Terms, $2.00 a Year, in Advance.
Bellefonte, Pa., May 20, 1898.
P. GRAY MEEK, - - EpiTor.
Democratic Primary Election and Coun=-
ty Convention.
The Democratic voters of Centre county will
meet at the regular places for holding the general
elections, in their respective election districts, on
Saturday, June 11th, 1898, to elect delegates to the
County convention. J :
Under the rules of the party the election will be
opened at 3 p. m. and closed at 7 p. m. The dele-
gates chosen at the above stated time will meet
in the Court House, in Bellefonte, on Tuesday,
June 14th, 1898, at 12 o’clock noon, to nominate :
Two candidates for Assembly, one candidate for
Prothonotary and one candidate for District At-
torney ; elect five delegates to the State conven-
tion, to be held at Altoona, June 29th 1898 ; elect
three conferees to the next congressional caucus
or conference of the 28th congressional district of
which Centre county forms a part; elect three
conferees to the next conference of the 34th sena-
torial district, to help select a State Senatorial
candidate ; elect a chairman of the County Com-
mittee, to serve from January 1st, 1899, to January
1st 1900 ; and to transact such other business as
may come before the convention in the interest
of the party.
APPORTIONMENT OF DELEGATES
The number of delegates to which each election
district is entitled, as approved and ratified by
the Democratic County Committee is as follows:
Bellefonte, N W......... 2 Haines, E. P.. ......cw 2
¢e Sw. 1 t A RR 3
‘¢ Ww Ww, 1d Harris......... 2
Centre Hall Boro. 2 Howard... steel
Howard Boro.. 3 Huston. 1
Milesburg Bor 1 Liberty. 2
Millheim Boro. 2 Marion. 2
1 Miles, E
Philipsburg, 1st ward
« and *
ord + 1
South Philipsburg......1
1
6
College Boro.... .
Unionville Bor
£0 10 BO 1s 10 We ed i 20 1
2
1
1 .
Benner, N. P.. 2 8, P
4" S.P. Fi) Rush, N. P..
Boggs, N. P.... 1 eR. P..
fe Privees 1 Snow Shoe, E. P.........
“ W.P, 2 et “OW Pal
Burnside... Spring, N, P... 1
College tw 2 fo 08D, 2
Curtin...... 1 to, P 1
Ferguson, E. P. 3 Paylor...... 1
$e Ww. PB 1 Union...... 1
Gregg, N. P.... asec] Walker E P.. sens)
Ep 2 sOOMP, pei
“WW. P 3 * Wy sens
Half Moon... 1 Worth...... HH
J. K. Jo H.f
Secretary.
War at Home.
Someone has ‘‘cut the cable,’”’ hetween
the QUAY people and the HASTINGS crowd
in this county, and it now looks as if future
communication between these two forces
will be indefinitely suspended. The great
contest between them will be fought to the
finish to-morrow, when delegates to the
state convention are to be elected. The
QUAY men are running JACK DALE, of
this place and GEo. CHANDLER, of Phil-
ipshurg, and the HASTINGS-WANAMAKER
outfit will vote for JOHN G. PLATT, of
Philipsburg, and SAM’L BENNISON, of
Walker. DALE is known to be for CHARLES
W. STONE first, and for anyone to heat
WANAMAKER second. CHANDLER is an
out-and-out QUAY follower, and BENNISON
and PLATT are both in it to serve Gov.
HASTINGS as best they can.
Altogether it is a pretty fight. Bitter-
ness and boodle on both sides, and a smell
-of rottenness about the whole thing that
would put to shame the odors of a fish
market.
Mr. McKinley Should Stick to His Text.
With all its hesitancy and delay in get-
ting down to business with Spain, the
administration seems to have gone off at
half-cock in its blockade of Havana. The
war was started ostensibly to give succor
and food to the starving reconcentrados.
The blockade in place of giving them either,
only placed these starving out-casts beyond
the help of those who would have fed them,
and left them entirely at the mercy of their
Spanish oppressors. This fact seems to
have just dawned on the mixed up ideas of
Mr. HANNA'S President, and he is now
more at sea than ever as to what policy to
pursue.
