The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1898-05-27
HOW HAVANA HEARD OF MANILA
When Blanco's Censor Gave Out the News.
1t Was of a Spanish Victory.

When Blanco's Censor Gave Out the News.
1t Was of a Spanish Victory.
HAVANA, May o, via Vera Cruz, May
23.-The Spanish officers say all the
strategic points about the coast have
heen occupied by troops and that it will
be difficult to effect landings. Ambus-
cadcs have also been prepared at vari-
points, and they say Havana is so
well fortified that an army of $4,000
men will be needed to re-
ducc the place. New entrench-
ments have been thrown up,
and more heavy artillery has
been mounted, but it is difficult to OBJ
tain any accurate details of such work.
Any inquiries on the subject are liable
to cause the arrest of the person put
ting the question, and newspaper men,
particularly correspondents, are con-
tinually under suspicion. They are
carefully watched and it is only with
the greatest difficulty that mail letters
can be Struggled out of the city. The
censor is more exacting than ever and
any news which he allows to be cabled
is strictly official. The guards yes
terday captured a man who was going
out in a small fishing boat with mail
for the American fleet and the writer is
informed that he was shot the same
afternoon.
The Pals, organ of the Autonomist
party, says great misery prevails at
Mantanzas and at Cardenas and other
towns on account of the scarcity of
provisions, and the paper adds that the
country people are low in worse con-
dition than they ever were before. All
sorts of misleading rumors are inten-
tionally circulated by the Spanish Off
Gals here for their own purposes and
the tales of Spanish repulses of Ameri-
can forces come in at almost regular
intervals and from nearly every point
about the blockaded portion of the coast
to say nothing of the stories of
brilliant Spanish victories, which are
said to have reached here from abroad.
For instance, to-day a rumor traced to
the palace said: 1.-The Spanish feet,
after a heroic defensive battle with an
American fleet at Cavite, Philippine
islands, lost two vessels and about 300
killed and 400 wounded, after which
the Spanish officers, refusing a surren-
der, and in order to prevent the Span
ish fleet from falling into the hands of
the Americans, blew up all the rest of
their vessels"
The palace report also said the
American feet at Manila was bonn
harding that city and that, in conse-
qucnce, the Spanish authorities and
the garrison of Manila had retreated
into the interior. Later the following
''official news was published:
"a Spanish feet has fought heroic
ally with an American feet at Cavite,
obliging the American feet to retreat
with considerable loss. The Spanish
losses were also very heavy"
Of course, the greatest interest is
taken here in the approaching meeting
between Spanish and American fleets
in these waters. The fleet from Spain
is expected at almost any moment and
is being constantly watched for. Day
and night signals are ready to guide it
safely into the harbor. 1t is expected
that the result of the battle will de-
eide the war, and it is impossible to
make the Spaniards doubt the eventual
triumph of the flag of their country.