The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-15
On News of Destruction
of Cervera'S Fleet.
HAVANA IN MOURNING
Over the Disaster To- the spanish Cause
No Food supplies Allowed TO Leave
the Cy-Iuxen. suffering for Food.
Provision store. Empty-strcngth~u-
Ing Defcnee. OF Havana and uartci.
Two slip Out OF Ha,ans
Harbor-Se.scl> In Port.

Key West. Fla. July l3.-Accordlng
to advices from Havana received here
today. Governor General Dlanco at
tempted TO commit suicide when he
learned beyond doubt that Admiral
Cervera's squadron had been annihiI-
ated.
Long before the Spanish aGmiral's
dash out OF Santiago harbo-. all Ha-
vana had been Boosting OF his abiI-
ity TO outwit the Americans and whom
misleading dispatches gave the i'm
preston that he had e'ude the Amer
lean feet the demonstration of Joy in
the Cuban capital partook 90 the IA
ture OF a festival.
When the true story OF he defeat
came, II was discredited until dennito
confirmation from Madrid 40 longer
left o for hope. GlooEa settled
upon the city. all gaities were stopped
and every public and many private
buildings were hung with crepe and
other black draperles.
Blanco was in his palace when the
intelligence reached him and he be-
anne almost frenzfed. He was clos
eted with his staff and General Arolas.
Of the Spanish forces, discussing the
news when he made the attempt on
his life. After a struggle he was sub
dued and disarmed, but the shock was
so severe that he was FRUSTRATED and
compelled to keep his bed for several
days. When he arose his first order
was to prohibit any food supplies
leaving Havana for interior towns.
where the distress is most pregnant
and where many are starving daily.
Living conditions in Havana are
constantly growing worse. tho great
est distress necessarily falling on the
Cubans because nearly all the food is
seized for the troops. or these there
are about 10000 in the city, consisting
of volunteers, modified troops, mill
tia and regulars. Their rations are
largely rice and beans. without even
bacon. Jerked beef sells for 80 cents
a pound, bread Of poor quality for so
cents, lard 81, meat 70 cents, cornmeal
% cents and rice 80 cents. Sharks
food is eagerly bought and recently
one shark caught in Havana harbor
sold for $3.50.
The grocery and provision stores
are empty and the only articles on the
Havana wharves are about 1000 bar
rels of cement, wet and useless. Only
liquor is to be had cheaply.
Work on the defences continues
with t~ireless vigor. Two lines OF
cables bearing torpedoes have been
strung across the harbor from the city
Ctla m Morn onnt1a nyl tha gu ,,a hn-
been donein the bay OF Mariel where 1t
was reported in Havana, American
troops are to be landed. Sand battery
No. 2, east of Havana, has lately mount
ed 6-inch guns in the extreme eastern
side of the battery commanding the
coast line and a few days ago sent
two shot at the M~ayfower, which had
been cruising close to the shore, sup
posedly cut Of range. New masked
batteries are also being built along
the shore.
Three weeks ago the Spanish steam
ers Montevideo and Santo Domingo
crept out of the harbor at midnight
with all lights out and safely got
through the blockade. The Spanish
ships o in the harbOr are the gun
b ats Condo Venadito, Marquise De
La Ensepada, Nueva Espana, Fflipinas
and Nanez f~inzon, several Of which
are unfit for service. The guns have
been removed from the cruiser AL
fonsO XII and used for shore batter
les and the cruiser has been convert
ed into a hospital ship. There are
also in the harbor a number Of small
er warships of the nature OF convert
| ed yachts, including the Flecha, Aguila
Magallanos and two others. All OF
these vessels except the Alfonso XII
are always ready to move on short
notice. The merchant steamers
Josefa, Adola and Maria Herrera are
also in the harbor.