FEELING IN HAVANA

Manawatu Herald, 26 April 1898, Page 2

FEELING IN HAVANA

The populace at Havana is strongly in favour of ihe Spanish.

immense enthusiasm prevails in the town, and there is a strong determination to resist the American attack.

News has been received that General Blanco's patriotic appeals have aroused intense enthusiasm iv Cuba. Crowds swore to resist the Americans to the last.

Havana has six months' provisions. Several cables connected with the submarine mines in New York harbour have been cut.

Spanish spies are suspected. THE NAVIES.

The Spanish torpedo boat Audaz is repairing at Cork, and hopes to escape from the harbour before hostilities commence.

Advices from Hongkong state that Commodore George Dervey, commanding the American Asiatic squadron, has left Hongkong with six vessels of war.

It is thought that his object is to attack Manilla, the capital of the Spanish colony ot the Philippine?, President McKinley has proclaimed a blockade of the north coast of Cuba within lines drawn from Bardenas to Bahia Honda and Cienfuegas on the southern coast.

Spain will not issue letters of marque but exercises the right to search by means of warships and auxiliary mercantile cruisers.

The steamer Taiyuan has arrived from the East. When she left Manilla the harbour and other portions of the Philippines were being strongly fortified.

She reports that Spain has a power* ful squadron at the Philippines. It consists of the cruisers Bostilla, Don Juan de Austria (1152 tons), Don Antona de Ulloa (1152 tons), Isla de Luzon (1040 tons), Reina Christina (3090 tons), .Isla de Cuba (1040 tons) and Velasco, gunboats Argos, Blanco, General Lezo, Marquis Del Dicera, and the troopships Cebu, General Alava and Manila, also 24 small river gunboats.

The vessels comprising Commodore Dervey's squadron are the cruisers Olympia (5500 tons), Baltimore (4600), Boston (3189), Raleigh (4040) and the gunboats Petrel and Concord.

Captain Sampson, who was stationed at Key West, has a powerful squadron, under his command. It comprises' two battleships, four cruisers, three monitors, eight gunboats and six torpedo boats. CAPTURES. The cruiser New York (8150 tons) j captured the steamer Pedro, off Havana. The Spaniards have captured the steamer Shenandoah, bound from San Francisco to Antwerp with a cargo of 20,000 quarters of wheat. It is reported that she was flying the British flag. The Americans have captured a Spanish lumber ship at Key West. One thousand mules at New Orleans, which were intended for shipment to ; the Spanish force in Cuba for the use of the transport department, have been seized by the United States as contraband of war. * 1000 SPANISH TROOPS CAPTURED. A cable received at Sydney on Sunday per medium of the Central Press Agency from London, states that the flagship New York captured the steamer Alphonso XII., with a thousand Spanish troops aboard, after a four-miles' chase off Havana. This probably refers to the capture of the Pedro.

HAVANA FORTS FIRE ON A SQUADRON.

The guns from Morro Castle, a large fort guarding Havana Harbour, fired ten shots at the blockading squadron. They were ineffective and the squadron did not reply.

A torpedo boat attached to the Sampson Squadron captured the Spanish steamer Mathilde after a sharp chase.