The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-02
be resolved into certainty in the crucible of

be resolved into certainty In the crucible of
action.
When night came we could see the re-
Election in the city of the lights in Parque
Central and parade. We knew as we'll as
if we were at the Ingleterra hotel, that
along the broader streets the voluntaries
were marching and countermarching, their
officers swishng the 1.-THE canes they are
so fond of and their buglers in vain trying
to keep time to their own music. We hoped
some of the volunteers were hungry, since
they certainly should be. They are so
bloodthirsty with the helpless and so cow
ardly when met by an armed force.
Was the band playing on the stand
around the statue of the great Isabella ?
Probably not. Even these mercurial peo-
Pile would scarcely be in musical mood
when q short walk to the shore would
show them the pillars Of fire by night"
made by the searchlights of the blockaders.
OF course the principal cafes we're crowd
ed. officers and the better class Of civilians
were surely tongregated there in great
numbers, drinking their light wines or a
small glass of absinthe-they are not CIV
en- to drunkenness-and talking fifteen to
the dozen while hands and arms waved
wildly and shoulders were perpetually in
motion.
A recent letter to the writer, smuggled
out by friend in Havana, said: 1.-THE big
Hotel Ingleterra has two guests, Mr. Col
Ian, British CONSUL and Madrid gambler,
but the patronage of the cafe is on the IN
crease. The people are gregarious and
must talk or explode"
1t is astonishing with what equanimity
we bore the thought that some Of the peo-
pie spoken of above were likely to be hun
cry before long. But when we thought of
the delicately nurtured gentlemen, or
phaned, widowed or deserted, where in
comes were zero and where hopes of help
were vanished. we could not feel so indif-
ferent, any more than we could when re-
Numbering the poor little inmates of the
Lee orphanage, rescued from death, it is
feared, only to die at last from starvation,
as in the first instance Fervent was the
hope of every American breast that our
naval and military forces would take and
hold Havana before death came to all who
were dependent upon charity from the
United States.
The band of the New York Is playing the
march from Eel CAPTAIN" the big cruiser
slowly FORCES ahead through sea blue as
heaven, save where It Is dotted with the
blood red Of small jelly fish peculiar to
these waters; the sun CLEANS on the rifles
of a company of marines on guard and its
rays make the big eight-inch guns poked
clear of the turret, look as If swathed in
wet hippopotamus hide. Now and again
long strings of parti-colored bunting float
from the signal halyards. to be answered
far away to the westward by a similar
display from the Iowa. The man in the
foretop waves in frantic fashion his flag
of red with white center and presently,
with a snort, the long, black Porter comes
alongside, with swift motion, composed
Of rolls and darts, there to receive orders
that send her scurrying along to some
other ship or may be to Key West with
dispatches An attractive picture, but we
would like 1t better were the guns less
bright but buster and were the signal calls
ITO general quarters"