The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-09-10
THE ARMORED
TRAIN SAFE
Government Troops Effect
junction With AvaloS.
PALMA CALLS CONGRESS
Havana Threatened by Rebels.
Disaster Reported to Govern.
ment Train Untrue.

HAVANA. Sept 10. There are large
forces of rebels south and west oi
Havana. aud persistent rumor- are
current that Il Is their Intention Ia
attack the city. aided by rebels With
Ia.
The city militia. which was enlisted
Tor the special purpose Of guarding
the outskirts OF Havana. is REINFORCED
nightly by such rural guards as are In
HAVANA. especially In the neighbour
hood OF Veto springs. which supply
water 10 the city.
President Palma has issued q cali
Tor special session OF congress to
convene ON Friday next la order Ia
consider the disturbed condition of the
country aud devise measures 10 end the
intolerable situation. The president h.
weary OF the complicated and threat
ening conditions and Is anxious 10 di-
vide the responsibilities with congress.
An armored troop train was held ~
between Herradura aud Consolation
del Sur. II consisted OF eighteen car
loads OF horses and mules. two OF pro
visions and i've coaches. with one ar
mored car at the front and another
la the rear. There were 80 soldiers
ON board. Machine guns operated
from each armored car moved down
the rebels. and the encounter az Las
Ovas was repeated In the operation.
Several ~ the government troops were
wounded. The rebels were not able
10 make successful stand against the
lire OF the armOred train guns.
The train proceeded from Paso Real
to two aud a third miles east Of Con
solaclon del Sur. az which point the
rails had been removed. and there ~
placed locomotive aud three cars
which had been thrown from the track.
The insurgents attacked. but were
driven of by the two machine guns.
handled by the American, Captain
Webster. Many insurgents Were kill
,d. but the number is not known
Meanwhile large portion Of Colonel
Avalos' force had come eastward from
Pinar del Rio for the purpose OF max
ing junction with the machine gun
corps. AT Consolation del Sur their
advance was disputed by a large band
OF insurgents. and Il lively fight en-
sued. The insurgents were driven on
Aad several OF them were killed or
wounded. Avalos and his men con
tinued their journey eastward and
made a junction. first with the cavalry
force OF Captain Ravenna. which was
scouting ahead. and finally with the
armored troop train.
The train has not been molested
since the junction was effected. but
the bridge over the Santa Clara river
eastward from the train has been
blown up. together with two smaller
ones. preventing the use OF the road
beyond IIerradura.
As the bridges westward near puerta
Golpe also have been destroyed no
trains can operate from Pinar del Rio
city In either direction. Later 2l5
men and four machine guns. command
ed by Lieutenant Colonel Clews, start
ed for Paso Real with horses. supplies
of provisions and quantities of rapid
fire gun ammunition The sending of
this force was FASTENED by the false
news of disaster to the armored train
Captain Ravenna, one lieutenant
and four privates wounded are the
only casualties reported in the Conso
lacion del Sur operations.
The force Of Colonel Avalos for the
last two days had been surrounded by
Pine Guerra's insurgents. Wire com
municatlon, both by railroad and gov
eminent lines. has been cut repeatedly
and neither the railroad nor the gov
eminent is able to communicate be
yond Paso Real thirty-two miles east
of Pinar del Rio city