The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-28
staff Corres,ondent To THE SuS.

staff Correspondent 10 HE DIN.
WASHINGTON, April 81. 80 Great
doubt is expressed among navai Oh
ficials as to the accuracy OF the repor's
that the Spanish steamer Montserra''
carving troops and specie, hau
evaded the blockade ana rcac"e"
CienfueSOs in safety.
They say the channel to that ci'y Is
very narrow and it would be almost
impossible that such large steamer
could slip by the blockade.
Three Major Generals Of volunteers
will soon be appointed from civil iiie'
It issaid that General Fitzhugh Lee,
General Joseph Wheeler Of Alabama
and James H. Wilson Of Delaware,
will be chosen.
Ex.Con.res,man Charles IL. Allen OF
ssachusctts, will succeed Theodore
Roosevelt as Assistant Secretary ofthe
Navy. thus diSposing of the cahdidacy
ofJack Robinson Of Chester, Pa.
Allen served in Congress with Nc
Kinley.
The American fleet has left Chinese
waters for Manila, and news from the
conflict near the latter port between
Spanish and American warships is
eagerly looked for.
Confia yration- Eclucing Cuba.
Special to THESrS.
KEY WEST, Fla, April 27.-There are
fires on the line OF the Cuban coast as
far along as the American ships have
patrolled. =,
Large areas are apparently covered by
each conhagraton. The smoke arises
sometimes in great white clouds; some
times in nse black columns.
The fires are 50 far inland that it is i'm
possible to tell what is burning, but as
the woods and fields are very dry at this
season of the year, the probabilities are
that they have caught fire, although they
may have been lighted by the Cuban in.
surgents or the Spaniards for purposes OF
their own. 1t has been surmised that
the Spaniards have already begun to
burn all Cuban towns in anticipation OF
defeat, or for revenge against the insur-
gents, but there is no way in which to
learn positively whether such is the case.
However, as the country has been
pretty well devastated by the Spaniards
in the past three years, there are not
many houses left to burn, and the pre-
sumption is strong y against such a
theory.
At lU O'clock on Tuesday morning
there were in plain sight, four separate
fires.
To the far east there were two white
clouds not far apart, but evidently aris-
ing from different sources.
The coast line was almost lost to sight
at that point, and it was estimated that
the fires must have been seen at Matan-
zas Province, probably in the vicinity Of
Corral Nuevo and Melinos, two small
towns inland, and not far to the west
from the city OF Matanzas. To the west,
and back some distance from the shore,
was a tremendous fire which must have
sprea1 over the country for mile.
The smoke was black and kept spread
ing to the westward. The location must
have been very close to the town OF
Gunabe, which is situated ab ,nt four
miles back from the sea ON a little river,
or about twelve miles from Havana.
Still further toward the east another
column of smoke could be made out, and,
as your yacht drew nearer, it became ap-
parent that the fire was within four or
five miles of Havana. and in very close
proximity to Guanabacoa, on the other
side OF Havana. Close down to the shore
was yet another cloud of smoke, although
not of such dimensions rs those already
mentioned.
Monitor Terror Makes q Capture.