Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-16
NEARLY ALL DEAD.
The HURDLE Fate Of Il e R9concen-
trades in the Vicinity Of Havana.
Tie Condi ions in Havana Terrible.
Two Small Priz3s.
Copyright, Associated Press.)

Key West, Fla, May 15.-The condi-
lions in Havana resulting from the
blockade are being gradually brought
out by information obtained from fish
ing smacks and other small vessels
captured off the coast.
Affairs at Havana now appear to be
worse than at any time since the Wey-
Ter regime. The fishermen who at
first braved the blockade for the high
price fish brought in Havana, now run
the risk not ter money, but for the
food which they obtain from the sea.
A number Of these men have been cap
tured at different times by the vesSels
of the blockading fleet, nearly all OF
them being released after having been
questioned by our officers. They all
unite in picturing the state of things at
havana as being pitiful in the eX-
IRENE.
The Associated Press dispatch beat
Kate Spencer has accumulated all the
facts cbtainable along the blockading
line the latest news being obtained
through two captures made by the
United States gunboat Machias, which
has just returned here for the first time
since the blockade opened, making the
longest single service Of any blockad-
ing vessel off Cuba.
The Machias caught two fishing
boats off Havana just before her re-
turn here. The Americans offered the
fishermen money for part of their
catches, as the fish was needed on
beard. But the fishermen demurred
at taking money; they preferred to
have bread, and added that they were
desperately hungry.
When questioned as to the prevail
ence of yellow fever at Havana, the
fishermen said there was little sick
ness at the Cuban capitol; but they
added there was much starvation. The
reconcentrados, they said, are nearly
all dead or have been expelled from
the city to die in the suburbs.
The insurgents themselves have been
chary of receiving reconcentrados, and
hundreds Of the latter who had no per-
sonal friends were left 10 starve be-
tween the lines.
About Havana the situation is even
worse. Hundreds of reconcentrados
from Los FCsos, the big reconcentra-
dos barracks in Havana, were too weak
to walk out Of town and fell in the
streets or died in the suburbs, where
flocks Of vultures, "Weyler's chickens,
as they are termed in Havana have
Toasted on the remains.
In MatanZas this feature of the situa
ton is equally distressing
The fishermen who have been
brought here are mostly soon recon
ciled to capture, which means food
and decent treatment They say that
if the blockade continues much longer
bread riots must follow in all the large
towns, as food is reserved exclusively
for the army, thus forcing many people
TO enlist who would otherwise not co
so.
Finally the fishermen say that certain
Of the most desperate Of the Spauards
threaten to burn Havana or blow The
city up in the event of the authorities
deciding to capitulate to the American
forces.
HOS a. m.-Ernest SuntzenIch, one
Of the American seamen wounded at
Cienfuegos last thursday. died at the
Marine Hospital here yesterday even
ing and was buried to-day. He vas q
first class seaman apprentice and be-
lopged to the United STATES cruiser
Marblehead. H WAS shot Trough the
left leg in a boat while assisting in
cutting the cahl3 off Cienfue@os. lie
died after his llIlD had heen amputateh
The deceased lived on Monto~ street,
Brooklyn, n. /.