Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-06-21
F)]DIN PLENIYF0R havana.
Supplies Being Received from Yucatan
by the Isle Of Pines.

-ron the Cuban Metropolis Tells
HOW the Blockade Fails to Cut
IN Provision for the City-Full
Cargoes Landed at the Island
end Thon Transported on Ferry
coats and Rail to Havana.
Key West, June pa prominent re-
.seot De Havana, who left that place
- tho oh inst, arrived here yesterday
N lIs way to New YORK. His descrip-
an Of the situation in Havana at the
,r.e Ne left contradicts widespread re-
o.r-s If famine and suffering in the
t-v and throws a new hight on the eff
y veness of the blockade, which, it
.gpsars. fails in its purpose as far as
,...na off all means of supplies and
communication with the outside world
Il aacerned.
lis story is entitled to full credence
.rl consideration, coming as it does
film oue of the leading merchants of
Hagana. d foreign resident, unbiased in
tis views or sympathies. He reports,
III the first place, that Havana is prac-
lcally an open port, as it is not block
AIDED ON its southern approach. Bata-
B4n0. on the south side, is only forty
miles from Havana, with which city it
is connected by rail Batabano has
never been more than a shipping point
and headquarters for the sponge fisher
i,s Of Southern Cuba, and landing
place for the Ise of Pines ferryboats,
WAich there connect with the north
bCund trains for Havana.
The water between Batabano and the
Isle Of Pines being very shallow. no
where exceeding nine feet in depth, and
therefore inaccessible to any large craft,
has caused the Isle Of Pines to be over
looked as possible enterport or base
II supplies for Western Cuba, and as a
point deserving of greater consideration
than attaching to a fifth rate and ms
managed penal colony.
1t appears, however, that constant
traffic has been kept up between the
Isle If 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, unmclested by American
warships, which rarely if ever patrol
these waters.
The work Of transhipping these car
goes to Batanabo on the fiat bottom
ferryboats constantly plying between
that port and Nueva Guerona. the prin-
eipal port of the Isle of Pines, has been
an easy matter, as also their subsequent
transportation to Havana by rail In
the first four days in June, it is assert
ed, over 500 head Of cattle were landed
at Batabano, besides large quantities
Of -four and grain Not only are the
shipments not limited to supplies of
provisions and the necessaries of life.
nut, our informant reports, coal in
hrge quantities is also brought over.
This statement practically confirms the
reports that the Spanish government
has established large coal depots on the
Nucatan coast.
At the outbreak Of hostilities it was
reported that Havana had sufficient re-
serve stories in supply TO last SIX
months Since then, it is asserted, fresh
shipments have been received by way
cf BatanabO and the Isle of Pines far
III excess of the consumption, so that
apparently 50 far from suffering from
the evils attendant upon the blockade,
Havana has kept en- in the even tenor
Of an unrufiled existence with sufficient
stores on hand to last another half
year.
\ gay and cheerful note in these war
Ike times is sounded by the announce
ment that, by way of this same Prog
reso-BatabanO route an intrepid "com-
pania de Zarzuela' or theatrical troupe
from Mexico made its appearance in
Havana, and has since been playing to
full houses at the Albisu Theatre. I'M
mindful Of the impending fate that
hangs over the doomed city The daily
routine Of life. it is said. continues I'M
altered, and theatre parties, dances and
the usual social diversions are INDUCED
in as in times Of peace.
Considerable fear, says the Havana
merchant, has been entertained as to
the tobacco crop. Following the usages
Of warfare, practieed by Spaniards and
Cubans alike, it has been confidently
expected that at least one-half of the
Nuelta Abajo crop would be ruined or
set on fire in the field but much to the
general surprise, almost the entire out
PINT Of the Vuelta Abajo and Remidios
districts has been baled, shipped and
stored in Havana warehouses. One
irm alone, it is alleged, had 10000 bales
7f '9S tobacco stored in Havana on the
3rst Of June, valued at S1.500,000.
The general health is reported by the
merchant to be particularly good, espec-
ally for this season of the year, and he
icnies the reported rayages of yellow
ever and smallpox on the island. He
'cnflms the military activity noticed
and recorded by the officers on block