The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-03

yenturous trip in Cuba. was showing
his silver-handlcd machctc to reporter
i'll Il Cuban shop in this city the other
day. The reporter asked him If 1t had
ever killed anybody. and he answered:
NO" Thereupon the proprietor of the
shop said: III show YOU machcte
that has killed n man" He went into
Il rear room and rc-arpcarcd directly
with machcte evidently made at the
same factory as rrado's, He held the
blade up to the light. There was Il
dark stain on the steel for some twelve
inches about the miGdle of the machete.
That is the blood of Span.sh captain,
the proprietor said. proudly.
Cuban war relics are in great demand
just now. and if the Cubans were less
Conscientious they could do big bust
ness i'll selling macheteS used by Maceo,
buttons from the uniforms of Gomez,
spurs worn by Garcia, and SO on The
tuhanS have been shown the way how
by. the sale Of bogus Maine relics The
amount of gris-covered cartridges
sold as ammunition recovered from the
wreck of the Maine, would ill the mag
azines of several warShips. The fraud
became so omen down here that the
Maine relics now find no sale at all.
The war relic hunters importune the
Cubans for macheteS. some that have Il
history" The machetes used by the
insurgents are made in Connecticut. and
anyone can buy them i'll New York. If
the relic hunter insists on having his
toric" machete. the Cubans will get one
for him to satisfy him. but he does not
encourage the fraud.
Major Prado brought back with him
General Pedro Betancourt's battle flag.
Il handsome one made by the patriotic
:. ladies of Cardenas 1t had been through
two fights. and once was struck and torn
by Mauser bullet. The rent had been
carefully stitched. and this work of re-
pair would probably be looked on with
horror by the true relic collector. The
flag was sent to Cuban lady of Key
West 10y General Bctancourt.
Key West. Fla, July 1.-The lines of
steam and sailing vessels plying between
the Atlantic coast and Gulf and West
Indian ports could if they wished. re-
sumo their service. except to the Spanish
Islands. There are no Spanish ships at
sea to prey upon American commerce.
When General Skaters army sailed
from Tampa along the North coast of
Cul a. and to Santiago de Cuba, it was
conveyed by twelve warShipS, including
the great hattleship Indiana. and the
fleet moved in compact order, and at a
snal's pace in order that the ships
might not become separated. but naval
officers say that no convoy whatever
was needed. and that the troops for the
Porto Rico expedition can sail with per
feet safety. unconvoyed. There are
formidable Spanish warships in San
tiago. but they are not likely to get out;
there is torpedo boat at San Juan,
Porto Rico. but it dares not come out,
either. When a party of newspaper men
We're seeking to charter Il sailing vessel
to carry them TO jamaica from Key
West the other day. they paid no atten-
ton to the vessels flag. except that they
rather preferred going in an American
ship. on principle. They knew perfect.
ly well that they would not meet any
Spanish vessels. The newspaper dis
patch boats sail about the island with
the utmost freedom. The Spanish flag
has been swept from the Spanish main
and from the West Indian seas. The
steamship line that realizes this first and
resumes it's customary service will soon
be doing good business
THINGS SEEN AT NIGHT.
Newspaper boats and little auxiliary
gunboats used to come into Key West
with stories of having been chased or
having chased Spanish steamers.
The stories varied a good deal, but the
strangers were always seen at night and
generally carried IA bright light by
which their movements were easily
made out One boat thought she saw
three Spanish cruisers and torpedo
boat A torpedo boat sighted IA torpedo
boat destroyer. chased her; although
the American made twentythree knots
an hour. the stranger did better and got
away. Other boats saw all sorts of
black steamers that became invisible
with the dawn. The boat that brought
in the story about sighting four Spanish
vessels caused great sensation, and
cost the government Il lot of money. be-
sides delaying the departure of Skaters
army for nearly week. Scouts sent
out to locate the Spanards failed to find
any trace Of them. The captain of the
boat was the only man aboard who saw
the Spaniards plainly, and he told
story that was full of details. yet there,
was no doubt that he was mistaken. No
one now believes the story; no one now
believes that any of the vessels seen at
night were SpaniardS. Those who
thought they saw them were excited,
and their imaginations conjured up
boats out Of moth nG in the tropical
night.
KEY WEST AS \ NAVAL BASE. !
One day recently the newspapers pub
lished cir Tu.StHnt;al account of the
arrival Of Con. Skaters troopShips at
Key West; of how the General had
complained of the accommodations on
board The ships, and had even threaten
ed to diseml ark the men at Key West. !
The troopShirs did not come to Key
West, nor in sight of Key West. and
there was no reason why they should
have come here. Some of Admiral
SampSon's vessels. notably the Yankee,
have never called here Most of the
vessels v ith Sam son have not been here
fer several weeks and probably will not
he here again until an attack is made
on the Northern coast of the island.
Probably there is IN exaggerated idea
in the public mind as to the naval facli-