Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-05-26
ALL QUIET At Key WEST.
No News of Torrent War to Disturb
the Stiffness of the Peace
full Sabbath.
NEWS FROM ADMIRAL SIMPSONS FLEET.
Graphic Description of the BOmbardmen1
of Santiago de Cuba by Senior ErnestG
Castro, Who was Eyewitness of ths
Engagement-The Decoying of thG
WInslOw.

KEY WEST, Fla, May 23.-The tran
quillity of tropical Sunday was un'
disturbed by definite news FROM any
quarter. A few naval uniforms tho
street were the only signs of the proxi'
nifty of this languid town to the thea
ter of war.
Speculation is still concentrated on
the whereabouts of Admiral Cerverai
| squadron, the general opinion favorin9
| some point on the southern coast. As
both sides of the island are now pa.
trolled by United States war ships, the
| naval authorities will not admit the
| possibility of Cervera's escape without
| the most desperate conflict in the his.
| tory of naval warfare.
Reports from Admiral Simpsons
| squadron say that all is quiet off the
northern coast of Cuba. Nothing from
Commodore Schley is expected before
Monday or Tuesday.
Senior Ernesto Castro, a well-known
LAWYER, and president of the revolution
airy junta at Cardenas, arr1I ed here
| yesterday on the United St&tes gun
boat Annapolis. During tne rec ent
bOmbardment at Cardenas Senior Castro
was in the bay in small boat, trying
to reach the American vessels and get
! transportation to the United States on
an important mission. He Vas COM
PEELED to return to shore, where he
saw and heard of the results of the
bombardment.
Tbs Spanish gunboats that Tured the
United States torpedo boat Wlnslow
into the death-trap were the Antonio
Lopez, Lealtad and Ligera- During
| the fighting the two former retreated
behind the wharves and the Ligera be-
hind the key. 1t was the Antonio Lo-
PEE that opened fire on the Winslow
and decoyed her into the channel. The
Spanish troops formed on the public
square, not daring to go to the wharves;
all the Spanish flags were lowered, as
they furnished targets, and the fami.
lies all fed to Jovellanos.
Senior Castro says an American shell
exploded in the very entrance to the
Spanish casino, shattering the build
ing and setting it on fire. The casino,
which had been used as military
headquarters and infantry barracks, anc
which was the largest structure in the
town, was utterly destroyed. Other
buildings were wrecked. Some of the
shots went SO far as the Triente sugar
plantation, two miles in the interior.
The Spanish loss of life Senior Castro
believes to have been very heavy. 1t
was so reported. After the lombard
ment ceased the military commander
pressed all able bodied men into the
work of carrying sand to build new
batteries, and the next day 1000 men
were brought from Matanzas and Ha'
vana to continue the work.
Senior Castro, after passing four days
on the Piedras key, signalled the
United States gunboat Wilmington,
and was taken off. He says famine
prevails everywhere in Cuba. In Car
denas rice is 25 cents pound, con.
densed milk sells at ST.. so per can and
horseflesh brings rs cents a pound.
There is no beef or bread.
The insurgents are in dire distress.
Formerly provisions were struggled
from the cities, but that relief is now
impossible, since the cities themselves
are starving. The insurgents are try
ing to subsist on peppery wood and
palm buds. Senior Castro tasted meat
yesterday for the first time in five
weeks.