Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-06-21
Blockade
Ineffective,
So Residents of the Citv of
Havana Assert.

Key West, June 21.--A prominent res
iaent OF Havana has arrived here on
MS way to New York. His description
OF the situation In Havana at the time
ne left contradcts widespread reports
OF famine and suffering In that city and
throws new light on the effectiveness
OF the blockade. which, II appears, fails
IN It's purpose. as far as cutting off all
means OF supplies and communication
WIN the outside world Ia concerned.
his story is entitled to consideration,
coming as 1t does from one Of the lead
ing merchants Of Havana, foreign res
ident unbiased in hts views or sympa-
tnies. He reports In the frst place that
havana is practically an open port, as
IL IL not blockaded on It's southern APP
proach. Batabano. on the south side is
only 40 miles from Havana, with which
1t IL connected by rail. Batabano has
never been more than shipping point
and headquarters for the sponge fisher
les Of southern Cuba and a landing
place for the isle Of Pines ferryboats,
Which there connect with the north
bound trains for Havana.
The water between Batabano and the
Isle OF Pines being very shallow, no.
Wnere exceeding nine feet in depth and
therefore inaccessible to any large craft,
has caused the Isle Of Pines to be over
looked az possible entrepot or base Of
supplies for western Cuba and unde-
serving Of further consideration than
that attaching to fifth rate and much
mlsmanaged penal colony.
1t now appears however, that con-
slant traffic has been kept up between
the isle OF Pines and the Yucatan coast
and that full cargoes Of provisions and
live stock have been regularly landed
there from steamers, schooners and
other sailing vessels unmolested by
American warships. which rarely, IL
ever patrol those waters. The work of
transshipping these caTgoes to Bataba-
no on the fiat bottomed ferryboats con-
stantly plying between that port and
Nueva Corona, the principal port of the
Isle OF Pines, has, of course, been an
easy matter, as also their subsequent
transportation to Havana by rail.
In the first four days of June, it is as
serted, over 500 head of cattle were
landed at Batabano. besides large ship
ments Of flour and grain. Not only are
the shipments not limited to supplies Of
provisions and the necessares Of life.
but, our informant reports coal in
large quantities is also brought over.
This statement practically confirms the
reports that the Spanish government
has established large coal depots on the
Yucatan coast, reports which have from
time to time been published and fully
credited by many naval officers
Fresh Shipments Received.
At the outbreak of hostilites 1t was
reported that Havana had sufficient re-
serve supplies in store to last six
months. Since then, 1t is asserted, fresh
shipments have been received by way
of Batabano and the isle of Pines far in
excess Of the consumption, so that ap-
parently far from suffering from the
evils attendant upon an enforced block
ade Havana has kept on in the even
tenor of an unrutfled existence with suf-
ficient stores on hand to last another
half year.
A gay and cheerful note In these
warlike times is sounded by the an
nouncernent that, by Gay Of this same
Progreso- Batabano route, an intrepid
"Compania de Zarzuela," or theatrical
troupe, from Mexico made its appear
ance in Havana and has since been
playing to full houses at the Albisu the
alter, unmindful Of tina impending fate
that hangs over the doomed city.
Considerable fear, says the Havana
merchant, has been entertained as to
the tobacco crop. Following the usages
of warfare, practiced both by Spaniards
and Cubans alike, 1t had been confident
ly expected that at least one-half of the
Vuelta Abajo crop would be ruined or
set fire to in the field, but, much to the
general surprise, almost the entire out
nut Of the Vuelta Abajo and Remedies
districts has been baled, shipped and
stored in Havana warehouses. One firm
alone, II is alleged, had 10000 bales of
1893 tobacco stored in Havana on the LIST
OF June, valued at over S1,500,oOO
The general health is reported by the
merchant to be particularly good, es-
pecially for this season of the, year and
he denies the reported ravages Of yellow
fever and smallpox on the island. He
confirms the military activity noticed
and recorded by the officers on blockade
duty and considers Havana today very
strongly fortified. Work on the new
batteries and earthworks Is kept up
night and day, and, Judging from out
ward and visible signs and from the
tone and language Of the officials and
soldiery In Havana, the spaniards are
preparing to defend the city to the last
and intend only to strike their colors
when the "dernier cartouche' has been
fired.
A Flat Contradiction.
This gentleman's story, however, Is
fatty contradicted by two Cubans VINO
arrived here on vessel from the block
ade today. One Of the Cubans is an OIL
Ger of the Cuban army and the other IS
n pilot. They are carrying important
d,spatches to Senior Estrada Palma or
the Cuban junta from Genera! AleXan-
dro Rodriguez the insurgent command
er of Havana province.
They report that there are no supplies
of rice, maize, potatoes or eggs IN ia
yana. Flour, they say, costs 5o cents
nor mound, and the army has been plac-
cd on half rations. They class as raise
tho renorts that vessels have succeeded