Evening star., 1897-02-18
General Weyler's Plan to Crush Gomez
and Garcia.
HOPES TO SURROUND THEIR FORCES
.nsurgent Commanders Reported to
Be in Retreat.
NOTES OF THE CUBAN WAR


insurgent army, under General Maxfmo
Gomez. has been divided into small corps
and Gomez himself is in full retreat be fore
the continued advance of Captain General
Weyler.
Dispatches from Ciego de Avila say that
the tnsurgent commander-in-chief with
4.NO men, has reorossed the military line
IN the province Of Puerto Principe, ex-
tending from Jucaro to Moron, and that
ne Is going eastward through Puerto Prin-
cipe and in the direction of the capital
Of that province, also called Puerto Prin-
cipe.
General Calixto Garcia (Gomez's second
In command) was reported four days ago
to be in the vicinity of Puerto Principe
and retreating toward the same point as
Gomez.
Captain General Weyler arrived yester-
day at Sancti Spiritus. the most important
town In the eastern part of the province
OF Santa Clara. near the boundary Of
Puerto Principe and in the territory where
the 1nsurgent headquarters were recently
located, and as he has been able to reach
that place, apparently without any serious
molestation upon the part of the insur-
gents, the report that Gomez is ret, eat
ing would appear to be borne out by facts.
Gen. WeyIcr's Plan.
The statements from the Spanish head
quarters are even more explicit. 1t is an
nounced that the insurgents have retreat
ed to the mountains and to the woods be-
fore the Spanish advance ard that from
Sancti Spiritus Captain General Weyler
will push forward his columns to Moron
Cfego lie Avila and Jucaro. thus seemingly
sweeping across the island with a large
force and driving the enemy before him
toward the eastern part of the island. In
Santiago de Cuba, ii is known, strong col
uEirs OF Spanish troops hav. been gath
cred, and it is believed that the plan Is 70
attempt to catch Gomez and Calixto Gar
cia between the armies advancing under
Weyler and the Spanish columns in San
uago de Cuba. In any case the most in
teresting stage of the campaign seems
TO nave Deen reached.
The supporters of the Spanish cause hone
that General Weyler will succeed in bring
Ing about a decisive action before the rains
put an end to military operations for the
sea sen.
On the other hard. the friends of the in
surgents assert that Gomez may be trust
ed to thwart the plans of General Wevler.
and that, ii it is true that the insurpeut
armies fave retreated from the province
OF Santa Clara into the province of Puerto
fr-Eclpe, they have done for "A purpose
ana In order to still further carry out the
policy of exhausting the Spaniards.
HCWeVer, 1t cannot be denied that Cen
efai Weyier now occupies a most adyan-
tageous position from which to conduct
opera nc ms against the insurgents From
sancu Spiritus short line of railroad
communicates with the port of Tunas on
the northern coast, and by this means h..
can nave conveyed to him all the reinforce
ments. supplies, ammunition, etc. which
ne eeds, and 1t also gives him conyen-
lent highway over which he can SEND his
sick and wounded to the rear
Advices from Santa Clara, under date of
February II. said that force of over a
H.1 thousand insurgents was canped at San
mil fro,
command of Gems. Mayia RODRIGUEZ and
Chuco Montagudo apparently intending to
continue their march toward the Vuclta
district in the same province
In Pinar del Rio.
dispatch from Consolation Delsur. nrov-
irce OF Pinar del Rio, still further confirms
the statements made in these dispatcbes
that Pinar del Rio is far from being oaci-
hed, as the captain general claims. Numer-
GUS bands Of insurgents are said to be hid
zen e,, m thlck, dark woods of that part of the
country and on Monday last the insurRe ats
dynamited and derailed an exploring train
from Flnar del Rio between Los PaIacios
ana Paso real blowing up culver; de-
suoyins the engine and capsizing an armor-
piated car, killing two soldiers Of the es-
cort, wounding eight others and seriously
inJuring the engineer and fireman. The line
is still interrupted and passengers bound
from Finar del Rio to this city have 10 be
where the explosion occurred Otherwise
trains to and from this city are running as
usual -"
Pinar del Rio reports that small expedi-
ton from the Elsie, which landed at La
Mulata several days ago, was led by Man
uel Maria Coronado, a correspondent of El
Liberal of Madrid and by the editor of Im
Discussion. 1t Is further stated that Cola
Spanish guerrillas.
The schooner Mercedes was CAPTURED on
February IL, 1t is now announced. in the
river Canambo. She had on board thirty
OF Trinidad. Four of her crew escaned in.
10 the burned caneflelds of that district.
Inc insurgents have attacked Vega Alta
ana succeeded In burning twenty houses on
the outskirts of that town. VA
Ihe military commander of Artinn,.a
Sehof HioaIgo, after reconnoitering the Las
Sanas dlstr1ct. reports that families can
resume cultivation there under the terms
inside fortified zone ACCORDING to The
terms OF the captain generals second edict
over sixty families of that district were
c0mpeied 10 abandon their homes, burning
all the houses. including some handsome
dwellings and large starch factory. and
reducing them to state of the greatest
poverty.
At Candelaria, Pinar del Rio. there is
great scarcity Of vegetables. ETC., as the
insurgents will not permit the country peo-
pie to send such supplies into the place
A dispatch from Jaruco says that Emilio
Nunez has landed near there.
Depreciation i'm Paper Money.
The bank-bills question is producing Sc
rious differences among the proprietors Of
the exchange houses and the government
officials. Many Of them have returned
their licenses to the government and intend
to close their business,
The whole matter has caused great ex-
citement among the people, particularly in
the case OF the poorer classes, as the stores
Of all descriptions have, in conseouence NJ
the forced silver bill currency. raised the
price Of all kinds of merchandise 40 ner
cent This is making the people here des-
perate, and has added greatly to the bur
dens they have been bearing for a long
time past. Milk and beef are scarce. ali
kinds of provisions are very dear the
butchers have just raised their prices an.
other bg per cent, and grocers and others
have followed their example
To make matters worse, no lottery ticy,et
sellers are to be seen on the streets which
deprives the government OF a fruitful
source of revenue and compels 1t to adonf
other measures to raise the funds neces-
sary TO continue the campaign AGAINST the
Insurgents -
49, y