The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-02
NO LIVES WERE LOST.
All ON Board the BeIvidere Saved
DR.. CapOte's Mission.


PHILADELPHIA, June 1.-The Norwe-s
gian fruit steamer Kong Erode, Captain
Gunderson, arrived at her dock in this city
to-day from Port Antonio. having on board
the crew and passengers of the British
steamer Belvidere, which was wrecked on
the night of May %, on the coast of Cuba,
near Cape Maysi All on board the Belvi-
dere were saved, but the passengers and
most of the crew lost nearly all their per-
sonal baggage. Prominent among those on
board the Belvidere was Domingo NJ Ca
pote vice president of the Cuban republic;
NJ Despaigne, his private secretary, and A.
Herrera, his chief of staff. These men bear
important dispatches to the Cuban junto
in this country and it was by mere chance
that Senior Capote and his companions are
not now prisoners of Spanish soldiers in
Cuba. After coming ashore from the Bel
videre on Cape Maysi, they came across
small body of Spaniards with whom they
conversed but managed to remain unrecog
niZed.
The Belvidere struck at 1880 D. M, May
%, on the cliffs, about two miles southwest
of Quenado. 1t 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
cliff. The next morning it was decided 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. Lieutenants
Hernandez and Estebano and about eighteen
Spanish soldiers returned to the scene of
the wreck Vice Pr,es dfsa Cappote and
were unobserved or passed by unnoticed by
the soldiers. Secretary Despaigne however,
was in conversation with the Spanish off,
GERS, but as he spoke English we'll they did
not suspect him. They left soon after sup
plying the wrecked persons with liquors
and dry clothing.
Chief officer Cromwell, of the wrecked
steamer, speaks highly of the Spanish off,
GERS conduct. and stated that one of them
had said: 1--WE would do this, even If 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 BelVi-
dere.
Vice President .Capote, in an interview
with a 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 en-
barked on the BeIvidere Senior Capote re-
fused to state his mission to this country,
except that he carried important papers
from the Cuban capital to the Junto in this
country.
The Vice President said that the Cuban
army is not in the best of condition for eff
fective cooperation with the American
army. He stated that the Cubans are armed
with Remington and Mauser rifles, most of
which have been captured from the Span
| iards. The Cuban army, however, was short
of ammunition, but it was accustomed to
| fight with little ammunition, he said, and it
VIII nght ANYHOW IL dO0 r Gapote s9iG sHat th at
province of Santiago under the command of
| Gen. Calixto Garcia. They are scattered
throughout the province and are only about
| in front of which Admiral Cervera's fleet is
now supposed to be- AS to the number of
Spanish soldiers in the city he could not
say, but thought there were about 5000 of
| them concentrated there.