI, o.. Feb. 14.-The Com
mercial-Tribune's special from Jackson
VILE. Fla, says: Col. Frederick Perez
Carbo, late dispatch chief general TO
Maceo, received a letter from Gen. Luis
Reverb from Pinar del Rio section to-
day. 1t spoke In the highest terms of
his men, their enthusiasm in the cause.
and denied in strong terms that that
province was pacified."
THE Spanish do not come out of their
entrenched camps" wrote the general,
"and when we want to fight them we
have then to go down to them. We have
full control of all the open country"
His army consists of over 5000 men,
all we'll armed, and the health of the
troops is generally good. Several i'm
portant engagements have taken place
and in every one the Cubans have been
victorious.
While the men regret the death OF
Gen. Maceo, yet they are full of patriot
ism and the fight is being continued on
the plans outlined by Maceo. One ex-
pedition landed there not long ago with
supplies and the general was in good
spirits over the outlook for Cuban in
dependence.
Rivera spoke of the good work ac-
complished by the dynamite gun, COM
manded by young Lunn, of Jacksonville,
and said that he wanted another. In one
of the last expeditions an ample supply
of ammunition had come over and 1t
was being used very often to the damage
of the Spanish.
Artemisa has been laid in ruins al
most by the gun, and other places had
felt it's power.
A CUBAN CAPTIVE.
CANTON, O., Feb. 14-A news dis
patch announces that the Spanish au-
thorities at Regla have arrested Charles
Scott, an American. The prisoner is
presumed to be Oliver Ream Of this
city, who has gone under that name
and from whom relatives have received
no communication.
]. H. Ream, the prisoners father, feels
that the prisoner is his son. He said:
When he left home he changed his
name, and whenever we wrote to him
or he wrote to us, it was under the name
of Charles Scott. He was always inter-
ested in wars and fighting and repeat
edly said that If there ever was an op-
portunity he would join an army and GO
to the front. The last time that he wrote
to us he was at Flemingsburg, Ky. He
said then that if he did not take trip
to the west he would come this way and
see us before leaving. He made a trip
to Atlanta, Ga, then returned to Flem-
ingsburg. He was engaged as barber
there.
What makes me certain that he has
joined the Cuban army and that he il
the man that has been captured Is that
we cannot hear from him. Then, too
just about the time the last news was
received from him, there was formed
in that part Of Kentucky in which he
was living a company to go t? Cuba
to join the insurgents. 1t was very
natural thing for him to do to unite
with the company"
SCOvEL'S CASE.
HAVANA, via Key West, Feb. a.
Recent advices give the following ac-
count of the arrest by the Spanish OF
sylvester Scovel, the war correspondent
Of the New York World: Scovel ar.
lived on Frids- at the Zaza station oi
the railroad from Tunas to that city. He
landed at the port of Casilda and went
from there to Trinidad and thence to
Maigua for the purpose of gathering
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