Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-28
ON THE BLOCKADE.
It Is Complete and Havana
Feels the Pressure.
Food Is Scarce and Many People Are
Leaving the City.
The Fleet knxiousIy Inquirng: when Do We
Take Havana -

Copyright, 1895, by The Associated Press.)
On board the Flagship New York, off
Havana, April 1T 4. M.-(Nia Key
West, 3.35 p. M.-The blockade contin-
ues without incident. No casualties
have been reported to the flagship,
Last night was uneventful. This
morning. the torpedo boat Dupont ar
rived from Matanzas. reporting that
there had been no more firing there and
that the blockade was effectively es-
tablished No prizes have been Ste
cured by the Matanzas squadron.
News has been received that La Lu-
cha, last night. asserted that two
coasting steamers had sneaked into
Havana harbor on Saturday, but it
should be remembered that at that
time the blockade was only i'll its mi
tial stages.
Today. the lighting squadron is
equipped with a force of small boats
which, under cover of darkness can get
close in shore, where they are likely to
prevent blockade running by little craft
huggins the coast. The amount of pro-
visions carried by the two coasting
steamers into Havana, last Saturday,
must have been SO small as to be prac-
tically of effect The incident cannot
be taken as in any way Il criterion of
the blockades effectiveness or as af-
fecting in the slightest the chance Of
our success.
Havana even now feels the pinch of
food becomes imperative. then. if there
is money enough in the city to make It
worth while there are likely to be many
attempts at blockade running, but Rear
Admiral Sampson says they will be I'M
successful They will come to the in
evitable and Havana will be forced to
surrender and beg for food.
The appearance of the Spanish fleet
and an attempt to raise the blockade
are contingencies that must be consld-
cred This phase of the question, how
ever, is one of conjecture. No one
knows whether the Spanish fleet is in
condition for a fight or whether it
would be willing to take such risk
for the sake of relieving Havana. Even
should an enga cement between the two
fleets occur, there is no reason to be
leve that it would ameliorate the plight
of the city.
Information regarding the move
ments of the insurgents is meagre, but
it is known that as many persons as
can are leaving Havana. The inSurSent
army is believed to he active and is
trusted to shut off all communication
between north and south Cuba. through
Batabano still appears to exist.
A concentrated movement by the ir-
surgents upon Havana and its defences
seems hardly feasible The scarcity of
food is bound to affect insurgents and
Spaniards alike. AS soon as the form
er carry their campaign into the far
north of the island. they will be con
fronted with starvation.
1t is believed the insurgents viii ad-
here to their guerilla tactics and not
transfer their forces in any large num-
Der to a territory where starvation will
soon hold sway.
The problem Of provisioning and coal
ing the biockadng fleet has so fal
proved an easy one to solve Specula-
ton as to the movements Of the army
and to the length of time il VIII take
to mobilize is rife The time also Wnel
the two arms of the service VIII be able
to cooperate is eagerly awaited. Al
the more so as a pacific blockade i!
tedious at the best.
EGl.EEMtEl