The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-15
CHIEFS PLAN
IT is BELIEVED TO BE COOPER
ALTON WITH OUR FORCES.
LIEUTENANT R0WANS ADVENTURE
-Four Days and Nights in the Saddle---TOss-
ing on the Waves in a Sixteen Foot
DOry---Picked up at Last
by a Sponger.


Tampa, Fla, May 14.-Col. a. l..
Wagner, representing the army on the
Advisory Board of the War Department,
and member of General Miles staff, ar
rived in Tampa to-day and reported ut
once to General Wade. Col. Wagner
said he expects Gcm Miles will leave
Washington for Tampa to-day. He re-
fused to talk on the object of his visit
here The presence of member of the
Advisory Board in Tampa ut this time
however, has brought about feeling
that the time for the invasion of Cuba by
the United States forces is now very
near. Added significance was given Col.
Wagner's sudden visit to Tampa by the
arrival ON the steamer Mascotte to-day
of Lieutenant A. $. Rowan, who ac-
companied Captain Dorst on the Leyden
expedition from Key West to Cuba.
Lieutenant Rowan brought with him dis
patches from the inSurgent leader, Gen
eral Garcia. involving, it is believed, Il
complete plan for the cooperation of that
part of the Cuban army with the forces
of the United States. Lieutenant Rowan
was brought to Tampa from Port Tam
pa on a special train, and was imme-
diately shown to Col. Wagner's apart
ments in the Tampa Bay Hotel. Lieu
tenant Rowan said he had no trouble in
landing in Cuba. General Garcia S head
quarters are ut present at BayamO. one
of the most important cities of Santiago
de Cuba, from which place the Span
sh troops were recently driven. Here n
large quantity of much needed supplies
were captured. With the exception of
perhaps half a dozen seaports the insur-
gents are now in complete possession of
tho eastern portion of the island. Lieu
tenant Rowan says the dreaded rainy
season was commencing 1t is already
raining in the mountains.
Additional details of Lieutenant Row
ans visit to Gen. Garcia were given by
Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Hernandez,
aid to General Enrique Collazo, both of
whom accompanied the intrepid Ameri-
can officer from the interior of Cuba
to the seacoast and who shared with
him the dangers of the four days jour
ney in an open boat from the coast to
Nassau, Jamaica. Lieutenant Rowan
has seen more Of the island of Cuba
in a shorter time and endured more hard
ships than any other American" said
Col. Hernandez From where Lieuten-
ant Rowan landed on April % last near
Port Portillo on the south coast of San
tiago dc Cuba to where he left on the
north coast, is across the widest part
Of the island. With guard OF only
four men he pushed through part of the
way on foot and through one of the Wild
est parts of the island With hardly n
stop for rest, he reached Bavamo on
May 1 where he met General Garcia.
Five hours afterwards we started for
the north coast. Lieutenant Rowan did
not sotD for an instant until his mis-
sion was accomplished, exhausted though
he was For four days and nights we
hardly left our saddles 1t is Il ride do
not think Lieutenant Rowan will ever
forget, but like the soldier that he is he
never complained. When we finally
reached the coast near Port Manati OH
May ;, the only boat procurable was a
little dory. hardly more than sixteen feet
long yet our orders permitted no delay
and six OF us embarked on this little
cookie shell. We were picked up by NJ
sponger and reached Nassau early on
May s."
The body of Ensign Bagley. the unfor-
tunate officer Of the torpedo boat Wins
low, who was killed in the engagement
at Cardenas. was brought up from Key
West on the Mascotte. the body was
shipped tonight to Raleigh, \. G.
The party of four American college
graduates, who for the past two years
and over. have been with Gen. Garcia
as officers of artillery, We're also passen-
gers OH the Mascotte. They were Maj.
Arthur r. Joyce. Yale 80; Captain 'Os-
mum Latrobe Jr., Pennsylvania, 30;
Lieutenant james Pennie, ST Johns
College. Annapolis, '93. and Captain
Stuart .Janny, Johns Hopkins. 30. La
trobe and fanny were companions OF
Major Good. the University of Pennsyl-
yania's full back. who lost his life near
Guimaro, and Of Charles Huntington.
young Canadian, but who had lived for
some time in Colorado. who was killed
near Losvilles All four have resigned
their positions with Garcias army and
will go to Washington to offer their ser
vices as guides. They report the death
of Joseph NJ. Chaplain, one of the first
Americans on the island. Chaplain. who
came from Boston, was killed while with
Gen. Garlic.