The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-16
DEADLY Work OF FAMINE.
NEARLY ALL OF THE RECOxCEy-
TRAD0s HAVE sICCJMBED.
The Spanish CsnascafeA All the Re-
lief supplies aaa Drove the Hap
less People OFT Inse the DesslateA
Coanfry, where They PeffsheA-

Copyright, fsse by the Associated Press.
KEY WEST, May i5-Tns conditions IN
Havana resulting from the blockade arr
being gradually brought cut By insorMA-
cfoa obtained from fishing smacks ard
other small vessels captured OK the coast
Affairs at Havana now appear TO be
worse ,hxa ~ any time since tie Weyier
regina TIE fishermen who ~ first
brave9 the b.ockade for the high price
saat fish brought In Havana. now run
the risk not for money. bui for food A
number ct these have been captured by
the vessels q the biocka6ing dses. nearly
al OF tnem having beea released after
having been questioned BY oar officers
They al unite In rscturing the state OF
things az Havana as being p.tlfzI II tAa
sxtreEzs.
The Associated Press dispatch boat
Kate Spencer has accumulated al the
facts ontainabse along the blockade line.
the latest news being obtained through
two captures made by the g-uaboat Ma
chlas, waieii has just returned here for
the first time since the blockade opened,
making the longest single service OF any
b3ockadilg vessel OF Cuba
The Machias caught two fishing boats
Of Havana just before her return here.
The Americans offered the fishermen
money for part Of their catch, as the fish
were nee5@a on board. But the fisher
men demurre5 at taking money. They
preferred 20 have bread. and adding that
they were desperately hungry.
When questioned as TO the prevalence
or yellow fever az Havana, the fishermen
said there was little sickness az the Gu
ban capital. bat, they added, there Is
much starvation. The reconcentrados.
they said. are nearly all dead. or have
been expelled from rhe city TO die IA the
suburbs. This agrees with other reports
from Havana and aiatanzas to the effect
that the Spanish authorities, on the de-
parture OF the American consul, seized
all the relief supplies and applied them
to the use OF the army. The Spaniards
then drove the reconcsntrados into the
desosated sections OF the country. between
the coast towns and the insurgent lines,
the regions described by Senator Proctor
and others as being too barren and desc
late 10 support grasshoppers.
The insurgents themselves have been
chary OF receiving reconceatrados and
hundreds OF the latter who had 10 per-
sonal friends In the ins1rgent camps had
been left TO s.arye between the lines,
which they did.
worse Hundreds OF reconcentrados from
Los Fosos. the big reconcentrados bar
racks Ia Havana. were too weak TO walk
out of town and fell in the streets or died
In the suburbs. where hocks OF vuitures,
"weyIer's chickens" as they are now
termed IN Havana. have Toasted on the
remains
In Matanzas this feature OF the situa-
t.oa is especially distressing.
The fishermen who are brought here are
soon re4nciled TO capture, which means
food arS decent treatment. They say
that II the blockade continues much long
er bread riots mus. follow IN all the large
towns. as food Is reserved exclusively for
the army. thus forcing the people TO en-
list who would not otherwise do SO.
Finally the fishermen say thai certain %
the most desperate OF the Spanisrds
threaten to burn Havana or blow the city
up In the event Of the authorities deciding
to capitulate TO the American forces