The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-12
TO KILL SPANIARDS.
CUBAN DTNAMlTERS LEARN HOW TO
DESTROY THEIR ENEMIES.


Giant Powder viii BE Exploded Under
the Feet Of Marching soidiers-Trouble
} Ahead For weyler's Minions.
The wholesale slaughter of Spaniards
is being planned near Rockport, Mass.
by party of men understood TO be I'm
der orders of the Cuban leaders Expert
ments have been carried on at CofIin's
Beach for some time with new forms of
dynamite bombs. The new plan has
passed the experimental stage, and the
next news of tho scheme will. If the
hopes of the experimenters are realized,
be tho absolute destruction of an entire
Spanish column
Coffin IS Beach is q fine stretch cf hard
sand two miles long and GOO feet wide
at high tide. Before it isthe sea and be-
hind it are sand hills 1t is seven miles
from the city, far away from any resi-
dences, and there the dynamiters may
blast and fire to their hearts content
without fear OF interruption or interfer-
ence.
On a recent morning the sand stretch
was smooth and hard. On that same
day, in the evening, when the dark
men were through it was marked by
long, deep. ragged trenches, the results
Of of,explosions Of chains of dynamite car
tridges.
The detonating agent employed was
electricity, and the problem the expert
menters have overcome is to fire stimuli
taneously 100 or more dynamite car
tridges laid IN line.
The quickness of dynamite is an OBJ
staole to such death train. The car
fridge to which the wires lead explodes
right enough, but it not infrequently
happens that the first explosion scatters
the cartridges and breaks the chain.
This is what they sought to remedy,
and they have succeeded. Just how is
the secret Of the experimenters.
The use of dynamite against the
Spaniards is no new thing to the Gu
bans in the field. Not only by dynamite
mines, but by dynamite guns, they have
destroyed masses of the enemy, until
today the Spanish force that will stand
the shock of machete charge and ad-
vance in the face of the fiercest rife fire
the Cuban troops can project will scat
ter and fly when the giant powder be-
gins to tear the earth about them. The
Spanish soldiers can understand ma
ehetes and bullets, but the explosion
that comes from where no man can see
is too much for them.
But up to this time the dynamite
mines have simply been large deposits
Of the explosive laid in the track of the
Spanish columns. When such deposit
is exploded, it tears great hole in the
earth, but its destructive effect seldom
extends over a spot larger than a circle
40 feet in diameter. There is not the re-
sistance to produce the full effect of the
powder. Then, again, it is necessary to
place such large quantity Of dynamite
that the advance guard OF column Is
very likely to discover the mine and
warn the main body.
It will be very different when the
new system is employed. The sticks of
dynamite may be laid indefinitely just
under the dust of the road. A couple of
inches will conceal it effectually. 1t is
as easy to place and as hard to detect as
100 feet of inch rope would be.
The Spanish column usually marches
in pretty solid order along the rough
roads. The only precautionary bodies
are an advance guard Of few men,
half a dozen men riding on the fianks,
and rear guard. The main body march
es pretty closely, particularly the in
fantry, which is the greater branch OF
the Spanish service. With dynamite
chain laid in such road one man with
his hand on the key of an electric bat
terry is a menace to a whole column.
The Spaniards commonly march with
about 1000 men in q command. The
operator, watching with fieldglasses
from cover maybe a quarter of mile
away, holds his hand until the whole
line is directly over the murderous
chain.
Then touch on the button and the
whole column is blown into the air. In
this way an ordinary case (50 pounds)
of dynamite may be counted upon to
kill or MAIN every man so yards along
q columns length.
The plan is to have such long mines
at various places along road that
after the first explosion the remnant OF
the dynamited column must run over
another mine whether it advances or re-
treats.
The awful chain may be laid in the
center of the road or in the rough edges
among the wild pineapples or in the
stone walls which bound nearly every
highway. No marching army can exam
inc every foot of its road before proceed
ing.
At Coffin's Beach 100 dynamite car
tridges, weighing quarter Of pound
each, were laid in the hard sand Of the
beach and connections made with an
electric battery. There are numerous
sand mounds in the vicinity and behind
these the party sought protection.
! The key was touched and at the same
moment showers Of sand were hurled in
the air, and enough was learned to JUS
tify the conclusion that the new way of
diocbQrOinn fhoca Ayno,nsta hon, he ia a