Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-23
CANNOT FIND CERVERA.
The Spauiards WIG Wanted 10 Fight So Bad
are Not on Hand.
RIFT THIS CONDITION MUST CHANGE
...,caus Inflicted Heavy Loss on the
spaniards at Cardenas-Food Grow
ing scarcer In Cuba.

Eev West. Fla, May 22.-[Copyright-
nd 1898. by the Associated Press.l-The
,rannuility Of a tropical Sunday has
been undisturbed by definite inforina-
tlon from any quarter. "A rev haVai
uniforms on the streets are the only
sipns of the proximity Of this languid
town to the theater of war. There are
only one or two ships in the hafpor
and they are coaling with all haste to
,,ot ovov TO ioin their fellows In an ac-
d., ,,bicb nil are convinced is only a
,,,,,ter Of days, perhaps hours.
Speculation Is still concentrated on
an, ,vbnrenbouts of Admiral Cervera's
squadron, the general opinion favor
ing some point on the southern coast.
As both sides of the island are now
patrolled by United States warships,
the naval authorities will not admit the
possibility of Cervera's escape without
the most desperate conflict in the hiss
tory of naval warfare.
Reports from Admiral Simpsons
squadron say that all is quiet off the
northern coast of Cuba. Nothing from
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 dis
credited. Where 1t came from is "A
mystery.
Senior Ernesto Castro, well-known
lawyer and president of the revolution
airy junta of Cardenas, arrived here to-
day on the gunboat Annapolis Dur
ing the recent engagement at Cardenas,
Senior Castro was In the bay in a small
boat, trying to reach the American ves-
sells and get transportation to the
States 1mnOrtlnt
sien. He was compelled to return to
the shore. where he saw and heard OF
the results of the bombardment.
The Spanish gunboat lured the United
States torpedo boat Winslow into the
death trap with the Antonio Lopez,
Lcaltad and Ligereau. During the
fight the former two retreated behind
the wharves and the Ligereau behind
the key. 1t was the Antonio Lopez
that opened fire on the Winslow and
decoyed 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 We're wrecked. Some of the
shots went as far as the Triente plan
tation, two miles in the interior.
The Spanish loss of life Senior Castro
believes to have been very heavy. 1t
was so reported. After the lombard
ment ceased, the military commander
,wbwkha ?elvnltocDkorVcue
pressed all able bodied men into the
work of carrying sand to build new
batteries, and the next day 1000 men
Were brought from Matanzas and Ha-
vana to continue the work.
Senior Castro, after passing four days
on the Piedras key, signalled the
- United States gunboat Wilmington
and was taken off. He says famine
prevails everywhere in Cuba. In Car
1enas rice is 2, cents a pound, con-
:lensed milk sells Mt s1.5O a can, and
horsefiesh brings 75 cents pound.
There is no beef or bread.
The insurgents are in dire distress.
Formerly provisions Were struggled
from the cities, but that relief Ia now
impossible, since the cities themselves
are starving. The insurgents are trying
to subsist on pepper wood and palm
buds. Senior Castro tasted meat today
for the first time in five weeks.
Gustav Arangueren. a brother of the
late Cuban insurgent general, Nestor
y
from Havana. via Vera Cruz, dated
May 7th. stating that Con. Blanco's
order impressing all Cubans into the
Spanish army has had the effect of
driving away many into the insurgent
ranks.
a. Betancourt, an American citizen,
and Gonzales Arounde, the letter
states, have been arrested and confined
in the Cabanas for aid ing the insurg-
cnts.
The restitution In Havana is fright
full and is increasing, The Grocers. all
of whom are Spaniards, refuse abso-
lutely to sell food to the Cubans, as If
determined to starve them. The
Cubans say the Spanards hate them
more than they do them.
American correspondents declare that
the Spaniards realize that Cuba Is lost.
but that before leaving the island they
VIII endeavor to exterminate the
: ms.