The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-16
Captain Dorst Failed TO Land His |
Cargo of Rifles in Cuba.


Downright 1885, by the Associated Press)
KEY WEST, Fla, May 15.-The steamer
Gussie, which left Tampa, Fla, May TO-
with two companies of the First Infantry
on board. in charge of seven THOUSAND rifles
and 100000 rounds of ammunition, intended
for the insurgents in the province of Pinar
del Rio, remained off the coast of Cuba
Thursday, Friday and yesterday. conveyed
by the auxiliary gunboat Manning. in
vain attempt to land her cargo. Captain
]. H. Dorst, of the staff of General Miles,
and formerly military attache at Vienna.
headed the expedition. which returned here
this morning. Her commander, who APP
peared to be much crestfallen; having failed
to accomplish the mission intrusted to him,
refused to discuss the matter beyond admit
ting the failure and saying the Gussie will
return to Tampa, Fla.
Previous to leaving Cuban waters the
Dorst expeditionary force had skirmish
with Spanish cavalry near Cabanas, seven
teen miles west of Havana, where an at
tempt was made to land part of the cargo.
On Friday morning Captain Dorst aban-
doned the attempt at that point and
steamed until about two miles off shore,
when the rattle of musketry from consd-
cradle force of Spanish soldiers concealed
behind underbrush ashore warned them that
they would receive lively welcome if they
landed. The Spanish troops seemed to have
been furnished information of the contem-
plated landing at both points. After this
second failure Captain Dorst decided to
abandon the attempt to land the arms and
ammunition and returned to Key West,
where, as already cabled, he arrived this
morning.
A more Disguised looking lot of troopers
than those aboard the Gussie this morning
1T would be hard to find. They had received
orders not to speak of their trip and sui
lenly lined the rail of the Gussie as the AS
Soclated Press launch ran alongside of her.
But grunts were the only answers which
could be obtained to the questions asked
H H. after the arrival OF the Gussie Captain
Dorst was rowed ashore and reported the
failure of his expedition. by cable to the
War Department
Naval officers here say that if Capt. Dorst
had secured the cooperation of some of the
ShlpS of the blockading squadron at the
point selected for the landing the. Spanish
troops ashore could have been Shelled and
way would have been cleared for landing
or the soldiers and the cargo they had in
charge, but no instructions were given to
the ships to cooperate with Captain Dorst's
expedition and the GuSsie was several times
compelled to heave to while cruising un
ana down the coast by the blockade vessels,
whose commanders were under the appre-
blockade 'i
The United States gunboat Maobias
which was lying off Matanzas on Frjdav
night reported that signal lights were seen
ashore east of Point Sabilla and some of
her officers say they believe the Insurgents
having ascertained that the rendezvous al
Iolnt Maya had been discovered by the
enemy enemy desired landing to be made at an
other point, but Captain Dorst held to his
original plans and found the Spanish troons
awaiting him. He did not return empty
In shack at Cabanas ~,
captain Dorst says the failure of the ex-
peultlOn was due to the fact that tha CII
pans were unable to meet the landing party
Il A
not land supplies with no one to receive
them. The arrangements for making a.
ago by Captain Dorst with General Del
gado, IN command of the insurgent forces
IN the province of Pinar del Rio, and the
Sopplles 10 be landed near Matanzas were
70 De conveyed to General Gomez bv a
force OF insurgents encamped three miles
pack from the coast line. Both of the Gu
pear at the rendezvous owing to the activity
or the Spaniards Captain Dorst is con.
tlnced that the Spaniards have a good SIS
tenn OF communication along the coast and
that they can quickly raise enough troops
10 prevent the landing of a small force
sucn as the one he commanded, and the cap
munition can be sent to the Insurgents is
to land them under the cover of war ships
with guns sufficient to beat off any attack.
Then, he adds, the arms and ammunition
should be conveyed inland by United States
soldiers.
The captain says the company which
landed through the surf at Cabanas had a
narrow escape. The soldiers were fired on
by spanish cavalry concealed in the tangled
under6rush. and the fire was replied to,
with the result that one Spanish officer and
three men were hit. Only one man on the
American side was wounded. The latter
newspaper correspondent, received a slight
flesh wound in the arm. The Wasp and the
Manning Shelled the woods and covered the
retreat of the soldiers to the Gussie on
Friday the Spaniards tried to hit the Gus
sic from masked battery and some of
their shells burst close on board but none
of the fragments struck