The record-union., 1898-05-16
CENSURiNG COMMANDMENT.
SPANTARDS TALK OF THE IN
TERESTS OF HUMANITY.
IF We Are to Believe Them Our
Ships Always Retreat After
Fight.

all the pulpits to-day the American
practice of bombarding defenseless
towns without previous notification
was severely censured Those who ad-
ministered the rebuke said towns should
not be bOmbarded solely to destroy
property or to kill people, or for mere
pleasure, and pointed out that in the
interests of humanity international law
had provided that towns must not be
bonn barded until the forces of the at
tacking party were ready and in cOndi
ton to assault and take the towns.
In political circles it is said that the
Americans, while pretending that they
do not wish the reconcentrados to die
of starvation, are nevertheless ready to
kill over 1000, 900 people by their block
ade.
According to private advices from
Cardenas, the American vessels about
10 o'clock last Wednesday tried to en-
ter the harbor. and at = o'clock in the
afternoon three large American vessels
succeeded in entering. The Spanish
gunboat Antonio Lopez fired the first
shot from the Zuluela wharf, and the
gunboats Ligeria and AIerta answered
at the military commanders headquar-
ters, the City Hall and the Spanish
Casino over all of which the Spanish
flag was hoisted. The Americans fired
400 shots One shot fell into the ware
house where many reconcentrados were
living. igniting the building, but the
firemen saved the women and children
from the flames. Other shells fell near
the military hospital, the Spanish Ca
sino. the OterO Theater, the principal
oil nd foIi-
vate residences The bombardment
lasted for two hours, the Americans
finally retreating toward Caya Diano.
All the wounded were assisted by the
religious society. Mr.. Irvas, the man
ager of the Cardenas Railroad, ordered
all trains on duty to remove the people
from the town to the Progresso sugar
plantation. The losses were two killed
and seventeen wounded. About htteen
shells have been found that did not ex-
plode The Spanish steamer Montserrat
left CienfuegOs on the 9th for Spain.
Marquis de Comellas, General Man
ager of Spanish Transatlantic Compa-
ny. gave Captain Deschams, her com
mander $4,000 for having saved the
ship and her important cargo. Friday
morning the Americans tried TO effect
a landing. but were repelled after three
quarters of an hours fighting. On the
11th the Spanish forces, accommodating
on the Rios Farm near Parpeto, sur
prised the insurgents lodged in posi-
tions to assist the landing of the
Americans under the protection of the
guns of two American cruisers and
three small vessels lying between three
and four miles off shore. After two
hours firing the insurgents abandoned
their positions, leaving six killed. The
Americans attempted a landing on the
SaladO beach near BanaS under the pro-
lection of three vessels, one with side
wheels A boat with about thirty
men was beached at some distance
from the ostensible landing place, but
was there surprised by the Spanish
musketry. After two hours firing
under the protection of the warships
which discharged upwards of seventy
cannon shots, the Americans re-em-
barked, having suffered some losses.
On the 18th the Americans attempted
to land at Herrauba Beach near Ca
banas sustaining a hot fire with the
Spanish forces. The American fleet
fired about eighty shots, killing a
guerilla Lieutenant. On the 18th the
sound of cannonading and musketry
was heard at a great distance, appar-
emily coming from Table de Aqua
Beach. This was about 10 o'clock in
the morning. On Friday the Spanish
cruiser Conde de VenaditO and the
torpedo boat Neuva Espana left Ha
vana harbor to engage the American
vessels. The Spanish vessels began
the combat by firing at the Americans
already far away on the horizon. The
Americans returned the fire, but with
drew still further. the Spanish vessels
following them until all We're lost to
view. The Spanish ships continued
to fire but the Americans declined to
fight them. At 6 clock in the even
ing two Spanish launches left the har-
Dor to scout over the area of firing
and were not troubled by any American
vessels At a quarter past I the Span
ish warships returned to the harbor.
1t is believed that one Of the American
vessels suffered damage and was towed
out of combat.