The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-14

Subdued and Disarmed by Members of | Prostrates Him and He is Confined to | His Bed for Several Days-IIe Has Pro-
 hibited Any Supplies Leaving Havana
 for Interior Towns-Living Condit-
 ions In Havana Grow Worse-PeopIe
 Dropping Dead In the Streets From
 Starvation.
 Key West, July 13.-According to ad- vices from Havana Governor General Blanco attempted to commit suicide when he learned beyond doubt that Admiral Cervera's squadron had been | annihilated. Long before the admiral's dash out of Santiago harbor all Havana had been boasting of his ability to out wit the Americans and when mislead- | ing dispatches gave the impression that he had eluded the American feet the demonstrations of joy in the Cuban capitol partook of the nature of a fes- tival. When the true story of the de- feat came it was discredited until def- nite confirmation from Madrid no longer left room for hope. Gloom set tied upon the city, all gayeties were stopped and every public and many pri- vate buildings were hung with crepe and other black draperies. Blanco was in his palace when the intelli- gence reached him and he became frenzied He was closeted with his | staff and General Arolas of the Span ish forces discussing the news when he made the attempt on his life. After a struggle he was subdued and dis armed, but the shock was so severe that he was prostrated and compelled to keep to his bed for several days. | When he arose, his first order was to prohibit any supplies to leave Havana for any interior town.
 This and other valuable information was brought by Jose Pauline Blanco, | who indignantly repudiated a sugges- tion of knship with the governor gen eral He says he is a loyal Cuban and escaped to avoid the necessity of fight ing against his cause, as every male in the island who is able to bear arms is being pressed into the Spanish service. He obtained a fisherman's permit to go outside Morro and on Monday morning l put off in a small boat. The United States gunboat Bancroft was stationed six miles out and he rowed to her, the Cojimar batteries, east of Havana, fir ing two shots at him when he was ob- served passing beyond the prescribed limits. The Bancroft transferred him l to another vessel and he was brought here, where the local junta will care for | him. The sailors of two American ships made up liberal money subscrip- tion for him and gave him some new i clothing.
 Blanco says the living conditions in | Havana are constantly growing worse, the greatest distress necessarily failing 1 or the Cubars, because nearly all the food is seized for the troops. Oe these there are about 70.010 in the city con sisting of vo1unteets, mobihzed troops, II ilita and regulars. Their raticns are largely rice and beans, without even | bacon. Jerked beef, Blanco says, sells for thirty cents a pound, bread of poor | quality for fifty cents, lard $1, meat seventy-five cents, cornmeal twenty five cents and rice fifty cents. Shark food Is even eagerly sought and the day before Blanco left the city one shark caught in Havana had been sold for | S13.50. Those of the reconcentrados who have sufficient influence with the dispensing authorities sometimes con- trive to get one wretched meal a day, but the others starve and it is no un- common thing, says Blanco, to see per- sons drop dead in the streets. Even among the Spanards starvation is rap idly sapping their loyalty and large numbers of men are banding together waiting the first American attack on Havana as a signal for revolt. The grocery and provision stores are empty and the only articles on the Havana wharves are about a thousand barrels of cement wet and useless. Only | liquor is to be had cheaply
 Work on the defenses continues with tireless vigor. Two lines of cable bear the harbor from the city side to Morro Castle, and the same has been done in the bay of Mariel, where, it was report ed in Havana, American troops are to be landed. Sand battery No. 3, east of | I1dNdHd, lIdS ldlely IilOuHIbu Slh-lflCl guns in the extreme eastern side of the battery commanding the coast line, and a few days ago sent two shots at the ! Mayf1ower, which had been cruising close to shore, supposedly out of range. New masked batteries are also being built along the shore.
 Blanco further reported that three weeks ago the Spanish steamers Monte video and Santo Domingo crept out of the harbor at midnight with all lights out, and safely got through the block ade The Spanish ships now in the harbor are the gunboats Condo Venagi- to- Marquise de la Ensenada, Nueva, Espena, Filipanas and Nanz Pinzon, several of which are unfit for service. The guns have been removed from the cruiser Alfonso XII. and used for shore batteries and the cruiser has been con- verted into hospital ship. There are also in the harbor number of smaller warships of the nature of converted yachts, including the Fleca, Aguila, Magellano and two others. All these vessels except the Alfonso XII. are all ways ready to move on short notice. The merchant steamers Josefa, Adela and Maria Horrera are also In the har- | bOr