The herald., 1898-05-16
GUSSIf'S MEN GRUNTfD
WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE TRIP
TO CUBA
SUPPLIES WERE NOT LANDED
Insurgents Being Evidently Unable
to Meet the Landing Party at
the Place Agreed On


Associated Press Special Wire
KEY WEST, Fla. May 15.-(Copyright.
1885, The steamer Gussie, which left
Tampa, Fla, May 10th, with two COM
panies of the First infantry on board, in
charge Of 1000 rifles and 100000 rounds OF
ammunition, intended for the insurgents In
the province of Pinar del Rio, remained on
the coast of Cuba Thursday, Friday and
yesterday conveyed by the auxiliary gun
boat Manning. in a vain attempt to land
her cargo. Capt. J. H. Dorst, of the staff
OF Gen. Miles and formerly United States
military attache at Vienna, headed the ex-
petition, which returned here this morn
ing. Her commander. who appeared to be
much crestfallen, having failed to accom-
plish the mission entrusted to him, refused
to discuss the matter beyond admitting the
failure, and saying that the Gussie will
return to Tampa, Fla.
Previous to leaving Cuban waters the
Dorst expeditionary force had a skirmish
with Cuban cavalry near Cabanas, fifteen
miles west of Havana. where an attempt
was made to land part of the cargo. On
Friday morning Capt. Dorst abandoned
the attempt at that point and steamed 10
Matanzas. where an arrangement had been
made with the insurgents to send supplies
ashore at Point Maya, mile or SO east OF
the entrance of the harbor. The Gussie
and her convoy yesterday morning steam
ed until about two miles off shore, when
the rattle of musketry from considerable
force of Spanish soldiers, concealed be-
hind underbrush ashore, warned them that
they would receive lively welcome If they
nfch n a
been furnished information Of the contem-
plated landing at both points. After this
second failure Capt. Dorst decided to aban-
don the attempt to land the arms and am
munition, and return to Key West. where
as already cabled, he arrived this morn
ing.
A more disguised looking lot of trooper:
than those aboard the Gussie this morning
1t would be hard to find. They had received
orders not to speak of their trip, and sui
lenly lined the rail of the Gussle as tn
Associated Press launch ran alongside O.
her, and grunts were the only answers
which could be obtained to the question:
asked.
Soon after the arrival Of the Gussie Capt
Dorst was rowed ashore and reported thu
failure of his expedition by cable to the wal
department.
Naval officers here say that If Capt
Dorst had secured the cooperation O.
some of the ships Of the blockading squad
ron at the point selected for landing, tn
Spanish troops ashore could have beef
| shelled and way would have been cleare'
| for the landing of the soldiers and tn
cargo they had in charge. But no instruc
tions were given to the ships to co-operat
with Capt. Dorst's expedition, and the Gus
sic was several times compelled to heav
! to, while cruising up and down the coas'
by the blockading vessels, whose com
manders were under the apprehension tina
she was trying to run the blockade.
The United States gunboat Machias
which was lying of Matanzas on Frida
night, reported ehat signal lights wer
seen ashore east Of Point sabilla, and som
of her Officers say they believe the insur
gents, having ascertained that the rendez
vous at Point Maya had been ~iiscovere
by the enemy, desired landing to
made at that point but Capt. Dorst he'll
to his original plans. and found the Span
ish troops waiting for him.
Capt Dorst says the failure of the ex
pedition was due to the fact that the Gu
| bans were unable to meet the landln
rartv a. the rendezvous. and the Amerj
o.rs could MT land supplies with no one t
ro,e,va thsrn The arrangements for max
,ra landing at Cabanas were made tie
aa,,s 600 hv Can't Dorst with Gen. Del
,odo IN Command of the insurgent force
=. .ho ,,ro,,,nce If p,nar del Rio. and tn
s,,n,,,,ss 20 he landed near Matanzas wer
- ~ oorysyed IN Cen Gomez nv a fore
~ Insurgents encamped three miles bacl
tro,r the coast line Both Of the Cuba
nar,,es we've unable. aparentlv. to appea
- 80 rondezvo,,s owing to the activity n
40 sroriards Cant. Dorst Is convince
49,. ~ cnor;ords have good svster
~ communication along the coast. an