Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-05-21
HAVANA WATCHING.
Oerveras Squadron Expected to
Arrive at Night.
binhco Has Spread Falsehood About "yIo.
tories" and Strengthened Defcnses
So That Thereli BE Trouble
There for Our Troops.

"NHf WA MY NtSt,l may
l"--lhe Spanish fleet is expected in |
Havana. For the last two nights Moro
castle light, which has not been burn
ing since the blockade commenced, has
blazed red signal to guidc the Spanish
warships into the harbor. Some inform
ation regarding the movements of the
llect has reached Gen. Blanco. This
Information must have come from Mad
rid, for news of the sighting of the
Cape Verde feet off the cost of Vene-
zuela could scarcely have penetrated
Havana by last Sunday, yet On that
day Gen. Blanco caused 1t to be Officially
announced to his soldiers and to the
people of Havana that powerful fleet,
with relnforccments and supplies, had
eluded the American fleet and was APP
preaching,
This news was brought by Cuban
scout picked up In a rowboat near
Cojimar on Sunday night, who brought
out the information to the blockadlng
squadron under cover Of darkness, and
then returned to land.
Gen, Elanco evidently expects the
| Spanish fleet to round the western end
of the harbor and enter Havana in the
night, there to land supplies and troops
and prepare for the battle with the
blockading squadron,
Reports of the presence of the Spanish
fleet in these waters have greatly
strengthened the courage of Blanco's
soldiers, whose spirits were beginning
to droop under the conviction that
Spain had abandoned them to their
fate, Increased activity and prepare
tions for desperate defense are notice
able all along the coast.
what Time Now Means.
To land United States troops in Cuba
will not now be the simple matter it
would have been three weeks ago, Gen,
Blanco has about completed his signal
telegraph along the coast. The wires
| IL
dcnas. They are carried along just
behind the first ridge, about mile
from shore. When the Spanish first
began to construct'this line they PLACED
poles in some places right along The
beach, but shells from our gunboat'
quickly showed them their error, anc
they moved inland.
Army and navy officers with whom
have talked almost unanimously agree
that the sooner the insurgents ar
eliminated as a factor in this war th
sooner it will be ended.
The soldiers are now plentiful al
along the coast. They have learne
the folly Of exposing themselves to tn
, fire of the gunboats, and general
, keep concealed Nevertheless, the
spring from day to day to some cart
| fully thought ont plan to wreck injur
. upon the blockading vessels, particI
larly small gunboats that patrol tn
, shore.
, Their masked batteries having b
this time been uncovered, Gen. Blanc
, has supplied field pieces These gun
are continually being sprung upon I'll
d., gunboatS from new places. One or wv
will be placed in position during I'll
night and carefully concealed. Ne'
day, when gunboat comes slippln
=. along close to shore, watching an o
:, portunity to throw shrapnel shell I'M
group of soldiers, the guns will
:, turned loose ON them. Several small
gunboats have had narrow escapes
:. the last two days, and as the he
pieces are moved every night, in-sho
patroling is attended with son
danger. An accurately aimed sh'
from these guns might easily sink
small boat.