The record-union., 1898-05-23
Thought He Cannot Escape Without
a Desperate Conflict.
President OF the CardenaS Junta Tells Of
the Destruction There and Says
the Insurgents Are in
Dire Distress.

KEY WEST CFla.), May 81, p. M
Copyright, 1898 by the Associated
Press. 1.-The tranquility of tropical
Sunday has been undisturbed by def
mite information from any quarter. A
few naval uniforms on the streets are
the only signs of the proximity of this
languid town to the theater of war
There are only one or two ships in the
harbOr, and they are coaling with all
haste to get away to join their fellows
in an action which all are convinced
is only matter of days, perhaps hours.
Speculation is still concentrated on
the whereabouts of Admiral Cervera's
squadron, the general opinion favoring
some point of the southern coast AS
both sides of the island are now pa
trolled by United States warships. the
naval authorities will not admit the
possibility of Cervera's. escape without
the most desperate conflict in the his
tory of naval warfare.
Reports from Admiral SIMPSONS
squadron say that all is quiet off the
northern coast of Cuba. Nothing from
Commodore Schley is expected before
Monday or Tuesday. A rumor reached
here that four American warships,
while bombarding Santiago de Cuba,
had been driven off by the Spanish fleet,
but the story is generally discredited
Senior Ernesto Castro, a welI-known
a wv nd
airy Junta of Cardenas, arrived here
to-day on the United States gunboat
Annapolis. During the recent lombard
ment at Cardenas Senior Castro was in
the bay in a small boat trying to reach
the American vessels and get transpor-
tation to the United States on an i'm
portant mission. He was compelled
TO return to the shore, where he saw
and heard the results of the lombard
ment.
The Spanish gunboats that Iured the
United States torpedo boat Winslow
into the death trap were the Antonio
Lopez, Lealtad and Ligera. During the
fight the former two retreated behind
the wharves and the Ligera behind the
key. 1t was the Antonio Lopez that
opened fire on the Winslow and de-
coyed her into the trap. The Spanish
troops formed on the public square, not
daring to go to the wharves; all the
Spanish flags We're lowered, as they
furnished targets, and the families all
fled to Jovellanos.
Senior Castro says an American shell
exploded in the very entrance to the
Spanish Casino, Shattering the building
and setting it on fire. The Casino,
which had been used as a military
headquarters and infantry barracks
and which was the largest structure in
the town, was utterly destroyed Other
buildings were wrecked Some of the
shots went as far as the Trenta sugar
plantation, two miles in the interior
The loss of life Senior Castro believes to
have been heavy. 1t was so reported.
After the bombardment ceased the mil
itary commander pressed all able bod
led men into the work of carrying sand
to build new batteries and the next
day l 200 men were brought from Ma
tanzas and Havana to continue the
work
Senior Castro, after passing four days
on the Piedras Key. signaled the United
States gunboat Wilmington, and was
taken off. He says famine prevails
everywhere in Cuba. In Cardenas rice
is % cents a pound, condensed milk
sells at 81 80 per can and horse flesh
brings - cents a pound. There is no
beef or bread
The insurgents are in dire distress.
Formerly provisions were struggled
from the cities, but that relief is now
impossible. since the cities themselves
are starving. The insurgents are try
ing to subsist on peppery wood and
palm buds. Senior Castro tasted meat
to-day for the first time in five weeks.
Gustave Aranguren, brother of the
late Cuban insurgent, General Nestor
Aranguren, to-day received letters from
Havana. via Vera Cruz, dated May
7th, stating that General Blanco's or
der impressing all Cubans into the
Spanish army has been effective in
driving many into the insurgent ranks.
A. Betancourt, an American citizen.
and Gonzales Arrange, the letters state,
have been arrested and confined in the
Cabanas on charges of aiding the in
surgents.
The restitution in Havana is fright
full and is increasing. The grocers all
of whom are Spanish, refuse to sell
food to Cubans, as if the Spanish We're
determined to kill them off. The Gu
bans say the Spaniards hate them more
than they do Americans
Senior Arrangements correspondent de-
clares that the Spaniards realize that
Cuba is lost, but that before yielding