Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-04-23
THE WAR.

The blockade of Havana, the first
act of the war between Spain and tbs
United States, began yesterday Prs;
dent Mckinley issued procIamatioon
declaring blockade of the nortbsyu
coast of Cuba between Cardenas anu
Bahia Honda, and of the port of Cie Iu
fuegoes on the southern coast. a.
denas is in NIatanzas province and
Bahia Honda is in Pinar del Rio T ba
selection of the northern coast covered
by the blockade is about one.fftb ~
the entire extent. Admiral SamDson',
fleet, as stated in the Gazette, left Kew
West early in the morning, the shin.
getting under way between and
o'clock. At o'clock in the afterpooa
definite report from Moro Castle con.
frmed the current belief in Havana
that the American warships were be'
ginning the blockade. Later tbe
blockade will be extended 10 orbeT
Cuban ports. When the troops n.
landed to cooperate with the Il Ct +, il
proposed to lombard Havana.
The Spanish government states that
it intends as soon as the America.
lombard Havana to DO the same 10
Washington, Philadelphia and other
American cities.
An intelligent Englishmen, who LETT
Havana yesterday, states that Captain
General Blanco and the Spanish sn.
thorities since the departure of Cousp,
General Lee, have regarded war lis n.
evitable and have been bending ez,re-
ordinary energy to the concentration Of
troops and supplies in Havana. Nearly
100, 900 troops, it is stated, have been
assembled there, of whom 10000 are
regulars and the others volunteers.
Patriotic enthusiasm prevails in
Spain. Thirty thousand of the reserves
Of 1897 have been called out.
The United States squadron which
has been at Hong Kong has started TO
make an attack on the Philippine Is
lands.
The Spanish torpedo vessel Teme.
raria left Buenos Ayres to intercept, it
is believed, the United States walshlps
Oregon and Marietta.
Ten thousand regular soldiers will be-
encamped at Chickamauga in day or
two. Several regiments arrived yester.
day, and sjor-General Brooke diyid.
ed the cavalry, infantry and artillery
into brigades for practice drills
The State Department at Washing
ton has addressed an identical note 10
the representatives of foreign nations,
stating that the United States will not
resort to privateering. Spain, in semi
official note, declared that she would
not forbid privateering.
Commander Lyons, Of the Dolphin.
has delivered to United States Dislric.
Attorney STRIPPING, at Key West the
papers of the Spanish vessel Bueno
Ventura captured by the Nashville yes.
terday. He will libel the ship in the
usual way. The unfortunate merchant
man is still lying in the harbor. Her
captain was allowed to remain on board.
but the crew of twenty.eight were tax.
en- over to the Dolphin and made to a.-
sist in the work of coaling. The Bueno
Ventura is tramp" which has been
sailing on the ocean for more than
quarter of century, having been
built in 1871 at the shipyard of Oswald
& Co., of Sunderland, England. She
was at one time q British vessel, but
recently has been the property of Lar
rinaga & Co., large ship-owners of BIZ
bao, Spain, and has been commanded
by Captain Luzarraga.
Congress will probably defer to tie
wishes of the administration and make
no declaration OF war if the administra-
ton considers formal notification td
the powers of the existence of war
sufficient. Members of the foreign NJ
faiis committee Of the House of Repre-
seniatives are divided in opinion, some
of them holding that a declaration
should follow the first overt act in order
to define the international status abso-
lutely.
The President has signed the amend
ed volunteer army act.
The naval authorities at Brest have
received orders that. directly war i,
declared between Spain and the United
States, the French northern squadron
is to be fitted out and the Atlantic ne.
val division be kept in close proximity
20 the Antilles during hostilities.
The Madrid correspondent Of the
London Daily News says the govern.
ment has instructed General Blanco to
declare the armistice in Cuba ended.