Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-07-16

loyal Cuban and escaped to avoid the
necessity Of fighting against his cause.
as every male in the island who is able To
bear arms is being pressed into the
Spanish service. He obtained Il fisher |
mans permit to go outside MORO, and
on Monday morning put off in small
| boat. The Bancroft was stationed six |
miles out, and he IOwed to her. the |
Cojimar batteries, east of Havana. fir !
| ing two shots at him when he was OBJ |
served passing beyond the prescribed |
/ limits The Bancroft transferred him |
to another vessel, and he was brought |
here. where the local junta will care for !
him. The sailors of two American |
ships made up liberal subscription for |
him and gave him some new clsthing.
Blanco says the living conditions in
Havana are constantly growing worse,
the greatest distress necessarily falling
on the Cubans, because nearly all the
food is seized by the troops. OF these
| there are about 10000 in the city, con-
sisting of volunteers, mobiiZed troops,
militia and regulars. Their rations are
| largely rice and beans. without even
bacon. Jerked beef. Blanco says, sells
for 30 cents a paund: bread of poor quail
ity for 80 cents: lard 81: meat 15 cents;
| cornmcal 25 cents, and rice 30 cents.
Shark food is even eagerly sought and
the day before Blanco left the city one
shark caught in Havana harbor sold
for $3.50.
Those of the reconc ncentradOs who have
sufficient influence With the dispens-
ing authorities sometimes contrive to
get one wretched meal day, but the
Others starve. and it is no uncommon
thing, says Banco, to see persons drop
dead in the streets. Even among the
Spaniards. starvation is rapidly sapping
their loyalty, and large numbers of men
are banding together awaiting the first
American attack on Havana as signal
for revolt. The grocery and provision
stores are empty, and the only articles
on the Havana wharves are about 1000
barrels Of cement. wet and useless. Only
liquor is to be had cheaply.
Work on the defenses continues with
tireless vigOr. Two lines of cables
bearing torpedoes have been strung
across the harbor from the city side to
MORO castle. and the same has been
done in the bay at Mariel where, it was
reported in Havana. American troops
are to land.
Blanco further reported that three
weeks ago the Spanish steamers. Mon
tevideo and Santo Domingo, crept out
of the harbor a midnight with all lights
out and safely got through the blockade.
The Spanish ships now in the harbOr,
he says, are five gunboats, several Of
which are unfit for service. The guns
have been removed from the Alfonzo
nd for OIL, l., ttari nd bo
cruiser has been converted into hos
pital ship. There are also in the harbor
a number of smaller warships of the
nature of converted yachts. All these
vessels except the Alfonzo MI are al
ways ready to move on short notice.
London July 1.-THE Madrid corre-
spondent of The Times says: There is
u mysterious change in the political
atmosphere. The fresh breeze which
set in in two or three days ago in the
direction of peace has for moment
subsided. The weather prophets tell
us that this is momentary lull but
they do not explain on what their pre-
diction is founded.
Though some members of the cabinet
may be giving III private conversation
unuue prominence 10 the dntl-pedce
sentiment, with a view to soothing pa
trotic susceptibiities, it cannot be sup
posed that an experienced politician like
Sagasta, or an able diplomatist like
Duke Almodovar, the foreign minister,
VINO has displayed remarkable grasp
of the situation as a whole, will drop the
substance for the shadow 1t Is i'm
possible to speak confidently as to their
,iax mt haipn |
naturally reticent. All that can be
stated with tolerable certainty is that
Sagastas great moral influence has re-
established tranquility in the cabinet.
He is again firmly seated on the box
and has the team once more so well in
hand that the very existence of min
isteral crisis is denied
Havana, July 14.-Advices from San
tiago indicate that at I o'clock July
II the following American boats were
before that city. namely: The New
York, Texas Brooklyn. Indiana, one
monitor and Is transatlantic steamers,
the latter standing off in the vicinity
Of Sboney. The Americans began the
attack on the city Of Santiago with light
musketry fire and some cannon. At
" ClOck TIE llctl DtSdIl TIE |
city. and the heavy batteries attached
to the American land forces opened fire.
The last dispatch from Santiago said
that the Spanish troops, notwithstand
ing the fierce attack on the city, con-
tlnued firm and enthusiastic and stood
resoluteiy >at their positions with in
creasing determination to resist and
.epel the enemy. No citizens of Santia-
go were injured. Among the Spanish
forces one soldier was killed and one
officer and 15 soldiers were wounded. I
The Constitution says concerning the
siege of Santiago that that city has not
been taken, although there are 10000
Americans against 5000 Spaniards. The
Americans have not advanced their po-
sition perceptibly, nor have they dared
to come forth to fight the Spanish heroes
who successfully resisted the first at
tack. While we are awaiting news
about this great enterprise in which our
heroes are engaged after all it does not
matter what may result, for they may
be relied upon to always take good care
of that which in all of these cases Is
still most important, namely the flags
honor"
On July an American ship lowered a
boat, having on board an officer and
some men. at Carapichive, Isle of Pines.
and captured the schooner Gallito.
loaded with cedar. honey. pigs, wax and
fowls. The schooners crew took refuge
on shore and opened fire on the boat.
1t Is believed the officer in charge was
wounded. The ship fired 10 shots.
On July 9, the insurgents dynamited
the railroad between Candelaria and
Putna Bravo. province of Pinar del
Rio. The explosion occurred at the
moment an observation train was pass
ing The engine was damaged.
cuvert was destroyed and an unar-
mored car was derailed One soldier
Of the escort was wounded.
Dropped to Her Death.