The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-27


Safe Refuge From Spanish Forces.
In Santiago de Cuba, the eastern per
ton, or oriental department, of Cuba, the
present revolution first had It's inception
Here, too, the last and final struggle for
independence will be made Driven from
other parts of the island, the insurgents
would retire TO the province OF Santiago,
where they assert their ability TO carry on
a guerilla warfare for an Indefinite period
Of time.
Being region full of rough and rugged
mountains, mostly without roads save for
tracks through forests, across streams,
along deep, narrow gorges and devious
winding paths known only to the native
Cubans, Ii has served as a natural strong.
hold for the insurgents. Thousands Of
them, secure In their mountain businesses.
bid defiance TO the Spanish troops
Efforts of the latter to "drive the rebels
Into the sea" have SO far been unavailing
To the impartial observer the results
which up to the present have attended
General Pando's campaign have not been
commensurate with the scale upon which
the operations have been conducted. Day
by day for weeks past steamer after steam
er has arrived at one or another of the
eastern ports with crowds of soldiers
aboard. Large numbers have been landed
at .Iucara, Tunis and Santa Cruz, but the
CHIEF port of destination has been Manza-
Milo, which is now simply big military
camp. Within the last few weeks 20, 900
or 80 900 troops have arrived there.
There can be no denying the fact that
vast amount of activity is being displayed
by General Pando and the forces under his
command. What it all means time alone
will show. Quite large body of engineers
recently arrived In Manzanillo, and un-
derstand their object is to construct a
railroad to connect Caulo and Bayamo.
The river Caulo was for some time closed
to navigation, but the distractions placed
in the stream by the insurgents having
been removed, boats have been able to pro.
coed as far as Caulo
Commercially the town of Bayamo Is of
little Importance, but General Pando
doubtless recognizes the value of having
an interior military base for carrying on
his aggressive operations against the in.
surgents; hence the costly and strenuous
efforts now being taken to retain and keep
open communication with the place.
Soon after his arrival in Manzanillo
General Pando gained intelligence that
the insurgents In considerable numbers
were encamped at "a small village named |
FL Chino to the south of Manzanillo. lie
deputed an officer, with 1000 men, to |
force the rebels from the position. After |
being out some days the officer returned |
with the report that the place was strongly |
fortified, surrounded by mountains and, in |
fact, impregnable. He was recalled to |
Havana
Another officer and body of soldiers |
were sent out to undertake the task, which |
again proved distasteful and ended in a
similar result.
AS final result General Pando caused
D force of IL, 900 men to be concentrated |
from different points upon FL Chino AS
has frequently been proved, the insurgents
have a wonderfully complete system of Sc
curing prompt and reliable Information
rs TO the movements of the Spaniards. In
the present instance they received timely
notice OF the approach of an overw helming
force and evacuated the place, save for a
snail band Of sharpshooters, who were
hidden away above narrow mountain
pass near FL Chino.
Before leaving the Cubans also laid some
dynamite mines. The Spanish forces
ihbO SnlllO Ou N1tTCn DuU IN
tho explosion of the mines and as a result
Of skrmishng that took place with the
enemy Lieutenant Colonel Oresoa, six Off
'ers and large number of Spanish sol
Tiers were killed, the Cubans losing two /
men killed and six wounded
Insurgents are in strong force in the
1eighborhood of Santiago. Not 12 miles
away was assured on reliable authority
800 insurgents, with their families, have
been living and cultivating their crops I'M
nolested since the commencement of the
war, while six miles farther on is another
settlement of more than 100 persons,
where the insurgent newspaper, Eel Cubano
Libre, has been publishing unnterruptedly
Turing the revolution mass of matter
which somehow or other has escaped the
press censorship of the Spanish authori
lies. -Speciai Cor. New York Herald.