The times., 1898-06-22
BLANco's BASE OF SUPPLIES.
The Isle of Pines successfully IT'LL
lied for That Purpose.

Key West, Fla, June IA prominent
resident of Havana has arrived here on
his way to New York His description
of the situation in Havana at the time
he left contradicts widespread reports
of famine and suffering IN that city. The
blockade, he says, has not cut off all
means of supply and communication with
the outside world. His story is entitled
to consideration, coming as it does from
one of the leading merchants of Ha-
vana, foreign resident, unbiased in his
views or sympathies.
He reports, in the first place, that Ha-
Vana is practically an open port as il
is not blockaded on its southern ap-
proach. Batabano. on the south side,
is only forty miles from Havana, with
which it is connected by rail. Batabano
has never been more than shipping
point and headquarters for the sponge
fisheries of southern Cuba and landing
place for the Isle of Pines ferryboats.
which there connect with the northbound
trains for Havana.
The fact that the water between Bata-
bano and the Isle of Pines is very shall
low nowhere exceeding nine feet in depth,
and being therefore inaccessible to any
large craft has caused the Isle of Pines
TO be overlooked as a possible base of
supplies for western Cuba and undeserv-
| ing of further consideration than that at
taching to fifth-rate penal colony.
1t now appears. however, that constant
| traffic has been kept up between the Isle
| of Pines and the Yucatan coast, and that
| full cargoes of provisions and live stock
have been regularly landed there from
| steamers, schooners and other sailing yes
| sells, unmolested by American warships,
| which rarely, if ever, patrol those waters.
of traT1 ccb n
| to Batabano on the f1at-bottom ferry
| boats constantly plying between that port
and Nueva Corona. the principal port of
! the Isle of Pines, has, of course, been an
| easy matter, as also their subsequent
! transportation to Havana by rail.
| In the first four days vI June, it is as
serted more than 500 head of cattle were
landed at Batabano, besides large ship
ments of flour and grain. Not only are
the shipments not limited to supplies of
provisions and the necessaries of life
| but, our informant reports, coal in large
quantities is also brought over. This
statement practically confirms the re-
ports that the Spanish government has
established large coal depots on the Yu-
catan coast, reports when have from
| time to time been published and fully
| credited by many naval officers.
At the outbreak of nostIiities it was
reported that Havana had sufficient re-
serve supplies in store 10 last six
months. Since then, it is asserted, fresh
| shipments have been received by way
of Batabano and the Isle of Pines far
in excess of the conrunption. 1t is
claimed that enough supplies are now on
hand to last another six months.
A cheerful note is found in the an
nounceRent that. by way OF this same
Progreso-Batabano route. an intrepid
"Compania de Zarzuela,'' or theatrical
| IL
ance in Havana, and mas since been
playing to full houses at the Albisu
| Theater unmindful of the impending
fate that hangs over the city.
Considerable fear, says the Havana
merchant, has been entertained as to The
tobacco crop. Following the usages OF
warfare, practiced both by Spaniards ant
Cubans alike, it had been confidently ex
pected that at least one-half of the Vuelts
Abajo crop would be ruined or set fire Il
in the field, but much TO the general sur
prise, almost the entire output of th'
Vuelta Abajo and Remedies districts ha!
been baled, shipped, and stored in Ha
vana warehouses. One firm alone, it Il
alleged, had 105O0 bales of '9S tobacct
stored in Havana on the first of June
valued at more than $1,500,000.
The general health is reported by tn
| merchant to be particularly good espe
| cially for this season of the year, and h
| denies the reported ravages of yellow
| fever and smallpox on the island.
He confirms the reports of military ac
| tivity and considers Havana today yer,
strongly fortified. Work on the new bat
| teries and earthworks is kept up nigh
and day, and, judging from outward an
visible signs and from the tone and Ian
guage of the officials and soldiery in Ha
| vana, the Spaniards are preparing to de
fend the city TO the last.