Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-18
SIEGE OF HAVANA
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uniform they wore. In all there had been
between fifty AMI sixty of them. They had
made their demonstration against auton-
omy il the guise of defending the honor
of the Spanish soldiers. They might there
fore doubt whether Gen. Solano was in
earnest when he said they had dishonorcd
the uniform of Spain.
The army officers knew they had touched
the fuse which reached powder box. The
explosion might rot ccr,e just then, but it
was reasonable to expect sputtering.
They We're rot mistaken. An hour after
they had gone the mob which was not
clothed in uniforms completed the demon
stration against autonomy. 1t smashed
the windows of the building in. which La
Discussion is printed. Then it decided to
have the painted sign. Two CT three rough
fellows who tried to mount the ladder that
had been brought were gently pulled down
by the police. The rioters grew in numbers
ard in holiness. a mob orator mounted
box and detained against autonomy. He
vas a glib talker. While he talking
holder fellow again mounted the ladder,
tore down the sign and it was carried off
in triumph by his companions. During
these proceedings squad of mounted po-
licemcn lad reinforced those on foot. Sew
eral times they forced their horses on the
sidewalk and through the crowd, but this
had no effect. One of them who sought to
use his sword was sharply reprimanded by
his superior. Fernandez de Castro chief of
the police, YVES himself in command. and l
saw him arguing with the rioters instead
OF ordering his men to charge them. How
ever, there was reason for this mildnesS
The civil and military authorities at that
hour were not strong enough for conflict
with the unknown forces back of these
rioters. A rlvulet of blood then might
have brought down a torrent when night
came. So it was easier to let the crowd
have it's way. De Castro has since been
made scapegoat and relieved When by
common impulse it moved toward the Di-
ario newspaper office the mounted police
headed the mob off ard by single charge
were able 10 dispense it.
In the PnrIuc Central.
But this was not to be the end. The
Parque Central, through which the rioters
scattered, was to be the scene of further
incidents. a word of aggression here about
the jeopardy of Havana may be OF advan-
tage liz helping to a better understanding
of current happenings. Kept in mind it
ception of future events. The Prado is the
main avenue of Havana. 1t b:sects the
city. The Prado begins at the shore of the
sea just opposite Castle Moro and at the
Earrow entrance to the harbor. The street
is very bread. Along it's center runs a
promenade, lined on either side by laurels.
Midway up the Prado is the Parque Cen
trail. In the states this small park would
be called the public square. Its four sides
are faced by handsome buildings, hotels,
theaters and arcades for the bazaars. Tho
Albisu. Tacon ard Payret theaters front
upon It. The Spanish Casino the Union
Club and the German Club all occupy fine
quarters looking down upon its shaded
walks. The Hotel Inglaterra, which gets
Into the newspaper dispatches often be-
cause of the Americans who live there
faces the square directly across the Prado
La Discussion newspaper occupies low
building adjoining the hotel. Diario has
a snowy structure built on a triangular
piece of ground which projects to corner
of the park. Streets from all parts of the
city lead directly into the Paroue Central.
1t is an excellent center in which to mass
military similar forces
Another pls &C must be designated in the
geography CT Havana. This IS the palace,
the official residence of the captain general.
The headquarters of the civil and military
government are in this building and in
others close to it. Two narrow parallel
streets, Obispo and O'Reilly, lead from
Parque Central to the palace. which is half
a mile away. An open space in front of
the palace is called the plaza of arms. 1t
is fanked on one side by La Fuerza," the
old fort which has housed troops of Spain
for more than three centuries. La Fuer-
"a" stretches down to the water. Other
buildings on the water front help to shut In
the plaza of arms. which is reached by
O'Reiiiy and Obispo streets and two or
three narrow thoroughfares which come
into Obispo at right angles. While the
Parque Central is open, the palace is prac-
tically shut and the guarding of its ap-
proaches is not difficult In telling of
events i'll Havana an idea of the relative
location and surroundings of these two
places is important.
That Wednesday afternoon the rioters
showed tendency 10 rally. Gen. Parade,
who is next in command to Blanco, was in
Parque Central. directing the disposition
of the police forces. With him was Civil
Governor Bruzon. The rioters grew in
numbers, but made little demonstration.
the storekeepers obeyed with alacrity the
order to close their shops. Soon the doors
We're closed and the iron shutters fastened.
People were warned not only off the pub
lie square, but off the Prado. The reserves
of the order publico, or police put in an APP
pearance. They were followed by the first
detachment of the guardia civil. These
civil guards are the rural police of Cuba.
They are the finest military force that
Spain can command today, better than the
Spanish cavalry, equal to the crack cavalry
of the United States army. Part of the
afternoon l watched the arrivals of the
squad rons frcm the balcony of the hotel
and listened to the comment. The horses
CT the Suardia civil We're jaded. The men
were covered with dust They had evident
~ ridden hard.
Significant Question.
Does not this mean American interven-
tion?' asked a foreigner at my elbow. An
answer was spared the question by an ex-
clamation: "Ah, the regulars at last. Those
are veterans" 1t was infantry, $50 strong
The populace at that moment was not