The herald., 1898-07-06
WANTS TO FIGHT
GENERAL GOMEZ Is WEARY OF
WAITING
Anxious to Advance Upon Havana.
His Army Badly in Need OF
Supplies

supplies
KEY WEST, Fla, June 29.-Col. Bernabe
Boza. chief of staff of General Maxine CO.
mez, who is in Key West. left General Co
mez on June 10. He says the old commander
was in good health, better dressed than any
Of his soldiers and had an excellent horse,
but was eating the miserable food that the
private soldiers lived on. General Gomez
was chatting at his enforced inactivity and
was looking forward eagerly to the time
when he would be able to take the field. If
he could obtain supplies, he would move to
the westward. With a well-mounted army
he would be able to threaten Havana. Cen
eral Gomez is at La Delicias, Santa Clara
province, with his staff and an escort Of
200 men, half of them mounted. His camp
Is conducted In the most soldierly fashion,
for General Gomez would have it So,
whether he commanded ten men or 10000
He rises early, often at o'clock works
all day and is the last one to bed at night
He knows very we'll what horseflesh tastes
like and has also eaten that other Cuban
delicacy, palm buds. A few. weeks ago
when the Gussie expedition, conveyed by
the Suwanee, set out to carry supplies TO
tered bands until he had gathered 5000 men.
With these he waited fourteen days at the
coast, for the expedition. Finally, giving
up hope of its landing. he ordered the men
to dispense. The sacrifice necessitated by
this mobilization was very great. For In
stance, General Monteaguedo was Obliged
to kill $50 horses for food.
The little bands are able to forage about
the camp to catch fish in the rivers, to pick
fruits and dig sweet potatoes, but large
army can not live on the country The bands
are back where they were, but with fewer
horses and somewhat discouraged.
The killing of horses is not resorted to
except when absolutely necessary to pre-
vent starvation. Forage of horses Is abun-
dant in Cuba.
Juan F. iowa, ex-Consul at Sagua La
Crande, who was intrusted by the United
States government with the delivery OF the
Gussie supplies to General Gomez, is very
much concerned over the Generals plight.
When the Suwanee and Gussie failed to land
on the north coast, the Gussie returned 10
Tampa and the Suwanee went around to the
south coast, intending to make Landing on
the other side of Santa Clara province. But
Rear-Admiral Sampson called the Suwanee
In at Santiago and asked that the supplles
be delivered to his Cuban allies under Gem
eral Cabreco. This was done. Mr.. iowa mas
an idea that the United States will feel
bound to deliver to General Gomez the sup
plies that were not landed by the Guss'e
and which were taken back to Tampa. II
the government does not send supplles' IL
will at least furnish warship on whlcn
the Cubans will be permitted to send loco
to General Gomez.
Mr.. iowa cannot be emphatic enough in lr1s
denial of the oft-published report that CEN
eral Gomez has said he did not desire the
aid of the United States, that the Cubans
were able to drive out the Spaniards anc
would look on American invasion as or
fensive Mr.. iowa says:
"Gomez has often said to me that 1t would
he a shame to send American boys to ole
of fever in Cuba, while Cubans. who are
immune from disease, who are anxious 10
fight and know the country, are without
guns. clothes and food. Let the Cubans 90
As much Of the fighting as possible and let
the Americans help us first by equlpplhg
our army"
The most elaborate relief work now con-
Quoted by the Red Cross Society Is IN Key
West. where 1900 Cubans are being fed.
Six hundred persons receive daily ratlohs
from a public kitchen maintained Jointly
by the Red Cross, the Cuban cigar makers
and other Cubans. The chief part OF the
expense of this kitchen is borne by the
local Cubans, the Red Cross giving food
supplies. A list is kept of the persons re-
ceiving food. Each applicant receives a
card every week. When the applicant
draws his rations the card is punched for
that day. Today the kitchen served boiled
fish. boiled rice, boiled beans and thick
soup. The bill of fare is changed every
day. Any one desiring meal may go TO
the kitchen and get 1t, but to draw rations
regularly the applicants must be enrolled.
The Red Cross furnishes food supplies
once a week to families, who do not draw
relief from the kitchen.
There Is Joy in the fleet over the news
that the Red Cross Is to send ice to the
Santiago squadron and to the Havana
blockade, The lack of ice has caused much
suffering among the vessels and many off,
GERS have been invaded home. The ice
| factory at Key West has a capacity of
| twenty tons day and could easily sell
seyenty-five tons. The hospitals receive
| the preference in the sale of the ice, then
| the regular patrons of the factory, after
| that the steamers and then the common
run of people, who come with baskets and
pieces of string and bags to carry away
the precious stuff. The crowd around the
ice factory in the morning might be taken
| at first for a gathering at a relief station.
Following is a list of vessels in port at
| s o'clock this morning:
| Monitors Puritan, Terror, Miantonomoh,