The herald., 1898-05-12
INSURES AN EARLY ADVANCE
ON CUBA
TAMPA HAS "A WATER QUESTION
And It Cannot Be Solved by Call on
the Supply Of Mountain
Water

KEY WEST, May lit Is said here that
II the report that the Spanish feet has re-
turned to Spain proves to be correct an
active movement against Cuba may occur
within forty-eight hours. 1t is possible
that Rear Admiral Sampson at Porto Rico
and Commodore Remey here may strike
simultaneously.
If it were decided to land troops at
Bahia Honda, Matanzas, or any other
point, the vessels here, together with the
ships on the blockading station would have
no difficulty in covering a landing with
the aid of the heavy armored fighting
ships.
The monitors, with their heavy guns,
could stand close in and with impunity
proceed to the demolition of the fortifca-
tions. while the gunboats and lighter yes-
sells poured in their shots from off shore.
Naval officers here believe the defenses
at any point except Havana could be re-
duced by ships now here and on the Cuban
station in half an hour.
There is no definite information as to
when the troops at Tampa will be en-
barked.
The water problem is getting serious at
this place. Naval officers recognize it
and they are looking anxiously for the
smoke of the stack of the big government
condenser which is promised to supply
4OOOO gallons daily per contract. The
plant should have started April rs, but 1t
is not yet in operation. The officers in
charge of this station are skeptical of the
oh m l.
Ions. Key Vests water resources are
most primitive and limited The shallow
wells In town are all more or less brack-
ish and under suspicion of surface drain
age. Two companies at various times
have driven artesian wells 1900 and 230O
feet deep. but they have never secured
fresh water. The town lives by cisterns
and rain barrels and the latter are only a
shade less in diameter than the wells.
The cisterns filled during the rainy season
usually run very low by the close of the
dry season, which is now due This year,
in addition to the rains coming very late,
the town has had It's population doubled by
the presence of troops, ships and war
vessels and the army of newspaper corre-
spondents and their tugs, which vessels
take water by the thousand gallons, not
OF course the war vessels and some of the
hospital and other craft have condensers,
but the draft on the towns supply is still
abnormal. The torpedo boats are without
condensing apparatus, and they have been
scouting for fresh water as keenly as buc-
cancers after Spanish galleons. Every dis
covery of a fresh cistern Is hailed like the
strike in the Klondike, and every gallon
of water has many purchasers, all with
money and anxious to outbid each other.
All who can afford 1t Chat is to say, the
newspaper correspondents and officers)
drink bottled water, but a dearth of this
supply is approaching. Most of the unpre-
tentious brands of bottled water are 81 a
gallon and 'liver' water is l cent pint
by the hundred bottles. To make matters
worse, the drug stores let their supply of
water run out before telegraphing for
more, an dthere is corner on water be-
tween the grocery stores, hotel and Cuban
club.
The government reservoirs at the naval
station, from which the engine room is
supplied, contain less than 1000 gallons of
water, and it is reported among the dis
patch boats that there Is less than 1000 gall
Ions of rain water available in town and
this of very poor quality.
Arms for Insurgents
TAMPA, May u.-There is good reason
to believe that inside of twenty-four hours
another expedition with the same purpose
and destination as that of the Gussie which
left here yesterday loaded with arms and
ammunition and supplies for the Cuban
insurgents, will slip from Port Tampa.
The Florida, one of the Plant line boats,
chartered by the government for use as
transport, has taken on large cargo of
Springfield rifles and ammunition and the
stalls for horses and mules have been COM
pleted. The boat is lying at the dock with
full steam up and no one is allowed on
board. General Wade went out to the port
today and held long conference with Su-
perintendent Fitzgerald of the Plant line
of steamers and it is believed that orders
were given to have the boat ready for sail
ing at a moments notice.
Loading the Transports
TAMPA BAY HOTEL, Tampa, Fla.
May 1.-Everything possible is being done
to facilitate the work of loading the trans
ports at Port Tampa with ammunition and
supplies for the expedition. All last night
and all today bodies of men were kept busy
freight cars and carefully slowing 1t away.
This part of the work will be practically
concluded by tomorrow night and the
ships now in the slip will drop anchor in
the bay to make room for other transports,
The Orizaba is expected up from quaran-
tine tomorrow This is one of the largest
transports engaged by the government and
will be used for carrying infantry. A
number of Hotchkiss quick-fre and gatling
guns were loaded on the Florida today.
The big siege guns, four of which have
arrived here, have not yet been unloaded
from the cars. They will be loaded on
| one of the larger vessels, probably the
Alamo.
Lieut.. J. D. Milley of General Skaters
staff. who was sent to Washington Satur-
! day with the reports Of Captain Dorst and
Colonel Lawton and the plans of the Cuban
campaign, returned today bearing with
him big bundle Of maps and documents,
| and Immediately reported to General Shaf-
ter. 1t is now believed that two Cuban
regiments will accompany the regular
| troops to Cuba. They have all been armed
| with Springfield rifles and under almost
incessant drilling, are rapidly being round
| ed into shape.
The Hospital Ship
KEY WEST, May 1.-THE ambulance
ship Solace, having on board four sur
geons, eight nurses, the finest surgical ap-
pliances and accommodations for LOU
wounded has arrived here from Hampton