The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-05-23

KEY West. May 23-The tranquility
OF tropical Sunday was undisturbed
by definite news from any quarter. A
few naval uniforms on the street are
the only signs of the proximity of this
languid town to the theater of war.
There are only one or two ships in the
harbOr and they are coaling with all
haste to get away to join their fellows
in all action which all are convinced Is
only a matter of days, perhaps hours.
Speculation is still concentrated on
the whereabouts of Admiral Cervera' 8
squadron, the general opinion favoring
some point in the southern coast. AS
both sides of the island are now pa
tr0lled by United States warships, the
naval authorities will not admit the
possibility Of Cervera's escape without
the most desperate conflict in the his
tory of naval warfare.
Reports from Admiral Simpsons
squadron say that all is quiet off the
northern coast of Cuba. Nothing from
Commodore Schley Is expected before
tomorrow. A rumor reached here that
-four American warshins, while bonn
harding Santiago de Cuba, had been
driven off by the Spanish fleet, but the
story Is generally dscredited. Where
1t came from is mystery.
Senior Ernesto Castro, well known
lawyer and member of the political
revolutionary junta of Cardenas. ar
rived here yesterday on the United
States gunboat Annapolis. During the
recent bombardment at Cardenas Senor
Castro was in the bay in small boat,
trying to reach the American vessels
and get transportation to the United
States on an important mission. He
was compelled to return to the shore,
where he saw and heard of the results
Of the bombardment.
Senior Castro says an American shell
exploded at the very entrance to the
Spanish casino, shattcring the building
and setting it on fire. The casino, which
had been used as military headquar-
tevs and infantry barracks, and which
was the largest structure in town, was
utterly destroyed. Other buildings were
wrecked. Some of the shots went so far
as the Trente sugar plantation, two
miles from shore
The Spanish loss Of life Senior Cas-
tro believes to have been very heavy.
1t was so reported. After the bonn
bardment ceased the military COM
mander pressed all able bodied men
into the work Of carrying sand to build
new batteries, and the next day 1900
men were brought from Matanzas and
Havana to continue the work.
Senor Castro, after passing four days
on the Piedras Key, signaled the Uni
ted States gunboat Wilmington and
was taken off. He says famine pre-
walls everywhere in Cuba. In Cardenas
rice Is rs cents pound, condensed milk
sells at $1.50 per can, and horse flesh
brings rs cents a pound. There is no
beef or bread
The insurgents are in dire distress.
Formerly provisions we're smuggled
from the cities, but that relief Is now
impossible. since the cities themselves
arc starving. The insurgents are try
Ing to subsist on peppery wood and
palm buds. Senior Castro tasted meat
yesterday for the first time in five
weeks.
Gustavo Aranguren, a brother Of the
late Cuban insurgent general, Nestor
Aranguren, has received letters from
Havana via Vera Cruz, dated May Z,
stating that General Banco's orders
lmpressing all Cubans into the Spanish
army has had the effect of driving
many into the insurgents ranks.
! The destitution in Havana is fright
full, and is increasing. The grocers,
oil of whom are Spaniards, refuse abb
solutely to sell food to the Cubans, as
X determined to starve them. The
Cubans say the Spaniards hate them
more than they do the Americans. The
Bpaniards realize that Cuba Is lost,
but before yielding the island they will
endeavor to exterminate the Cubans.