Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-08
DARING CUBAN IF|L|BUSIERS.
Landed a Cargo Of Arms, But Had to
Beach the Vessel.

as a spanish VeSSSi Appedreu
the White Wings Sprung a Leak
and the Grew Put to Sea in Small
Boats-One Boat Reached Mas
sau- The Other Has Not Been
Reported.
New York, December IA dispatch
to the Press from Fort Pierce, Fla,
says: For two weeks the officials OF
the Spanish consulate in Jacksonville
have been on the alert, the guarded &C
lions of prominent Cuban leaders occa-
sioning them much trouble. The fill
buster steamer Dauntless, that has been
in the vicinity, was watched and Span
ish spies have been up and down the
east coast looking for members OF a
filibustering expedition who were try
ing to get away. But the Cuban lead
ers fooled them.
For several weeks 1000 heavy rifles
and a large quantity of small stores
have been lying under guard on the
Keys south of Miami, which were, so
the story goes, to be shipped to Cuba
on the Dauntless, but the close watch
maintained caused a change of plans
and on November 20 a dozen members
of the Dauntloss crew went south to
Miami on the east coast by railway, and
in small boats went to the rendezvous.
The White Wings, a small two-mast-
ed schooner from Bahamas, met them
and took the cargo off and Immediately
set sail for Cuba. On Friday last the
crew of the schooner succeeded in max
ing a landing in Nuevitas. 1t was one
of the most daring expeditions yet re-
ported Just as the last of the NUM-
lions of war had been taken in small
boats off the schooner and transferred
to shore, large Spanish vessel was
seen bearing down upon the schooner.
The men in the small boats pulled for
their lives and managed to reach the
White Wings, but when they got her
under way it was found that she had
sprung leak, and SO they were COM
PEELED to beach her. the crew putting
to sea in the small boats.
Captain Metz, of the White Wings,
commanded the first boat to leave and
the steward, named Montgomery, COM
manded the second. The second boat
had no compass or mariner aboard and
got lost, beating around the greater
part of Friday night, being finally pick
ed up by a Norwewegian fruit vessel
and landed at Nassau. The men did not
Key West sponge boat for Florida. On
reaching the Land of Flowers they
were, at their request, put into their
boat in Indian river, and sailed around
to Fort Pierce, coming in here this
morning. The men in the boat with
Captain Metz were undoubtedly COM
PEELED to land on the Cuban shore.
The cabin boy of the White Wings,
whose name was Streeks, first discover
outlook in the cross-trees Of the
schooner, and it was due to his vigilance
that the members of the expedition
were not captured and the war stores
confiscated.
The men with Captain Metz, who
were forced, as supposed, to land, will
ho61 x, fn thn i,,tn I
though the Cubans who met the expedi-
lion had already left for the interior
when the boats were returning to the
vessel Had the White Wings not
sprung leak she might have succeed
I'd in evading the Spanish vessel by
going into small lagoon, but the leak
compelled the crew to beach her and
abandon her.
Havana, December "details have
been received of the fighting at Guisa.
The Spanish column, under Col Tovar,
was delayed four days before arriving
and capturing the position of the insur-
gents The Spanish lost captain. a
lieutenant and twenty soldiers wounded.
According to the official account. the
Spanish garrison defended the town he
roioally. 1t consisted Of 800 men. The
forts, five houses and 300 huts were
destroyed Eight men in charge of the
heliograph resisted until all were
wounded. The insurgents were 5000
strong and had six cannon. They were
commanded by Gen. Calixto Garcia.
Gen. Jesus Rabi and Gen Ramirez. A
large quantity OF dynamite was used.
A conference was held yesterday be-
tween the autonomists and reformists
at the house of DR.. Zayas. where Senior
Montoro, a prominent reformist, is con-
valescing. The proposal to dissolve
both parties and to form a new one,
with ample security for autonomist d.
rection and programme, was not accept
ed. Senior Galvez, the president of the
autonomists, said they were only will
ing to enter a combination. provided
they could maintain their name. their
programme in full, and their present
chief. They were, however. ready to
admit the reformists to swell their own
ranks. The conference will be contin-