The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-15
HENz. I'M .n.o
- IN CASTRO
Venezuelan Rebels Gain
Victories.
SITUATION IS CRITICAL
RevOlutiOniStS IS in Control Of
Porto CabellO.
The Topeka Looking After the In
terests of Americans in That
Section of the Country.
Mclean Sends News,

Washington, Aug 14.-Under date of
Wednesday, the 18th instant. Minister
| Bowen at Caracas reports to the State
critical At the time of filing his dis
patch he had heard nothing from the
| Cincinnati or the Marietta. He says the
sacking of Barcelona continues. and that
much valuable property is being de-
stroyed.
| At the Navy Department a cablegram
| has been received from Commander Nc
Lean reporting the arrival of the Cincin-
natl at Barcelona. The Marietta is at the
Port of Spain, Trinidad, and is subject to
| the order Of Commander Mclean.
McLean's Dispatch.
Commander McLean's dispatch to the
| Department was in part as follows:
| Barcelona occupied by revolutionists.
They have imprisoned all civil officials
| and military officers are in possession of
entire district, Some pillaging done, but
everything now quiet Twenty bus
mess houses sacked, mostly foreign, also
fifteen private dwellings"
The Navy Department also received to-
day a cablegram from Commander Nc
Crea, of the Machias, dated St. Haytien,
| Wednesday, announcing that the block
ade established by Admiral Killick was
admitted to be Intellectual and had been
| abandoned
The fact that the Navy Department re-
ceived the above dispatch direct from
Commander Mclean at Barcelona shows
that Minister Bowens dispatch of yester-
day from Caracas saying that the BARGE
Iona cable had been cut was incorrect.
The presumption at the Navy Department
| to- hat ~. aN,,tio afeta to-
troll at Barcelona, refused to allow mes
sages to go through to Caracas WHARF,
Castro has his headquarters and that this
accounted for the report from the Vene-
zuelan capital that the Barcelona liable
had been severed.
Dispatch from Nichols.
Just before the department closed, a
dispatch was received from Commander
| Nichols of the Topeka at Porto Cabello,
stating that the revolutionists were In
control. and that therewas no danger of
an attempt to take the town by the Gov
eminent forces. Commander Nichols &C.
knowledged the receipt of instruction d.
recting him to land n force in case OF
necessity, but stated that the necessity
for such a step had not arisen.
The place called Angustora, mentioned
in Commando Rodgerss dispatch from
Port of Spain as in the hands of the
revolutionists, is about $50 miles up the
| Orinoco River, and the more modern
name for it IS Ciudad Bolivar. General
Mataos, who is practically at the head
of the revolutionary movement against
Castro, took this town some time ago
and left one of his lieutenants in charge
According to information now in pos
session of the officials here, Castro Is
being hemmed in from three sides al
Caracas. General Matas advanced from
Bolivar to the northwest to a place call
ed Orituco about forty miles south OF
Caracas. Ten days ago Castro was re.
ported as having left the capital with a
force to meet the revolutionary general
but subsequently he changed his mind
and returned. More recent adVices indi-
Gated a battle was imminent on the plains
Immediately south of Caracas. Early
this week the revolutionists took Bar
celona to the eastward OF Caracas, and
now. according to this last dispatch from
Commander Nichols. they have obtained
control of Porto Cabello to the west
ward.
The cact that the Government had seiz-
ed three of the steamers of the Orinoco
| Company at San Filipe Is not cause OF
concern here as il is understood that these
ships fly the Venezuelan flags and to the
right to impress ships for Government
use Is well settled. No further steps
| have been taken toward Sendlng adul,
tional ships to Venezuela and no fresh in
structions have been sent to the com
manders Of the American wsrships there
as the reports received from them are
considered satisfactory.
Victory for Rebels.
In official circles, the control of Porte
Cabello by the revolutonists Is consider
ed a signal victory for that party. as il
is a place of considerable strategic i'm
portance 1t is a town of about 1000
people. situated on a spacious. deep anc
safe harbor. by means of which. If nee
essary, troops and supplies may be land
ed or despatched to other places In the
country. Porto Cabello is but short
sail from La. Guaira. which is not far
from the Venezuelan capital.
A crisis in affairs at Porto Cabello
where the insurgents have been gathering
strength, has existed for some time, and
today's news from Commander Nichols
confirms the prediction that battle
would soon be fought there.
The Topeka is looking after the inter
ests of Americans in that section of the
| country. and Commander Nichols was
\ given full authority to land a force. II
necessary, and also to prevent a bonn
bardment without due notice. This ac-
ton was authorized at the suggestion OF
Minister Bowen and closely followed a
notice from the Germans that they in
tended taking similar steps for the pro-
lection Of German interests. Commander
Nickols's dispatch is the first official in
formation that has reached Washington
that the revolutionists have secured con-
troll of Porto Cabello.