The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-07
PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE

9ll2iihSi;:---ssGSvll'tLiElVA'TlON ZONEt Ex-
TENDED, AND SPANISH Au-
THoR1T1Es CLAIM THAT HA.
YANA IS NOW a vERITARLE
sBBAsToPo 1.-THE STREETS OF
THB CUBAN CAPITAL, HOW.
OVER, ARE DESERTED AND
VERY LITTLE BUSINESS IS
TRANSACTED. s5i
Copyright, ISIS, by, the Associated Press)
Z. & HAVANA, May Is. via Vera Cruz,
Mexico, May ao.-The news of,the nrrl-
wal at Santiago de Cuba OF what ID
known here as the first division OF the
Spanish fleet, has considerably llghtened
tthehearta Of tho spanlards and the news
has been received with great rejoicing.
The feeling Of satisfaction ie all the
more Intense. as II is hoped the Spanish
swarships will soon enter the ilarbor OF
Havana, after which, uniting with the
X second division or the fleet under Adj
riirais camara, It is believed tho naval
I forces OF Spain Will attempt to strike n
decisive blow at some part OF the United
States. At least, this Is the view OF the
situation taken by the Spanish authors
ties here. Havana anu the rest OF the
Island of Cuba. so far us heard from,
T - otficially pronounced to be entirely
y QUIET. No riots or other. disturbances
are reported to have occurred and the,
< Inhabitants profess themselves, to be
longing for an encounter with the forces
Of the United States. Preparations for
Y defence are being pushed night and
day, and work Is going on Without ceas-
Ding on the Notifications all over the Is
land. The Spanish officials here claim
} that &c $1,000 men we're needed to attack
Havana by land and sen waen the war
broke out, at least 100000 men viii be
required to attack the Cuban capital
I now, In view OF the new and strengthen.
ed Notifications and also because The So
scalled cultivation zone" has been ex-j
tended to Rlncon. calabarar, Betucal.
Setc., which are inside OF the line OF de-,
fences now, thus. It Is claimed, making
Havana a Spanish sebastopol. This in
crease in the cultivated area about Ha-
wanna will, It Is asserted, support the In
habItants with food, although not with
i;luxuries, for a long time to come.
In spite of this outwardly cheerful as
pect Of AFFAIRS, bitterly anxious feeling
exist. People go as far as to charge.
Senior A1oret, the former minister of the
colonies of Spain, with being q traitor
and having sold Cuba to the United
] States. r This causes discomfort n pre-
vail and. If the Spanish fleet does not
arrive here before food becomes really
scarce terrible rIotins may be reported.
u There are hardly any business trans;
ACTIONS and the city looks deserted, there
being few people on the streets. The;
family remains at home, excepting
when the sound OF a gun fired from one
Softhe forts causes the people, to rush to
4 the windows or into the streets, and IL.
h several shots are. fired, thousands rush
To the wharves, to the vicinity OF the
!. bay and to San Lazaro avenue TO see II
" the American fleet is approaching.
Although the streets are almost de-
4 serted certain points of vantage are
\ occupied by groups OF people from early
morning until late at night. This Is
u particularly the case with La Punta,
which Is generally crowded from day
/ break until dark.
( The Spanlards comment continually
upon the tactics OF the American fleet,
and, naturally, they are vert severe In
THEIR for they do not un-
y dsrstand the method OF warfare adopt
ed. Many OF them so SO far as to say
IA the United States Is not prepared for
i war that no plans have been decided
: upon and that the authorities at Wash
I ington are not serious in the steps
taken.
e Tnen.1 aElin. the SpaNlardS are .reJolc-
Y Ing greatly at the reported small
I amount OF damage done by the AmerI-.
Z can commandments. and they also pre-
tend over the seeming delay which they
claim Is giving Spain the opportunity,
ito prepare a norevigorous defense than
3otherwise could have been made. In
deed, the Spanish military and naval
= authorities are beginning to nurse
Themselves with the belief that the
j naval and military power OF the United
States has been exaggerated by the
SSnewspapers, and they are comforting
themselves with the idea that Spain
z Is showing herself able to fight such a
4 giant as the United States.
Advlces from Caiberlen and other
K towns show that q scarcity OF provI-
S sions exists. and Puerto Principe re-
I; ports that many families have left the
y city FOR the country districts.
S5CFNo recent encounters between the
II Spanish troops and the insurgents have
been announced, and the official reports
i only refer to insignificant sklrmishes,
& in. which the Spaniards, OF course, have
had the advantage. n
Railroad communication between the
81 province of Santa Clara and the prov
n tnces of Matanzas and Havana have
Z peen Interrupted several times, and the
s trains are sometimes twenty-four hours
p overdue, on account OF the blowing I'D
sscutyerts by the insurgents The dam
/ age however. was soon repaired This