The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-06


Destruction Of the Maine, the
Work of Dewey at Manila and
Some Incidents of Consul General
Lees Stay i'm Hnvana-SantiagO
VIII Fall Tonight.
The battleship Maine was blown up
in Havana harbor last evening; there
was q fight between Cubans and Span
iards, and Dewey sank the Spanish
fleet at Manila, all at University ave-
nue. and Grotto street. Pain, the fire.
works king, did it and the several
feats were accomplished with liberal
accomplishments Of red green and
White fire, rockets, bombs and Cat
lings. An audience of about 5000 per-
sons witnessed the performance
1t was the first time the pyrotechnic
drama of Cuba" had been produced
in this city, and perhaps allowances
must be made to the MANAGEMENT on
the score OF strangeness to this locality,
but there were q number Of things in
the show that merited criticism and
received 1t from the spectators The
play was opened with an olio Of special
ties that were very good in themselves,
but that were too slow. Instead of
having several acts going on at once,
each is performed separately, and oc-
cupies the stage alone. The effect is
poor for the actors, most of whom are
acrobatS, are lost in the immense space
in which they perform.
The horses attached to the artillery
which was used in the production were
not trained, and when the rockets were
let off they reared and plunged and
the drivers had ell they could do to
restrain them from running in among
a
sons under foot. 1t was the intention
to drive the horses around the lake be-
fore the stage, but the animals became
so unruly that that portion of the pro-
gramme was abandoned. The horses
nearly broke away from their drivers
and tried to run through the entrance
where a great many spectators were
Stanqlng, ana the people turned and
fed in panic. The horses were taken
frcm the scene as quickly as possible
to avert On accident
The management neglected to provide
suitable places to hitch horses outside
the grounds, and when the rockets and
guns were exploded a number of horses
in the street, attached to carriages. ran
away and the drivers had to exercise
the greatest dexterity to avoid danger
Gus consequences. But on the whole
the show was very good.
AS the audience streamed into the
enclosure last evening they saw a great
scene representing the city Of Havana
at the entrance Of the harbor Moro
castle doomed up in full proportions
and in the lake, or bend of the harbor,
In the foreground, was the Maine, A
line Of electric lights Illuminated the
picture.
The play opens with the entrance Of
regiment Of red, white and blue SOL
diers who are supposed to be Span
lHr09 Thew fh6T10Sa h.
quay where Spanish and Cubans, men
and women, are congregated. The band
plays and a, company Of bull fghters
appears and a1nuses the audience q
rev minutes with a representation Of
bull fight. Then follows programme
OF speclaltles, some of which are ex-
tremely clever.
AlonZo C0rrenzo next appeared In a.
performance Of Spanish wejbbs, and he
was followed by the Cuban ballet The
corps Is composed Of nimble-ltnbed
young women, who give a correct inni
tation Of native Cuban dances. which
close with the dance classiuue "Papil-
lon," by La Petite Rhea. The dances
were heartily applauded The Ward
tr1o's perfoTma on revolving lad
Gers was one Of the best acrofbatfc per-
formances that have been seen here
in long time, and the audience real
ly became enthusiastic over them. The
CoiilSuy Uar ACT OF F4Caru and LaVeniOn
also evoked much applause
While the acrobatic performance was
IN progress the preliminary portions of
the drama were also being performed.
TWO Cuban spies are captured and
brought before the governor general
OF Havana, who orders them to be
shot The wife of one appeals Cor
mercy, but the cOmmandante refuses
and strikes the woman with g. whip.
An American newspaper correspond
ent seizes the whip and is arrested as
a spy. He is condemned to be shot
and is about to be executed when q
carriage is driven upon the stage, and
Consul General Lee appears and or
ders the correspondent released. The
demand is refused and Gen. Lee wraps
an American flag about the correspond
emit. Then the cOmmandante, fearing
to fire upon the flag, releases the COR
respondent. The Cubans are confined
in Moro.
Then the fetes, which have been mo-
mentarily interrupted, are resumed,
and while they ere under way q de-
tachnent OF insurgents appear and ask
for the exchange of the Cubans for
Spanlards The commandante imme-
diately has the Cubans brought our
, and shot before the eyes of their
friends, who take away the bodies. At
the same time the Maine which has
lain in the harbor With lights out is
suddenly wrecked by an explosion,
There are several reports, and as the
ship topples into the water a grep:
flame shoots up into the air. AS the
Ship goes down the Spaniards on shore
wave the Spanish flag and shout and
dance for JOY Again Consul General
Lee appears and demands an expIara
ton. AS none Is given. he takes a boat
and is rowed away to the United
states amid great cheering from the
Spanish multitude.
Then Gen. Gomez comes uoor tho
scene from somewhere and recon
noitres the Spanish position. He Is
accompanied by a regiment Of soldiers
and battery of artillery. The Gu
pans advance upon the Spanish army.
and both armies fire volleys into each
other without injury to either side. AL
though the opposing forces are several
feet from each other and fire point
blank into each others faces. no one
falls But, Notwithstanding their ex-
emption from violent death, the Span
lsh fan back and let the Cubans win
the victory
Next appears a detachment of Amer
lean troops under Gen. Shafter. and
with the Cubans they storm MORO and
take the citadel Of Spain. Just how
Gomez and Shafter got mixed up at
Havana is not explained in the Hbretto
of the play. Mr.. Pain seems to have a
disregard for sequence that IS almost
Shakespearean. But none in the aud
fence Is expected to ask questions
The storming Of MORO is a splendid
spectacle. But 1t was marred last
night by the horses attached to the ar
tillery, which became frightened when
the bombs exploded. After the horses
We're withdrawn from the stage the