The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-24
GARClA'S FRIEND.
A Portland Captain Talks Of the
Cuban Leader.
DOES NOT BELIEVE REPORT OF
GENERALS DEATH.

How Captain Howes Rescued Seventy Two
Cubans and His Friendship With Their
Chief-His Views on the Affairs of the
War Stricken Island.
In Saturday mornings papers was pub
Hshed an Associated Press dispatch to the
effect that it was rumored in Havana
that Gen. Calixto Garcia, the commander.
in-chief of the Cuban army had been
killed in an engagement with Spanish
| troops.
This dispatch was read by Captain
William M. Howes of Woodfords who is
friend of Gen. Garcia and is In con-
slant communication with him and his
family. Captain Howes FASTENED to deny
this report and. Saturday night he told a
PRESS reporter that he did not believe
there was word of truth in the story.
81 received a sletter written by Gen.
Garcia since he has had any engagement
with the Spanish troops and am posi-
tive that the report is not true. The let
| ter from Gen. Garcia was received by me
not later than Thursday last and
Friday I received letter from Mrs.
Garcia who is in New York Mrs. Garcia
had also received letter from her hus-
| band written at the same time as mine
and this letter also confirms the news sent
me by Gen. Garcia himself"
| Captain Howes gave the reporter some
other information which he did not deem
it wise to have appear in print at this
time and this positively shows that Gen.
Garcia has not met the Spanish troops
aud has been In no danger of being killed
BY them for some time. So intimate is
Captain Howes and his wife with Gen.
Garcia and his friends who are in this
country that had any positive informa-
by tine Cuban Junta of New York Captain
Howes would have been notified before
this time of the death of the commander
in-chief of the Cuban army had it &C.
Cured.
The story of how Captain Howes first
his family is a most interesting one. Cap
tain Howes is a Portland man and is
well known in this city where he has
many friends and relatives. At present
Captain Howes with his family is living
at Woodfords and it was there that the
PRESS reporter found him on Saturday
evening. Captain Howes has been fol-
lowing the sea for 25 years and has COM
nanded many fine vessels sailing out of
Boston. About two years ago this month
he was in command Of the handsome
three masted schooner Leander ". Beebe
whose hailing port is Greenport, N. Y.
Early in january, 1896, Captain Howes
started out OF Baltimore with cargo of
coal for Boston. On the morning OF JAN
uary 81 Captain Howes met Gen. Garcia,
the famous Cuban patriot, for the first
time and by his skill and bravery sue
ceeded in saving not only the lives of Gen.
Garcia and his son but those of ~ other
Cubans as we'll.
Early in January of that year about
the time that Captain Howes was sailing
out of Baltimore in the Leander V. Beebe
the newspapers of the country announced
that a filibustering expedition on large
scale had sailed for Cuba under the COM
mand of Gen. Calixto Garcia. 1t was
known that the expedition was a large
one and that the steamer in which it had
set out for Cuba was loaded down to the
waters edge with arms, ammunition
and munitions of war. The Spanish
officials in this country were greatly
wrought mp over the reports and the
government officials were taking all kinds
of steps to head Gen. Garcia and his fol-
lowers off before they should reach the
coast Of Cuba. But nothing was heard
from this flibustering expedition until
a few weeks later when the Leander v.
Reebe placed on board tow boat OF
Sandy Hook Gen. Garcia and " men who
had been rescued at sea from founder
ing steamer. On the morning of Janu-
airy ~ Captain Howes found himself in q
northwest gale with heavy sea running
and the wind growing stronger every
minute. About seven O'Clock tine lookout
on the Beebe discovered way up in the
winds eye a steamer with the American
flag futtering from her peak, union
down as signal of distress. Captain
Howes is not a man who would hesitate
long if human lives are in danger. He
worked the schooner up nearer to the
steamer and when he got within mile
or SO of her found that she was rapidly
sinking and already had launched five
boats, crowded with mon. Near the sink
ing steamer were two other schooners,
the Helen M. Benedict and the Alicia B.
Crosby, Captain Bunker, another Port
land man, which wero manouvering SO az
to pick up the steamers boats. The cap
tain thought that the two schooners al
ready near the steamer would be able to
pick up tire men SO he held off a little
and stood away.
But the feat Of picking up small boats
as crowded as were those of the steamer
was not an easy one and the masters OF
the two other schooners began to think
that it would be impossible for them to
accomplish the rescue. The wind was
getting stronger every minute and the sea