The times., 1898-06-20

arms ammunition, and medicine to the
Cubans at La Digua. Gen. Castillo is
IN command OF the insurgents there. He
has 800 men with him. They are well
armed, having been furnished with 25O
Bee-Metford rifles 10y the cruiser New
York Gen. Castillo says that there are
1900 Spanish troops in the city of San
tiago, 1900 at Manzanillo 5000 at Hol-
guin, and as many more strung along the
lines of the railroads. The Cubans, un-
der Gen. Garcia, are operating to keep
any more Spanish troops from reaching
Santiago.
Can Take Santiago.
The Eubans are much encouraged.
They say that. with 10000 men the Amer
leans can take Santiago In ten days. The
silencilg OF the batteries at Santiago
every few days is due to the fact that
the gunners are very much afraid Of the
craftsmanship displayed by the Ameri-
cans. They run away from their guns
when the Americans open fire and wait
until the bombardment is over, when they
pick up courage and return and repair
the damaged batteries.
The shelling which took place Thursday
was simply target practice. 1t is likely
that It will be repeated every few days.
The opinion is divided as to the best
landing place of the army of invasion.
The question will probably decide itself
. on the arrival of the troops.
Lieut.. Anderson of the Marblehead was
told by the captain of the Sandoval that
the Merrimac did not block the Santiago
channel. There was sufficient room on
either end of her for men-of-war to pass.
The captain laughed at the destruction
of vessel which cost S375OOO in such
a foolish scheme. However, the captain 5
solutely truthful
A Strong Spanish Force.
The Cubans are fast getting in touch
with the feet. They say there are l00O
Spaniards in the fort at Port Daguirri,
which overlooks the ocean. The Yosemite
shelled the fort several days ago. but the
Spanish flag is still waving over there. 1t
IS stated that the Bethlehem Steel Com
pany, an American concern, is paying the
spaniards for protecting the place.
Gen. Pando, Gen. Blanco's chief of staff
is on the way TO Santiago with several
thousand men.
Yesterday afternoon the Vixen and two
launches were anchored west of the har-
Dor entrance and well within the blockade
line. They were fired on by three field
pieces in a block-house. The Texas.
her 6-inch guns and soon stopped the IRE
of the Spaniards. No damage was done
by the latter.
The five men captured in the Spanish
sloop Chatto stated that the commandant
at Baracoa had sent them TO get oil for
the lighthouse al Cape Maysi. The story
was false on its face as Baracoa is an
oil-mal1ing port, while Guantanamo is not
The captain Of the sloop. a burly man,
was found behind a gun on the Marble
head after his transfer TO that vessel,
weeping bitterly. When he was asked
what the matter was, he excited laugh
by whining: My cigarettes have been
taken from me by marine" No extend
ed search was made for the cigarettes
and the weeping captain was left alone
with his great sorrow.
The Oregon shells Caimanera-
The Oregon this afternoon sent -four
thirteen-inch shells into Cainanera- The
first shell was aimed at the railroad sta.
ton a few minutes after il landed a
train started in a great hurry in the di-
rection OF Guantanamo. The Oregon
afterWard fired four eight-inch shells
She was at the coaling station. abou;
five miles from Caimanera, when she did
the firing.
The Yankee has arrived here from Glen
fuegos, where she had a brush with the
Spanish gunboat Gahcia, which mistook
her for a merchantmen. She soon learned
her mistake when the Yankee opened fire
on her. and she turned and made for the
harbor as quickly as possible. She fired
several shots at the Yankee, but they
went wild
The Yosemite is now at Cienfuegos.
The cable which lands at Caimanera
has not yet been repaired.
Three-inch rifles have been mounted al
the camp here. Gun crews from the ships
have volunteered to serve them.
General Perez Returns.
Gen Perez has returned to his head
quarters. He will send re-enforcements
to the Cubans here. so that in the event
of a Spanish attack there will be quite
a respectable-fo force to defend the position
On one Of the Spaniards captured at
Fisherman's Point was found a letter ad-
dressed to the commander at Santiago
telling of the bombardment of Caimanera
and saying that seven American battle
ships were engaged, where the Texas and
Marblehead were the only battleships en-.
gagged. The letter added that Capt. Or
tonez the chief engineer of the port. had
been killed. The Americans, the writer
declared, were using the harbor as
though they owned it