The Portland daily press., 1897-08-24
SUFFERING CUBA,
Once Happy Island Now Land Of
Death and Misery.
HUNDREDS DYING FOR WANT OF
FOOD.

WeyIer Summoning Human Fiends to Aid
Him in His Terrible work-war Raging
Fiercely-Through Pestilence and Fam
inc the Brave Cubans Fight for Liberty.
New York, August 23.-A special dis
patch to the New York Sun from Ha-
vana,via Key West, says: Gens.Ahumada
and Moncada of the Spanish army are
both sick from yellow fever.
The sanitary situation is awful among
the Spaniards. In the military hospitals
in Havana the scarcity of food makes
the situation worse. The troops, follow
ing the orders Of Weyler, p1under the
farms in the province and steal the cattle
which were reserved to supply the city.
They bring the cattle here to feed to the
sick Spanish. soldiers in the hospitals and
report the animals as captured from the
insurgents
At Pinar del Rio the condition of the
pacificos is desperate. Whole towns also
are starving. AT Guane, in that prov
ince, the Cuban families are feeding on
dogs. Not even vegetables can be OBJ
tained.
Reports from Matanzas also reveal the
terrible misery of the country people,.
The Spanish battalion of America arrived
yesterday in Matanzas city, escorting
large number of starving pacifcos. They
could hardly walk, and were beaten by
the soldiers when they tainted. Hundreds
died on the road.
A sensation has been caused by the
news that Gen. Felipe Martinez will ar
rive soon from Spain, called to Cuba by
Gen. Weyler. Martinez has reputation
for cruelty comparable only with that of
Weyler himself. He was chief of police
barously treated the Cuban population,
using largely the torture of ell componte
and shooting people in the streets of the
capital without any trial The Cuban
families are panie-stricken over his COM
Ing. Weyler is reported to have said in
the palace after receiving the news of
Martinezs departure from Spain: "Men
like Martinez and Fonsdeviela are the
sort we need here"
The war is waging tiercely in Puerto
Principe province. The town of Dos
Marias has been sacked and partly burned
by the insurgents after desperate resis-
tance by the garrison. The Spanish COM
mander, Manuel Barcelo, made heroic
stand against the assailants, and when
he could not fight any longer in the
streets he retreated to the fort, which he
held. The Cubans, after sacking the
town, retired and praised Barcelo's brav-
! cry.
At Arroyo del Muerton, in the same
province, the Spanish battalion of Cadiz
had a hard fight with the Cubans, who
were under Gen. Lope Reeio Loynaz,
commander of the insurgent army in
Puerto Principe province. The Span
iards, after several hours fighting, retreat
ed in good order to Puerto Principe city,
through the plantations Aurora Jigui
and Santa Rita. The insurgents kept.
firing on the Spanish rear guard until the
battalion entered the town. The losses
were heavy on both sides.
At San Lorenzo and Las Delicias,
Puerto Principe, the Spanish battalion of
Puerto Rico had two skirmishes with the
insurgents and lost fifteen soldiers killed
and twenty nine wounded.
A big Cuban expedition is reported to
have Successfully landed in Pinar del Rio
province Several strong combats took
place on tho northern coast, where the
expedition landed. Large Spanish forces
were sent from Havana to Pinar del Rio
to help the Spaniards against the expe-
dition. +4 es5S r..
A Cuban hospital has been raided by
the Spanish near Havana and sixteen
Cuban soldiers, sick and wounded, were
slain.