Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-14
BLANCO FRENzIED.
ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE on HEARING
OF CERvERA's DEFEAT.
HABAul SITUATION GLOOMY.
All Gayeties stopped-stnrvation
1fife-Work on the Defences OF '"e
CITY Continues with Tireless
Energy.
Energy.

vond doubt that Admiral Cerveras squau-
ron had been annihilated-
Long before the Spanish admirars gar
! LIANT dash out OF Santiago harbor all ha-
hama had been boasting Of his ability 10
ou,wit the Americans, and when misieao-
ing DISPATCHES gave the impression uld'
he had eluded the American meet Hie
demonstrations OF JOY In the Cuban eapi-
toi nartook of the nature Of festival.
When the true story Of the defeat came
q was discredted until definite confrma-
| tion from Madrid no longer left room LOT
hone. Gloom settled upon the city, all
gayetes were stopped. and every pubic
building and many private buildings were
hung with crepe and other black Grape
ries.
RIanco was in his palace when the IN
teI,ieence reached him, and he became al
most frenzied. He was closeted with MS
s.afY and General Arolas, Of the spanish
forces. discussing the news when ne mace
the attempt on his life. After s'rus-
gle he was subdued and disarmed' Dut
the shock was so severe that ne was
frustrated. and compelled to keep to MS
he'd for several days. When he arose MS
first order was to prohibit any food sup
Mics from leaving Habana for interior
towns. where the distress is most poig-
nant. and where many are starving daily'
CUBANS PRESSED INTO SERVICE
This and other valuable Information
was brought by Jose Pauline Blanco' VINO
! Indignantly repudiated a suggestion Oh
kinship with the Governor-GeneraL lie
saws he is a loyal Cuban, and escaped 10
| avoid the necessity Of fighting against MS
cause. as every male in the island VINO Is
| able to bear arms is being pressed into
the Spanish service. He obtained Usher
mans permit to go out, and at O'Clock
Monday morning put off in a small boat.
| The United States gunboat Bancroft was
stationed six niles out, and he rowed 10
her the Coiimar battery, east of Habana,
| firing two shots at him when he was OBJ
| served to be passing beyond the prescribed
limits. The Bancroft transferred him 10
another vessel and he was brought here,
where the local junta viii care for him.
The sailors of two American ships made
IN a liberal money subscription for him.
and gave him some new clothing.
STARVATION AT HAND.
Blanco says the living conditions in
| Habana are constantly growing worse,
! the greatest distress necessarily falling
on the Cubans, because nearly all the
| food is seized for the troops. or 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 so cents a pound, bread OF poor quail
| ~ for 80 cents, lard at 81, meat 70 cents,
cornmeal % cents, and rice 80 cents.
Sharks flesh is eagerly sought, and the
! day before Blanco left the city one shark
caught in Habana harbor sold for $780,
Those of the "reconcentrados" who have
! sufficient influence with the dispensing
authorities sometimes contrive to get one
wretched meal a day, but the others
starve and IT is no uncommon thing, says
Blanco. TO see persons drop dead in the
streets.
Even among the Spaniards starvation
is rapidly sapping loyalty to Spain, and
large numbers of men are banding to-
gether. awaiting the first American at
tack on Habana as a signal for revolt
The grocery and provision stores are
empty. and the only articles on the Ha-
bana wharves are about a thousand bar
rels of cement wet and useless. only
| 1inuor is IN he had cheaply.
WORK ON DEFICIENCIES.
Work on the defences continues with
tireless vigor. Two lines of cables bear
ing torpedoes have been strung across the
harbor from the city side TO MORO Cas-
tie. and the same has been done in the
bay of Mariel, where, it was reported in
Habana, American troops are TO be land
ed. Sand Battery No. q east Of Habana,
has lately mounted 6-inch guns in the
| extreme eastern side of the battery, COM
handing the coast line, and few days
ago sent two shots at the Maytiower,
which had been cruising close to the
shore. supposedly out of range. New
masked batteries are also being built
along the shore
Blanco further reported that three
weeks ago the Spanish steamers Monte
video and Santo Domingo crept out OF
the harbor at midnight. with all lights
out, and safely got through the blockade.
The Spanish ships now in the harbor, he
says, are the gunboats Condo Venadito,
Marquse de Ia Ensenada, Nueva Espana,
Filipinas, and Nanez Pinzon, several of
which are unfit for service. The guns
have been removed from the cruiser AL
fonso XII. and used for shore batteries
and the cruiser has been converted into a
hospital-ship. There are also in the har-
Dor a number of smaller warships OF the
nature of converted yachts including the
Flecha. Aquia, Magellanos, and two
others. All Of these vessels, except the
Alfonso XII, are always ready TO move
on short notice. The merchant steamers
Josefa Adola, and Maria Herrera are
also In the harbor.
Commodore SchIey's Position.
Washington Post)