The San Francisco call., 1898-05-28
BIG PANIC
 AT HAVANA There Was a Wild Rush
 to Get Away. EX0RBITANT PRICES PAID. BUT oNE-TENTH OF THOSE AP- PLYING ESCAPED. Food and Fuel Very Scarce at Cuba S Capital and a Combined Land and Sea Attack Hourly
 Expected.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORh, May Zf.-AHlOnS the twenty-seven passengers which the British steamship Arecuna, chartered by the Ward line, brought here from Mexican ports, were three families of refugees from Havana With many others, they escaped from Havana to Vera Cruz on the French steamer Lafayette. The refugees are: Jose Otero. his wife and five children; AL fredo de la Ferte, wife and two chill dren and Mrs. F. c. de Meranda. They say the Lafayette tried to purchase coal, but General Blanco would allow none to be sold. The limited supply now there is being guarded jealously, and at night the city is in complete darkness.
 The electric plant has been shut down, all factories where coal is used as fuel are stopped, and the gas and water works are forced to get along with as little coal as possible. For this reason water is scarce.
 When the Lafayette sailed for Vera Cruz there was a stampede to get out of the city. Fully 15,000 Spaniards and Cubans had obtained passports to leave, but exorbitant prices for pas
 
 of them could afford to pay the rate asked. As 1t was, the Lafayette took 1900 men, women and children away from Havana-all that she was able to. carry There were thousands left who, although willing to pay the price asked, could not get passage, and they ran about like mad men, offering the fortunate ones twice the amount they had paid for tickets.
 A passenger named XiQues paid S1400 for passage for himself, wife and two children. Many others paid as high as \ 5000 each and then they were com pelled to sleep on the decks or wherever they could find room to lie down. Three miserable days were spent on the Lafayette, with only a scanty allow ance of food for each passenger. Nearly 1 all the passengers were wealthy Span ish merchants in Havana and others | Cuban citizens.
 Jose Otero who brought his wife and three daughters to this city, was for merly connected with the city govern ment in Havana He said: When 1 I left Havana 1t was said that the in | surgents were only fifteen miles from | the city, and at night the lights of their camp fires could be seen burning in the hills. From fear of bombardment by 1 the United States warships and attack by the insurgents the city is panic | stricken, and combined attack is | looked for every hour. Food is very scarce and fresh meat can scarcely be bought at any price. The blockade IS felt more by the poorer classes, and as 1 they are the ones who have been most 1 loyal to Spain the suffering among them is the worst"
 | Mr. Otero would say little about the Spanish troops in Cuba under General Blanco, but from other passengers 1t was learned that the army Is about as badly demoralzed and panic stricken as the civilians. Ammunition is scarce and many of the troops are clothed in rags and without shoes. Rations are being doled out to them sparingly, but the soldiers watch carefully all places where provisions are known to De stored and the authorities will not al low private families to purchase sup niles for more than one day at time.
 Senor de la Ferte Is a Cuban of French descent, who owns a large plan tation near Havana. He sald ne hao brought his family here for safety un- til the war is over, but at the outbreak | of the rebellion Eduardo Garcia, the manager of his plantation. had raised Q raeiment of 1900 men from his and | neighboring plantations ana Jolneo the | insurgents.
 When the Spanish soldiers heard of ,+u said Senor de la Ferte, they marched upon my plantation. purn- ine and destroying everything above ground We only got away with our
 Sanor de la Ferte said he did not +binl, it was true that the steamer La fayette had unloaded any arms or am. ,,vnition at Havana or that some of
 her messengers were French gunners. He said the forts around Havana Will be able to make only poor reply 10 q bo,,,bordment. bo Although some of the
 a,,ns are modern and in good condition the rs supply of powder and projectiles is l short. =. IT., Ward line pier by Cuban friends living
 in this city and given a joyous wei