To the ordinary man it would seem that
the proper thing to do would be to let the
balance of creation alone, center our efforts
on Cuba, conquer it and be done with it.
President McKinley must waken up.
The war was not started to capture the
Philippine Islands, or Porto Rico, but to
aid the struggling and starving Cubans.
PROHIBITION CONVENTION.—The Pro-
hibition convention, which met in the Court
house in this place, on Saturday last, was a
highly respectable, if not an overwhelming-
ly large body of gentlemen. What we
mean by ‘‘respectable’’ is its members were
creditable citizens of the county. In num-
bers it could discount somewhat a town-
ship school board gathering, and, in enthu-
siasm it almost equaled a Quaker meeting.
Brother Zeigler, who was the beginning
and will likely be the end of the party in
this county, was the chief adviser, mover
and dictator. What brother Zeigler
‘moved’ always passed ; what brother
Zeigler wanted was always granted. And
why should it not have been so. If there
has ever been a faithful adherent of a hope-
less cause it has been brother Zeigler. He
has stuck to it when he had to he chair-
man, secretary, treasurer, and the entire
organization. He has held his flag up,
when he had not a half a dozen followers,
and when he succeeded in securing a coun-
ty convention composed of ten delegates he
was as proud and important as Al. Dale
will feel if he gets the post office.
As there were but few present and
little to do, brother Zeigler was not over-
worked, only in his effort to be more than
usually hopeful, and to find men enough
suspected of being prohibitionists to fill the
various positions his organization required.
As this last was the object of the conven-
tion, after a good deal of hunting about, it
succeeded, after giving most of those pres-
ent two places, in electing the following :
Delegates to State Convention.—J. Frank
Wasson, J. Gilliland, W. A. Hartswick,
W. F. Gill, Rev. Geo. W. Leisher, Henry
Fredericks, Geo. Noll, W. T. Baird, and
Rev. John Craig.
Congressional Conferees.—John T. Thomp-
son, Rev. J. Zeigler and W. T. Gill.
Senatorial Conferees.—J. Frank Wasson,
W. A. Hartswick and Rev. J. Zeigler.
Members State Committee.—Rev. J. Zeig-
ler and F. Potts Green.
After throwing bouquets at themselves,
and resolving that the government’s course
in regard to Cuba is endorsed by the Pro-
hibition party, those named above, who
were present, adjourned.
Dencorcatic atc |
WAR BULLETINS AND RUMORS,
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AND WHAT IS EXPECTED.
An Order Curtailing Information to the Public.—The Blockades Beginning to
Pinch.—Dewey in Need of More Men—The 5th Off for Chickamauga
—Condition of Affairs at Manilia—A Prolonged War—The
Fight at Cienfugos—To Cuba Next Week.—
Bismarck Condemns our Policy in War.
WASHINGTON, May 16.—An order posted this morning and signed by Secretary
Long relative to the publication of news emanating from the navy department had the
effect to-day of considerably curtailing the supply of information that heretofore has
been rather freely given out. The secretary’s orders were directed to Captain Crowin-
shield, chief of the navigation bureau, and he in turn gave it effect by making an order
in his own name that no person connected with his bureau in any capacity should have
any conversation whatever upon subjects in any way pertaining to the navy with repre-
sentatives of the press.
Asan offset it was ordered that bulletins of such facts as have actually occurred and
are proper for publication, and are not connected with existing-or projected movements,
shall be prepared and posted on the bulletin board. The sum total of the information
published by the bulletin board to-day under this rule was a notice of the intention to
start the Philippine relief expedition, and of the permission given to some foreign neu-
tral vessels to pass the blockade at Havana.
NEWSPAPERS LACKING IN PATRIOTISM.
In explanation of the issue of this order the naval authorities say that some of the
leading American newspapers have been so far lacking in patriotism as to print plans of
the campaign and projected movements of naval ships with the result that the war board
has been obliged to completely revise its plans in the knowledge that the Spaniards had
promptly taken notice of the publications, and were prepared to profit by them. Com-
plain. was made to Secretary Long that the newspapers were working injury to the gov-
ernment in such cases.
