The sun., 1897-12-05
BATTLES WON ON PAPER.
TIE LATEST SPANISH sUOoEss WAS
a SEVERE DEFEAE

havana Firemen Afraid 20 Gs 70 Fire In
Snruco, where no Houses Were burned
Tho spaninrds Try TO Bribo AranEo's Rrsther
TO Take Message oncrinG Autonomy
HAVANA, Dec. 4, via Key west.-News has
just reached Havana that the Spanish brigade
Of ManZanillo, Santiago do Cuba province, had
hard fight ut tho hills Of Plcdras, near Jiguani,
with largo insurgent forces under Gen. Calixto
Garcia The Spanish official report camo by
cable from Manzanillo and says that tho loyalists
dslodged the insurgents from their position,
killing many of them, but that the enemy were
able to carry Off the field all their dead because
tho ground on which the battle was fought was
vory irregular and mountainous"
The official report also says that the spanish
troops had only two soldiers killed and one
Major and two surgeons and tho priest of the
brigade and thirty eight soldiers wounded.
II VIC had no more ncws Of the engagement
than Is contained in this official report wo
could clearly understand that 1t was a Spanish
defeat, because the Spanic-ds never fail to give
tho number of insurgents they kill or believe
they have killed. Furthermore an army that
can take its dead away in the face of the cne'
my is not driven out its positions" as tho
report says. But we have positive news from
Manzanillo which establishes the fact that tho
Spaniards were defeated. Tho engagement
was brilliant victory for Gen. Garcin, who Is
not idle at this time when Gen. Gomez Is show
ing such great activity in Santa Clara province.
Tho Spanish brigade of Manzanillo, starting
from JlSuan was surprised by Gen. Garcia.
or tho two Spanish surgeons, one. DIR. Solor-
zao was killed. The priest, who always march
ed In the centre Of the Spanish columns.recoived
blow from a machete on tho head ard ho Is
dying.
Things aro looking gloomy for the Spanish
arms ut present. lhe patriots are displaying
| ~, hnA nat
fore since the war begun. Gen. l'ando, aiter
his disastrous engagement with Gen. 1omcz,
smaller fights in the district OF Sancti-Spirtus
and lost cannon. He has been compelled to
take refuge under the protection of the strong
In Matanzas Gen. Molina, after his recent
bloody engagement with the Cuban forces un.
der Gen. Betancourt, retired to the city and for
| two weeks has remained inactive.
Tho last battle in Plnar del Rio province be-
| tweon the insurgcnt Gen. Ducasi and the
Spanish columns of Gems Bcrnal and Her
| nandcz do NelaZco have had the same effect on
| the latter. Gen. Gomez writes from La Retorma
| solved to make a lively winter campaign and
the only OBJ taclo in the, way of freeing Cuba
| speedily is our lack of abundant and powerful
| artillery. Six dynamite guns and twenty good
field pieces is all we need TO attack the Spanish
| fortified towns that now in most cases we have
o attack with rifles"
| ono hundred and ten houses were burned
| yesterday in terrible fire nj Jaruco. Havana
province. Jaruco is only an hour from Havana
| by rail. TclegIuphio Gdvces were received
| here OF tho calamity going on there. But IT
was Impossible to send any help, although tho
| Havana fire service is very good because the In
surgents who control tho country might stop
the trains and attack the firenon. who are con
| sidered officially soldiers oil the Spanish
army. Tho town was left to shift Tor itself,
and the disaster was immense, 1t is said this
the flames, though in the official bureaus no in
formation is obtained except that the fire was
e' intense. people dyins % there from hunger, as in
| tho principal towns of Cuba. The IRE has In
creased the general misery;
HAVANA Dec. 1.-Several agents OF the Span
! ish Government have started for Pinar dol Rio
| province to confer with the insurgents and offer
them peace the basis OF autonomy. They
| have been authorized TO offer them money also
In view of this news Gen. j. NJ. Rodriguez
Cuban Commander in pinnr dei , mo
| and Garcia, already printed in THE sun. ne
says that any Cuban in the ranks or any civi
| or military employee of the republic who listens
to tho proposals OF the Spanish agents will bt
summariiy court'martialled and sentenced Il
III such emissaries duly authorized, brins
an offer Of the independence Of Cuba no one II
wtb them OF 9s shm dro
ing. to Article II OF our Constitution. to the su
porior Government of the republic: ,,
| Roberto Arango, a brother OF the well known
insrrgcnt leader. Rauul Arango who ts op
Grating in Havana province Is now in this c. city
any emissary sent to Raoul arrange With of
fers Of peace under the Spanish flag will be i'm
aensGa 5o oomne 20
berto to perform, that delicate commission
They have said to him that they only desire hin
to deliver to Raoul a sealed letter. itobertt
| enerpctically declines. He says: My brcthe
will not hesitate to hang me il nis duty compel
| him to do so.'
Gen. Blanco is rcndy to offer to Col. Raou
Arrange 100000 IL he will surrender and tn
| aame sum to Col. Ncstor Araa5cren. Span'nr;
| here named Don Angel Arco5 offered S6,Oo'
to Roberto Arrange TO deliver the letter to hi
brother.
the Chief of Staff and intimate friend Of Gen
Wcyler, took away from the Spanish Bank o
Havana $S2.000 deposited therC, according L
a decree Of Weyler, for the payment of the cat
tie seized by the troops in this provinces. Th
} cattle owners have not received the money
, Col. Escribano, and will take steps to brin
him back from Spain to answer the charge
against him for the stealing OF the money. ,
THE SUNS correspondent has read several le
ters from the leaders of the Cuban Army
Pinar del Rio and Matanzas. saying that the pa
riots have plenty OF food in their stores. thong
the famine Is increasing among the pacitcos.
The Marquis of Apeztegua, President Of th
Conservatives arrived here to-day from Ne,
York. He has been coldly received by hi
, own party.
1N rIRV TRTP For THE DlUNTL ES!