The record-union., 1898-04-08

HAVANA (via Key WesD, April T.
We may, Of course be on the verge of
mcmentous events, but anything more
placid. not TO say stupid, than the
present condition or affairs here it would
be impossible to imagine. So absolute
is the dearth of real news, while await
ing the action of Congress, that Il com
monplace accident last night in the i'afe
Ingleterra was made the subject Of a
Governmental dispatch from the coloni-
al Cabinet to Washington.
One of the correspondent Of the AS
sociated Press, when rising from a
chair. dSopped his revolver from his
pocket, Exploding a cartridge Before
people could realize the triviaitty OF the
incident, there was great excitement.
People on the scene. however. soon
laughed at the occurrence, but wild
tales that Consul General Lee had been
assassinated spread through the city,
and were believed by so many that the
colonial Government felt called upon to
send a message to Washington denying
that there was any truth in the rumor.
General Lee was not in the cafe at the
time. He was dining elsewhere.
AS result of the belief that there is
no further danger of war, the rush jor
passage on the boats provided by the
United States has much lessened. When
real danger becomes apparent many Will
be left here. Havana has heard the
cry Wolf" so often that she will not
believe it now until the big guns roar.
Necessarily, Holy Thursday, Good
Friday and the near approach of Easter
would have something to ~do with the
outward quietude. 1t is hard to be-
lieve war imminent in the presence OF
ladies with missals, men with prayer
books, crowded churchmen, the sounds
of priests intoning and the choirs sing
ing .:Gloria in EXcelsis Deo.' All these
things are so far removed from a belli-
cose frame of mind.
News of real strife is likely 20 come
from Matanzas or Santa Clara Prov
inces. Nothing can be learned def
nitely yet as to the movements of Cen
erals Gomez and Garcia. but there is
no doubt they mean some coup de
main to show the people of the United
States that the insurrectiOn is not dead.
PROGRAMME FOR LEES DEPART
URE.
TAMPA (Fla.), April THE pro-
gramme for the departure of General
Lee from Havana was announced to-
night and is as follows:
The Olivette will enter Havana har-
Dor on Saturday morning, and General
Lee will at once notify all Americans
that this will be their last chance to
leave the island under the American
flag. After all are on board the steam
er, including the United States Con-
suls from the various ports of Cuba,
General Lee will pull down the Ameri-
lean flag of the Consulate, will turn
over the archives to the British Con-
SUI Collin, and will go aboard the Oil
vette, which will at once sail for Key
West.
1t is possible that one of the gun
boats or cruisers at Key West will ac-
company the Olivette to Havana to
protect the Americans as the last of
them leave the city.
The Spanish Consulate here is desert
ed. Consul Soils having departed for
Washington by order of his Govern
ment.
KINGSTON (Jamaica), April THE
agents of the steamer Brookline have
advices from Santiago de Cuba that
the steamer sailed at 6 o'clock this
sui, P. f. Hyatt, and others, and is
due at Port Antonio tomorrow.
The Boston Fruit Company's steam
er Beverley arrived at Cienfuegos to-
day, and is preparing to sail with
United States Consul Owen McGarr and
other Americans for Boston, touching
at Key West.
Both steamers were chartered with
great haste by United States Consul
Dent of Kingston, who went by spe-
cial train to Port Antonio. The local
bank opened out of hours to supply
gold.
The British Consuls at Santiago de
Cuba and Cienfuegos will represent
American interests during the absence
of the respective United States Con-
suls
THE MASCOTTE ARRIVES.
KEY WEST, April THE Plant line
steamer Mascotte, which arrived to-
night, brought eighty Cubans. None
came ashore. Several hundred who