The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-29
GEN. WOOD AT MANzANILLO
FRICTION INCREASES BETWEEN
GOMEZ AND GARCIA.
Lieutenant Young of the Navy En-
Enthusiastically Received on His
Return to the Scene of
His Big Fight.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

MANZANILLO, Oct. 2S,-The United
States gunboat Hist arrived here to-
night with General Leonard Wood,
commander of the military department
of Santiago, accompanied by Lieuten-
ent Matthew Hahn. On landing, Gen
eral Wood was closeted with Colonel
Petit and his adjutant and he was
subsequently received by Colonel Pet
tits entire regiment. General Wood
then visited the barracks, hospitals,
palaces, custom house and postoffice.
Colonel Petit reports that the Cuban
general, Rios. is apparently making
every effort to prevent the disbanding
of his troops. The Cuban commander
wishes all the sugar estates in the
neighborhood to tell him how many men
they can employ and he will guarantee
to supply all that are required. The
planters unanimously refuse to fall In
with such an arrangement, considering
that it would be a trades union of the
worst possible kind and would tend to
keep up the Cuban military organlZa-
ton, which in the interests Of the ISL
ands, the planters are very anxious TO
break up. In their opinion it would be
better to have no commerce than to at
tempt it on such conditions.
There is no sickness in Colonel Pet
tits regiment and yellow fever has
been unknown here for several years.
Lieutenant Lucien Young, the COM
mander of the Hist, created more ex-
element on landing than even General
Wood himself. Crowds gathered at the
wharf to see the young commander
who, with Lieutenants Holm and Jun
gen, Of the Hornet and Wampatuck, de-
feated a whole fiotilla of Spanish gun
boats at ManZanillo on July l, last. The
people of Manzanillo considered Lieu
tenant Young a hero and terror and
think he ought to be an admiral.
Although the Spanish battery in that
memorable engagement continued to
lombard the American gunboats, 1t is
generally admitted here that it was the
shooting of the Hist that caused people
to flee to the mountains.
Lieutenant Victor Blue, who has been
inspecting the wrecks of the Spanish
gunboats, considers it quite impractical
BILE to raise them, but he believes that
the Spanish steamer Purissima Concep-
cion, which the Spaniards ran ashore in
the hope of saving her cargo when pur-
sued by an American WarShip, can be
raised, as she appears to be in good
condition. A local merchant, however,
claims to have purchased the hull and
its contents from the Spanish authori-
ties.
The Cuban general, Jesus Rabi, paid
a visit to Manzanillo yesterday and
was enthusiastically received by the
Cuban element.
According to reports of the Cuban
Assembly at Santa Cruz del Sur, Gen
eral Garcia has been chosen permanent
chairman of the organization. General
Gomez is expected there tomorrow or
next day, and it appears that the Ces-
pedes faction believes 1t can count upon
the help of General Gomez to break the
authority of Garcia. The Cespedes fac
ton expects Gomez to appoint a court
martial to try Garcia for offenses COW
ering practically everything from muir
der to petty larceny. The probability
is that Gomez, recognizing Garcia S
ascendency in the Assembly, will not
force the issue.