The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-20


anxiety. Up to the present they have
been provided with food in some manner
or other, mainly by their former employ
ers being compelled to contribute towards
their maintenance. But the time must
come when these men will feel the pangs
Of hunger and then rioting is sure to fol-
low.
Then, again, people here are looking
forward with considerable apprehension
to the eventual triumph of the insurgents.
as it is believed they will wreak terrible
vengeance upon the Spaniards and upon
those who have sympathized with the.
latter
The bulk of the Spaniards, however, are
filled with warlike enthusiasm and are
looking forward with confidence to an
eventual triumph over the American
forces They have great faith in the
strength of the Spanish fleet and in the
valor of the Spanish sailors and are look
ing forward hopefully of the blockade
being raised by the naval force sent from
Spain. So soon as few cannon shots
are heard from the forts, the shores of
the bay. San Lazaro avenue and the roofs
of the houses are Immediately crowded
with people, who cheer wildly when shot
Is seen to fall anywhere near one Of the
American warships
The Spanish officers say all the strategic
points about the coast have been occu-
pied by troops and that it will be difficult
to effect landings. Ambuscades have also
been prepared at various points. and they
say Havana is so we'll fortified that an
army of fifty thousand men will be needed
To ba nj n
have been thrown up and more heavy
artillery has been mounted; but it is diff
cult to obtain any accurate details of such
work. Any inquiries on the subject are
liable to cause the arrest of the person
putting the questions. and newspapermen,
particularly correspondents, are continue
ally under suspicion. They are carefully
watched and it is only with the greatest
difficulty that mail letters can be snug
gled out OF the city. The censor is more
exacting than ever and any news which
he allows to be eabled is strictly official
The Guards, yesterday, captured man
who was going out in small fishing
boat with mail for the American fleet,
and the writer is informed that he was
Shot the same afternoon.
The Pals organ of the Autonomist
party says great misery prevails at Ma
tanzas and at Cardenas and other towns
on account of the scarcity OF provisions,
ana the paper duuS tndI the COulitly
people are now In a worse condltlon lnan
they ever were Before
All sorts of misleading rumors are IN
tentionally circulated by the Spanish ofii-
cialS here for their own purposes and the
tales of Spanish repulses OF American
forces come in al almost regular Intervals
and from nearly every point about the
blockaded portion OF the coast, 70 say
nothing of the stories of brilliant Spanish
victories which are said to have reached
here from abroad For instance, today. a
rumor traced to the Palace, said the
Spanish fleet, after heroic defensive
battle with an American fleet att Cavite,
Philippine Islands, lost two vessels and
about three hundred killed and four hun
dred wounded after which the spanish
officers, refusing to surrender ana IN or
der to prevent the Spanish fleet from
falling into the hands of the Americans,
blew UP all the rest of their vessels
The Palace report also said the Amerl-
can fleet at Manila was bombarding that
city and that in consequence, the Span
ish authorities and the garrison at Mania
had retreated into the interior Later,
the following sofficial news was pup
IA Spanish fleet has fought heroically
with an American fleet at Cavlte. obhglng
the American heetist to retreat with con-
siderable loss. The Spanish losses We're
also very heavy.
OF course the greatest interest is taken
here in the approaching meeting between
the Spanish and American fleets IN these
waters The fleet from Spain is expected
at almost any moment, is being constant
ly watched for day and night and signals
are ready to guide it safely into the
harbor 1t is expected that the result OF
the battle will decide the war in favor OF
the United States or Spain, and it is I'M
possible to make the Spanlards DOUBT the
eventual triumph of the yealoW ana req
| flag of their country.
The French steamer Lafayette arrived
here from Key West on Saturday morn
| ing (May y, and commenced unloaainS
] u, NoCCD EylaT
come ashore When nearly all the cargo
had been taken ashore the French Consul
and the consignee OF the LafayeJte re-
ceived dispatches from the French Am
bassador at Washington, saying a com
promise arrangement had been arrived at
with the United States Government, by
which the Lafayette had been allowed TO
enter Havana harbor, but with the uh-
derstanding that her cargo and passen-
gers were not to be landed. Thereupoh
the French Consul and consignee con-
ferred with Captain General Blanco ana,
later. with the members of the Codonal
Government with the result that per-
mission was obtained to reload the cargo
of the Lafayette, so as to comply with
without establishing any precedent ana
reserving all rights for action IN the mat
ter in the future in any similar case
In spite of the lonesome appearance OF
the CITY previously referred TO, the the
atres are open and are generally full.
though the absence of great numbers of
the better classes of society is noticed.
The Spaniards recently tried to con-
strlct a fort at La Carbamera, near Ma
tanzas. but were prevented from so doing
by the fire of some American warships
which destroyed the works every time the
Spanish soldiers were seen engaged upon
them.
colonel of the Civil Guards, Senior
Mello. who appears to have ganbled away
large sums of money belonging TO the
regiment he commanded has gone over
from Colon to the insurgent ranks.