The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15
CITY OF CIENFUEGOs.
Correspondent Tells of Its Defenses
and Food Supplies.

copyright, 1885, by the Associated Press)
KINGSTON, Jamaica, May IA CORE
spondent of the Associated Press who has
been through the Cienfuegos blockade on the
steamer Adua, on Monday last succeeded
in entering that city and getting a good
idea of the situation there. He left Glen
fuegos on the steamer with a number OF
refugees on Tuesday, and last evening he
sent the following dispatch ashore from the
quarantine station
when about forty miles off Cienfuegos
on Monday afternoon we sighted the Amer
lean blockadng squadron, consisting of the
Marblehead Nashville and Eagle. The flag
ship, the Marblehead. bore down upon us
at full speed and fired blank shot across
our bows We came to and were boarded by
a lieutenant. We showed him permit from
the State Department to PASS the blockade
for passengers on condition that we carried
no cargo, and we were allowed to proceed.
The officer of the Marblehead said the flag
ship thought the Aduia was Spanish troop
ship which is expected daily. When about
four hundred yards from the narrow en-
trance to the harbor Spanish two-hun-
dred-ton boat, mounting one one-pounder
uuick-firing gun, pohed her nose out of. the
Mangrove reef and stopped us. Our papers
had been vised by the Spanish consul at
Kingston, and so we were allowed to enter
the harbor.
1.-THE harbor entrance of Cienfuegos Is
about 250 yards wide, and there are forts
on either side of it. These forts have long
rows of od-fashioned guns, and just inside
the harbor there is a modern fertilization
building of timber, earth and sand. The
British vice consul, Mr. Fowler, told the
correspondent of the Associated Press that
the Spaniards have eight or ten modern
high-power guns to mount on the new
works Their calibers are probably four to
six inches,
Inside the harbor were three tiny gun
boats The only war ship of any conse-
uuence in port was the third-class cruiser
Galatea. The correspondent counted four
guns in her battery, and she had one quick
firer aft. The Galatea went outside the har-
Dor few days ago to engage the United
States auxiliary gunboat Eagle, Commander
w. H. H. Switzerland, vessel about one
third the Galatea's size. The engagement
was short sharp and decisive. One of the
Eagles six-pound shells splintered the cor
ner of the Galatea's deck house, and the
Spanish cruiser quickly retreated into the
harbor.
Besides the war ships there were two
2OOO-ton merchant steamers, the Rio Janeiro
and the Alava of Bilbao, and three coasting
steamers inside the harbor of Cienfugos
These vessels were caught in the harbor by
the American blockade fleet and will doubt
less fall into the hands of our sailors in
due course of time.
"a crowd of about 1900 curious people
gathered at the wharf to meet us, and the
correspondent was told there had not been
so much excitement in Cienfuegos since the
preceding Saturday week. when few shells
were thrown at the forts by the American
war ships following an attack made upon
the Eagle. No one was hurt.
1.-The correspondent went ashore and
walked unmolested through the principal
streets of the city. About one shop in four
was open and business was utterly lifeless
There were no trucks or carriages in tie
streets and many of the dwellings were
closed.
Blockade prices for food are charged in
Cienfuegos Flour sells at % cents per
pound meat costs 40 cents a pound. and If
you want milk you must pay 20 cents a
quart for 1t. On the other hand vans
bread fruit and plantains are plentiful at <
or cents a pound. The correspondent VAS
told there was food enough in the city TO
last forty-fve days. STILL the population is
afraid the blockade will result In starva-
ton.
There are at least $1,000 or 1900 recnla
In Cienfuegos and it's vicinity, INCLUDING
about 1900 regular Spanish troops ana : ooo
volunteers
1.-THE townspeople and the soldiers were
talking about a vaguely glorious victory