The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-15
A COMPLETE BLOCKADE
Cienfuegos Is Threatened With
Starvation.
FOOD AT FAMINE PRICES
Old Fashioned Guns on Flimsy For
tifications Defend the Harbor.
United States Marines
Cut the Cable.
Copyright 1895 by Associated Press.

Copyright lseS by Associated Press.
kingston, Jamaica. May IA COR
respondent of the associated press who
passed through the Cienfuegos block
ade ON the steamer Adula on Monday
last succeeded in entering that city and
getting a good idea Of the situation. He
left Cienfuegos on the steamer with a
number of refugees on Tuesday, and
last evening he sent the following dis
patch ashore from the quarantine sta
tion.
When about 40 miles off Cienfuegos
on Monday afternoon. we sighted the
American blockading squadron. con-
sisting of the Marblehead, Nashville
and Eagle. The flagship. the Marble
head. bore down upon us at full speed
and fired blank shot across our bows.
We came to and were boarded by a lieu
tenant. We showed him a permit from
the state department tn pass the block
ade with passengers, on condition that
we carried no cargo. and were allowed
To proceed. The officer of the Marble
head said the flagship thought the
Adula was a Spanish troop ship, which
is expected daily.
When about 400 yards from the mar
row entrance To the harbor. a Spanish
cotton gunboat. mounting one quick
hring one-pounder aft. poked her nose
out OF the ieef and stopped us. our
papers had been vised by the Spanish
consul at Kingston and so we were al
lowed to enter the harbor. The harbor
entrance OF Cienfuegos Is about $50
wide
side OF it, These forts have long rows
OF old-fashioned guns and Just inside
the harbor there is modern fortifica-
tion building of timber. earth and sand.
The British vice consul, Mr.. Fowler,
told the correspondent Of the aseo-
ciated press that the Spaniards have 4
or 10 modern high-power guns to mount
on the new works. Their calbers were
four TO six inches. Inside the harbor
were three tiny gunboats. The only
warship of any consequence in port was
the third-class cruiser Galatea. The
correspondent counted four guns in her
main battery and she has one quick fire
gun art. The Galatea went outside the
harbor a few days ago To engage the
United States auxiliary boat Eagle.
Commander Sutherlin, vessel about
one-third the Galatea's size. The en-
gagement was sharp and decisive. one
of the Eagles six-pounders splintered
the corner OF the Galatea's deckhouse
and the Spaniard retreated
Besides the warshps, there were two
2.NO-ton merchant steamers the Rio
Janeiro and the Olivia of Bilboa, and
three coasting steamers inside the har-
bor of Cienfuegns. These vessels were
caught in the harbor by the American
blockade fleet and will probably fall |
into the hands of our sailors in due !
course Of time. a crowd Of about 1000 |
curious people gathered at the wharf |
To meet MS and the correspondent was |
told there had not been much excite |
ment in Cienfuegos since the war be- |
gan. |
THE correspondent went ashore and |
walked unmolested through the princi- |
pal streets of the city About one shop |
in four was open and business was ut |
terly lifeless. Blockade prices for food |
are charged in Cienfuegos. Flour sells |
at % cents per pound. meat costs 40 |
cents a pound, and il you want milk /
you must pay 20 cents quart for it, |
on the other hand. bread and fruit are !
plentiful at or cents "A pound. The |
was told there was food |
enough in the city 10 last A. days The |
population is afraid the blockade will |
result In starvation. There are at least /
30. 900 or 10000 people i'm Cienfuegos |
and it's vicinity. including about $1,000 |
regular soldiers and 5000 volunteers
The townspeople and the soldiers were
talking about a vaguely glorious vic
tory said to have been won by the
Spanish forces at Havana.