The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-16
THE EXPEDITION FAILS Steamer Gussie Unable to Land Arms and Ammu-
 hilton for Insurgents.
CAPTAIN DORSET EXPLAINS
CUBANS UNABLE TO MEET ExpE.
 OPTION AT RENDEzYOUS.
Could Not Land Supplies With No One to Receive Them-The Captain is Con- vinced That the Spaniards Have . Good System of Communication Alona the Coast and Can Quickly Mass Troops to Prevent Landing of Small Force.

[Copyrfght, 1898, by the Associated Press
 Key West, Fla, May 15.-The steam CT Gussie, which left Tampa, Fla. on May 10 with two companies of the First Infantry on board, in charge of a 1000 rifles and 100000 rounds of ammu- milton, intended for the insurgents in the province of Pinar del Rio, remain- ed off the coast of Cuba Thursday, Friday and yesterday, conveyed by the auxiliary gunboat Manning, la vain attempt to land her cargo. Captain J. N. Dorst, of the staff of General Miles. and formerly United States military att tache at Vienna, headed the expedition. which returned here this morning. Her commander, who appeared to be much { crestfallen, having failed to accomplish the mission entrusted to him, refused to discuss the matter beyond admitting the failure and saying the Gussie will return to Tampa, Fla.
 Naval officers here say that if Caps tain Dorst had secured the co-opera- tion of some of the ships blockading squadron at the point selected for the landing, the Spanish troops ashore would have been shelled and way would have been cleared for the land ing of the soldiers and the cargo they had in charge. But no instructions were given to the ships to cooperate with Captain Dorst's expedition and the Gussie was several times compelled to heave to while cruising up and down the coast, by blockade vessels whose commanders were under the apprehen- sion that she was trying to run the blockade. The United States gunhOat Machias, which was lying off Matanzas on Friday night, reported that signal lights were seen ashore east of Point Sabilla, and some of her officers say they believe the insurgents, having as- certained that the rendezvous at Point Maya had been discovered by the ene- my, desired a landing to be made at another point. But Captain Dorst held to his original plans and found the Spanish troops awaiting him. He did not return empty handed, however. Of Matanzas, the Gussie sighted a small fishing smack and gave chase. When the boat was overhauled her occupants surrendered to Captain Dorst and the prize was brought into Key West.
 Captain Dorst says the failure of the expedition was due to the fact that the Cubans were unable to meet the land- ing party at the rendezvous and the Americans could not land supplies with no one to receive them. The arrange ments for making landing at Caba- mas were made ten days ago by Cap tain Dorst with General Delgado, in command of the insurgent forces in the province of Pinar del Rio, and the supp plies to be landed near Matanzas were to be conveyed to General Gomez by a force of insurgents encamped three miles back from the coast line. Both the Cuban parties were unable, appar- ently, to appear at the rendezvous owl into the activity of the Spaniards.
 Captain Dorst is convinced that the Spaniards have a good system of com-g munication along the coast and that they can quickly mass enough troops to prevent the landing of 9 small force, such as the one he commanded, and the captain believes the only way arms and ammunition can be sent to the in- surgents is to land them under the cover of warships with guns sufficient to beat off any attack. Then, he adds, the arms and ammunition should be conveyed inland by United States soldiers. The captain says the com pany which landed through the surf at Cabanas had a. narrow escane SoI. diers were fired upon by Spanish caval- ry concealed in the tangled underbrush and the fire was replied to with the re- suit that one Spanish officer and three men were hit. Only one man on the American side was wounded. The lat ter. newspaper correspondent, re- ceived a slight flesh wound in the arm. The Wasp and the Manning shelled the woods and covered the retreat=of the soldiers to the vessels.