The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-12
ACTIVITY IN WEST CUBA.
IKE soENB or wan REMOVED TO
THAT PART OF THE ISLAND.

nnoui Arnnro.u RGnny euccessea and His RE-
nrsFtsbts lnnuenre over the 1000 Negroes
IN ME and swamp which the Cuhnns
Can Enter. Though It PuEIiea spaninrds.
HAVANA, July 10. via Key West, July H.
Tho war. thattwom months ago seemed tobe most
active In east Cuba. has now ssunod great I'M
portanco IN the west through tho doings OF the
Cubans in that part Of tho island. In Havana
province. and only q few miles from the capital.
Col. Raoul Arrange had an engagement on
Friday evening with tho Spanish forces OF
Gen. Morote. at the hills Of San Javier
scalera, and, after several hours fighting,
Morote retired with seventeen killed and thirty
Ave wounded. Arrange had about the same
Iosses, but he captured n large quantity OF arms
and ammunition from the Spaniards and four
prisoners, among them two Captains.
As the prisoners belonged to tho regular Span
ish army and not to the guerrilla forces OF ir-
regulars organized by Weyler, they were set
free.
Araneo's men are all infantry, and a peculiar
thing about bis force is that, while Arrange Is a
member Of one of the more aristocratie families
Of Havana, his regiment is almost wholly COM
posed OF negroes, while the forces OF all the
other Cuban leaders in Havana province are
whites. Arrange, besides being a very intelligent
mar and q graduate in law at the Havana Uni
versity, 10 q great sportsman. remarkable for
his ability and strength in all kinds Of physical
e1ercises, and the best shot In all the army. Tho
negroes In Cuba, as a rule, are physically strong.
% than the whites, but they recognize Arango's
superiority both in intelligence and physi.
cal force. They adore him, and do not want to
serve under any other leader. Arango's infu.
ence over than Is so great that they respect
him as II he were endowed with superhuman
powers. They do not accept tho possibility
OF defeat when he Ia with them, and they
eight like demons at his command. Neither
Gomez nor Garcia Is so much beloved by his
troops as 10 tho young Colonel. Arrange Is q
middle-sized man. and he handles his 1000
negroes. all six feet high or over. as though they
He has Invented for his infantry a system Of
trenches in which his men are protected and
The Spanish columns do not often dare to attack
Arrange, a. they know that he is always we'll
Cen. Gomez himself has admonished Arrange
several times because he never refuses a fight,
oven when the Cuban army receives orders
from Gomez to DO sparing in the use of ammu-
In Pinar del Rio province the Spanish column
Of Gen. Bazan after q whole days lighting with
retire to Mantua, being short OF ammunition.
He left q valuable convoy in the hands of the
At Tumbas do Estorino in the same province
ne Gubs9s under Gen, Juan 2 DuH ianss De,
dynamite bombs. which were placed in
s sIa Q q. s but they and I PIEtGSaTssSd or, a tw paRie
seven soldiers were killed. the whole column
took to their heels. In the early part of the en-.
eagement the Cubans had seven killed and nine
wounded.
In Matanzas province the Cuban Army has
been reorganized by Gen. Avelino Rosas. ap.
pointed by Gomez to unite the several
Cuban bands scattered over that province.
Gen. Rosas is a native Of the republic
OF Colombia, who won q reputation as a
brave warrior in the civil wars of that
republic and also of Venezuela. He landed in
Cuba with the expedition of Gen. Calixto Garcia,
and Gen. Gomez recognized his quality. Now at
Matanzash he has proved his ability. In the big
swamp Of Zapata. which, in spite Of its ominops
has organized a system of hospitals for the Cuban
rounded and sick.
After the death OF Col. Matagas, who knew
the swamp thoroughly because he had lived in
IL for many years. the Cubans had abandoned
that district because of the difficulty of get.
ting into the interior. The swamp is sur.
rounded by treacherous boys, in which
many Spaniards have lost their lives.
but Col, Matagas knew several ways of reaching
without danger the beautiful lands inside. Al
one time he kept his Spanish prisoners in the al.
most unknown interior. bandaging their eyes
when he took them in. so that they could not
learn how to escape.
Gen. Rosas has made a careful examination OF
session of this remarkable part of their island.
Tho cavalry forces in Matanzas, commanded
by Gen. Betancourt. have been also reorganized
nv this leader.