The times., 1898-04-25
IN DANGER OF FAMINE.
Residents of Porto Ricnn Capital
ieeing for Safety.

San Juan, Porto Rico, April Is, 1855
Provisions are scarce here. 1t is clear
that the supply of food on hand would,
| in case of blockade, be exhausted in a
few weeks, and apprehensions of a fam
inc are well founded. Many families are
leaving the city for the country, fearful
of the risks attaching to residence in a
place threatened with blockade and bonn
| bardment.
Spanish authorities here have systemat-
| ically kept from the people even the
| smallest scraps of news bearing upon the
present crisis. Were it not for news bull
| letins smuggled across from st. Thomas
absolutely nothing would be known OF
what is transpiring In the world outside
Even this source, through want of means
of communication, has been closed for
more than a week.
| The strictest censorship is exercised
over the dispatch and receipt of cables.
| Anything suspected of bearing upon the
situation is stopped. AS result the Wild
| est rumors have been in circulation.
Especially to merchants and others hav-
! ing important interests at stake the sus-
pense is painful and the more intelligent
and Independent are vigorous in denun-
citation of the government.
The Spaniards themselyes-at least a
considerable part of them-see nothing
extraordinary in the Withholding of in
formation. Even the new liberal govern
ment is content to accept the situation
without remonstrance and to wait pa
| tiently for the crumbs that may be
| thrown to it when the military authori-
| ties think fit.
| Up TO the time of the arrival of a boat
| from st. Thomas today no authentic
| news was available. Discussion how
ever, continued to range around th>
| circumstances attending the departure of
! the American consul for St. Thomas The
! hosting of the Union Jack above the
| United States consulate was a source of
wonder and surprise. and the lower or
| ders' in the immediate vicinity of the
! consulate were fun of curiosity to know
| the meaning of the phenomenon
Several went so far to make frend-
! ly call on the caretaker to intimate that
d mistake had been made and offered
the opinion that If the Stars and Stripes
were substituted without delay the error
might be overlooked. otherwise trouble
would ensue. When the idea was grasp
! ed that the British consul had taken
! charge, a report gained currency that
| the English were coming down in force
| along with the Americans to make short
work of the people of Porto Rico. Such
| annoyance did the English flag in its
J novel position give that a plan was
I
| ing the night, but the scheme became
| known and was frustrated.
! The next event of Importance was the
| sailing of the Vizcaya and the Oquendo
about half-past four O'Clock on the even
| ing of the 9Th inst. The vessels had
| previously taken aboard a supply of pro-
| visions sufficient to last for three
months. The destination OF the ships il
| was impossible to learn; in fact. it was
! " he he ad mil Of
| with sealed orders. OF course, the i'm
! preston prevailing was that they would
| proceed to meet the fiotilla and accom-
! pany it back 10 this port Up to the time
of writing no further intelligence is at
| hand regarding their whereabouts. A
message which was handed into the
| cable office merely notifying The Times
| of the departure of the war ships was
| stopped on the ground that no news of
| Spanish naval movements could be
! transmitted.
Work on the Notifications is being
pushed forward with the utmost energy.
| Convict labor has been employed in the
construction of a small fort near the San
| Antonio bridge. two miles to the east OF
| the city, and in the throwing up of earth
works. These works are evidently de-
signed to prevent the landing of an invad-
| ing force by boats or the ingress OF an
enemy from the rear of the city.
! Work has been going on night and day,
| Sunday included. The volunteers and
military have been undergoing special
drills. In the case of the volunteers an
| order has been issued rendering man
missing one daily drill liable TO two
months imprisonment. Mortars and artil-
Iery are being dragged through the streets
and mounted at different points, and
signs of military activity are apparent on
all hands.
The provisioning of warships and gar
risens has served to seriously deplete the
available food supplies of the city, and
prices have been rising rapidly. Rice,
which is an important article of diet
among the lower classes has gone up
so per cent, while Spanish peas, another
staple, have advanced more than 100 per
cent. The local newspapers publish ar
ticles denouncing the merchants for rails
ing prices.
The war scare speedily cleared the har-
bor of foreign shipping. At the time of
the warships leaving there We're only
two foreigners in port-schoOner-rigge
ships-one American, the Navarino of
Boston, and the British ship Bravo, OF
! Lunenberg, n. B. These are now loading
with sugar. Another British schooner,
| the Lena Pickup, entered the harbor to-
day, having made fast passage of four
teen days from Annapolis. She brought
timber but steamer bringing foodstuffs
is expected from New York tomorrow
The attitude of the people has so far
been one of anxious expectancy No dis
order has occurred but bread riots will
certainly happen if prices are maintained
at present rates
SERIOUS CUTTING AFFAIR.