The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-05-15
The CITY OF CIENFUECOS.
Newspaper Correspondent Gives His
Account Of Visit.
IL BUSINESS HAS BEEN SUSPENDED.
Only One shop in Four Open and
Food Sells nj High PrIees-Is
Poorly Fortified.
Copyrighted. lsss. BY Associated prsss.,

Kingston, Jamaica, May IL. --A CORE
spond6nt OF the Associated Press, who has
been through the Cienfuegos blockade on
the steamer Adula, on Monday last sue
ceeded In entering that city and getting
a good idea Of The situation there. He left
| Cienfuegos on the steamer with a numbsr
OF refugees on Tuesday, aud last evening
he sent the following dispatch ashore from
I the quarantine station.
1 When about forty miles off Cienfuegos on
| Monday afternoon We sighted the Amcri-
can blockading squadron consisting OF The
Marbehead the Nashville and the Eagle.
The flagship, the Marblehoad, bore down
on us at full speed and hred blank shot
across our bows. We came TO and were
boarded By n lieutenant. We showed hun
permit from the state department to pass
the blockade on condition that we carried
ne cargo and We were allowed to proceed.
The officer Of the Marblehead said the
trcopship, which Is expected daily. Wn.n
about 400 yards from the narrow entrance
TO tho harbor, a Spanish gunboat mounting
one quick fire one FOUNDER AZ, pogcd
her nose out from the mangroye covered
reel ana stopped u.s. Our papers had been
revised by the Spanish consul at Kingston
ana so wo were allowed to enter the har.
Dor.
The harbor entrance OF Cienfuegos Is
about 200 yards wide and there are forts
on either side OF 1t. These forts have long
rows of old fashioned guns, and Just m
Side tho narhpr Ihafg Ia a mo
cation building OF timber earth and sard.
The British vice consul, Mr.. Fowler, told
the correspondent OF the Associated Press
that the Spaniards have eight or ten mod
ern guns to mount on the new works.
Their calibers are probably four To d
inches.
Inside the harbor are three tiny guns.
The only warship Of any consequence IN
port was the third class cruiser Galataa
The correspondent counted four guns In her
main battery and she opened fire aft. The
Galotea went outside the harbor n few
days ago to engage the United States aux
Hilary gunboat Eagle, commanded by W. H.
j. Switzerland. q vessel about one thld
the Galateas size, The engagement was
sport, sharp and decisive Ono ten pound
shell splintcred tho corner Of the Galatea
deck houses and the Spanish cruiser quith Is
" retreatcd in the harbor. Besides the
steamers. the Rio Janeiro and the Ava
of Bilboa, and three coastlug steamers ilI-
side the harbor OF Clenfuegos. Those yes-
sells were caught in the harsor by the
American blockade fleet ana will doubtless
tall into the hands OF cur sailors In duo
course Of time.
crowd Of about 1000 curious people
gathered Mt the wharf to meet Ms AMI the
correspondent was told there hal been
much axritntnppt In Iftnnfuar,u of IA,
preceding Saturday week, when few
shells vera thrown at the forts by the
American warships, following au attack
made upon the Eagle
No one was hurt
The correspondent Of the Associated Press
went ashore and walked unmclested through
tho streets of the city. About one shop In
fonr was open, aud business was utterly
littless. There were no trucks or carriages
IN the streets, and many OF the dwellings
were closed.
Blockade prices for food are charged in
Cienfuegos. FSur sells nj % cents per
pound, meal costs 10 cents pound, and If
you want milk you must pay 20 cents a
quart for II. On the other hand ynms
broad fruit and plantains are plentiful at
or q cents pound The correspondent
wns told there was food enough TO last
forty-fsve days, Stin, the population is
&liNii luz bNfNhiuR Will ttHuii III SltINAH
ton, There are at least 10000 or i0,0o0
people in Cieniuogos and its vicinity, in
Guiding about 10000 regular Spanish troops
and 5000 volunteers
Tho townspenple and the soldiers were
talking vaguely about victory said
to have been won by the Spanish forces
at Havana. General Pando. the commsa-
der OF tho Spanish forces in the field, left
here for Havana ON SundaS and heavy
fighting took place on Tuesday about thlr-
ty one miles from the city
Tho British consul who was the charter
or OF the Adula, has scht to Jamaica his
family, several Cuban Americans and forty
Of the best Cuban families in Cienfuegos,
IL all 297 persons, AS the Adula was only
prnyisioped for 1870 passengers, there were
short raliore for everybody on board, but
nobody complained, all being glad to got
cut
The Adula steamed out OF Cienfuegos
harbor on Tuesday afternoon, at when
Ting the blockading squadron had been in
creased hv large fighting ship, whose
name was not dlscernible and big
collier
Nothing is known here concerning the re-
ported honlhardment OF Cienfuegos by the
United States squadron, hut as the SQUAD
ron was reinforced II Is possible thai the
may have felt strong enough 10
engage the land batteries of Cienluegos.