Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-06
That is Admiral SIMPSONS Destination and
the Island Will Soon Be Ours.
A LANDING HAS Been MADE IN CUBA.
Communication Opened With the Insurgents and
Engagement With Spanish Troops is Reported
to Have Occurred--Some Of the Scouts Sent Into
Cuba Have Returned With Dispatches.

Key West, May 5.-The govern
ment tug Leyden, Captain J. H.
Angus, steamed into port this
morning and told the following
story Of desperate encounter with
Spanish troops on the northern
coast of Cuba.
The Leyden left here Monday af-
ternoon with party of insurgents
under Gen. Raldamore Acosta, and
including five Cuban scouts under
the leadership of Captain J. H.
Dorst, of the United States cavalry.
The Leyden also carried a large
quantity of arms and ammunition.
At daybreak yesterday her men
made the first attempt to land an
interpreter to confer with a party
OF Cuban insurgents who were
waiting on the beach. While this
conversation was being held the
people of the Leyden discovered
about fifty Spanish cavalrymen
coming down from a hill toward
the shore, as if accommodating.
The Leyden signalled danger to
the insurgents and the latter took
to the bushes. Up to that time
eight cases of Winchester rifles had
been landed. Seeing the cavalry
men the Leyden's boat returned
alongside, lying about a quarter Of
a mile off shore. The cavalrymen
leveled rifles at the tug, but hest
tated about firing The insurgents
in the meantime had opened fire,
driving the cavalry back up the
hill, the latter firing as they fed.
The cavalry returned shortly with
reinforcements. They paid no at
tention to the insurgents, but be-
gan a sharp fusillade at the tug.
Bullets flew around the tug SO fast
that the lookout aft came down.
The Leyden seeing no chance to
land the ammunition just then.
picked up the men she had landed
and steamed back to the flagship
off Havana, reporting it would be
impossible to land the cargo I'M
less protected. The gunboat Will
mington was Immediately ordered
to help the Leyden. On returning
to the landing point, the Whining
ton held off shore about mile and
a half. the Leyden going in close
to the beach. The tug was signal
led by the insurgents that the coast
was clear.
Manned by four men, a boat
then left the Leyden with ammu-
milton and two large boxes of
dynamite. When a short distance
from the beach man aloft on
the Leyden sang out that the cav
airy were coming down to the
beach again in strong force.
The Leyden then signalled the
Wilmington and the latter came
a trifie closer to shore and with
stern facing the beach, fired four
shots from her four-inch rapid
fire gun The cavalrymen retreat
ed and the boats cargo was then
landed
While waiting to attack the cav
alrymen the Wilmington fired at
a block house further down the
beach. There were some fifty
Spanish regulars sitting on top Of
this block house, watching the
Leyden and the insurgents. The
Wilmington first shot went wild.
The twelfth and last was bulls
eye. When the smoke cleared
away, the block-house, the men
and all had disappeared as though
swallowed up. The Spanish col
ors that had flown from the house
were seen high up in tree, where
a shot had driven them.
The Leyden and Wilmington re
turned to the flagship and the for
mer then came here. There are
dozens of holes in the tugs smoke
stack from the cavalrymens bull
lets.