Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-06-02
cAPoTE's MARROW ESCAPE.



PHILADELPHIA. June; 1.-The Norwe-
sian fruit steamer. Kong Erode. Captain
Gurderton, arrived at her dock in this
city to-day from Port Antonio. having on
board the crew and passengers OF .the
British steamer Beivfdefe,. which was
wrecked on The night OF May Is. on the
coas, OF Cuba near Cape Maysi.
All on. board the ,Belvidere were saved,
but the passengets and most of the crew
lost nearly all their personal baggage.
Prominent among. those on board the
Belyddrre was Domingo M Capote. vice
president of the Cuban republic; N. ,Des-
palgne, his private secretary, and A. Her
,rera, his chief Of stan! These men bear
important dispatches to the Cuban junta
in this country. and 1t was by mere chance
that Senior Capote and his companions are
not now prisoners of Spanish soldiers in
viderc on Cape daysi. they came across q
small! body of Spaniards with whom they
ccnversed, but managed to remain unrec-
oguized.- F-- -
The Belvidere struck at I:30 p. m. May
Is on the cliffs about two miles southwest
OF Quenado. It was soon noticed that the
steamer was lying about six yards from the
cliffs and was hard and fast on the rocks
A line of planks was run to the shore and
the. passengers were taken to the top OF
the cliffs The next morning It was de-
cided to reach Cape Maysi lighthouse. A
number Of the party, accompanied by the
ladies. started out, and. after walking
about seven miles, reached the lighthouse
-Laeutenants Hernandez and Estebano and
about eighteen Hpsnish soldiers returned to
the wreck. Vice President Capote and Sc
nor Herrera were inside the tent and went
rYr,fn1 vryodn n,ry Qod
s6iers. Secretary Despaigne, however, was
in conversation with the spanish officers.
hut as he spoke English well they did not
suspect him. They left soon after supply
ing the wrecked persons with liquors and
dry clothing. ..-s,
/ Chief omcer Cromwen, Of the wrecked
steamer, speaks highly Of the Spanish Off
GERS conduct. and stated that one OF them
had said: ':We would do this even II We
knew you were Americans" :;
. On Thursday night the weather cleared
and on Friday morning the Kong Erode
hove in sight and sent small boats to the
side Of the Bkiyidere.
: Vice President Capote, in an interview
with q reporter for the Associated Press,
said that he and his party left Cuba in an
open boat. After being on the water forty
hours they reached Falmouth, Jamaica.
From there they went to Kingston and
embarked on the Belvidere.
senior Capote refused to state his mission
to this country, except that he carried i'm
portant papers from the Cuban capital to
the .tunta. The vice president said that
the Cuban army is not in the best Of con-
dition for effective cooperation with the
American army.
3 He stated that the Cubans are armed with
Remington and Mauser rifles. most Of which
have been captured from the spaniards
The Cuban army, however. was short Of
ammunition, but was accustomed to fight
with little ammunition. and 1t viii fight
anyhow. :...j ~ s...
Dr.. Capote said that at present there ars
1000 Cuban soldiers In the province OF San
tiago, under the command Of General Cal.
ixto Garcia. They are scattered Throughout
the province, and are only about fifteen ol
twenty miles from Santiago city: In from
itof which Admiral Cervera,s fieet is nov
supposed to be. As to the number OF Span
ish soldiers in the city he could not say
But thought there were about 5000 Of then
concentrated there. =