It is not the purpose of the secretary to prevent the press having any information
that is not calculated to cause a miscarriage of the plans of the department, but it re-
mains to be seen whether the naval officers, to whom the order has been directed, will
not by their iron clad interpretation of it bring about a modification of it in the interest
of liberality.
The opening of the blockade at Havana to certain vessels is a rather curious pro-
ceeding that may lead to a very considerable widening of the blockade itself, so that in
the end the neutral vessels not loaded with contraband good or supplies, the carrying of
which into Havana would interfere with the naval and military operations of our gov-
ernment, may pass the blockade under suitable regulations laid down by the United
States.
Blockade Beginning to Pinch.
KEY WEST, May 16.—The conditions in Havana resulting from the blockade are
being gradually brought out by information obtained from fishing smacks and other
small vessels captured off the coast.
Affairs at Havana now appear to be worse than at any time since the war began.
The fishermen, who at first braved the blockade for the high price which fish brought in
Havana, now run the risk, not for money, but for food which they obtain from the sea.
A number of these men have been captured at different times by various vessels of the
blockading fleet, nearly all of them being released after having been questioned by our
officers. They all unite in picturing the state of things at Havana as heing pitiful in
the extreme.
The Associated Press dispatch boat Kate Spencer has accumulated all the facts ob-
tainable along the blockading line, the latest news being obtained through two captures
made by the United States gunboat Machias, which has just returned here for the first
time since the blockade commenced, making the longest single service of any vessel off
Cuba.
RECONCENTRADOS NEARLY ALL DEAD.
The reconcentradoes, the captured fishermen say, are nearly all dead, or have been
expelled from Havana to die in the outskirts. This agrees with other reports from Ha-
vana and Matanzas, to the effect that the Spanish authorities, on the departure of the
American Consul, seized all the relief supplies and applied them to the uses of the army.
The Spaniards then drove the reconcentrados into the desolated sections of the country,
between the coast towns and the insurgent lines, the regions described by Senator Proc-
tor and others as being too barren and desolate to support grasshoppers.
The insurgents themselves have been chary of receiving reconcentrados, and hun-
dreds of the latter who had no personal friends in the insurgent camps have been left to
starve between the lines, which they did.
“‘WEYLER’S CHICKENS’ EAT THE REMAINS.
About Havana the situation is even worse. Hundreds of reconcentrados of Los
Fosas, the big reconcentrado barracks in Havana, were too weak to walk out of town,
and fell in the streets or died in the suburbs, where flocks of vultures—‘Weyler’s
chicken,’’ as they are now termed in Havana—have feasted on the remains.
In Matanzas this feature of the situation is equally distressing.
The fishermen who have been brought here say that if the blockade continues much
longer bread riots must follow in all the large towns, as food is reserved exclusively for
the army, thus forcing many people to enlist who would uot otherwise do so.
Finally, the fishermen say that certain of the most desperate of the Spaniards threat”
en to burn Havana or blow the city up in the event of the authorities deciding to capi-
ulate to the American forces.
FRENCH CONSUL ASKS FOR FOOD.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 15.—The French cruiser Fulton, from Havana, on May
8th, arrived here and landed thirty-eight refugees at the quarantine station.
The Fulton will now proceed to Santiago de Cuba with provisions for the French
Consul there, who has been cabling to Kingston requesting that food be sent him, and
announcing the famine prices prevaling at Santiago de Cuba.
The officers of the Fulton until her arrival had been unable to obtain any definite
news of the batile of Manila. The first bulletins received in Havana from Madrid were
not allowed to be changed, and an official Havana bulletin insisted that the honors were
about even as the American fleet had been unable to land men.
It appears from what the officers of the Fulton say that the populace and soldiers at
Havana are disheartened by the blockade and the improbability of any succor reaching
the city. On the other hand, a great American invading army is expected to land in
Cuba shortly.
The prices of imported food, salt meat, fish and flour are steadly mounting up at Ha-
vana, but vegetables are to be had there in plenty, and there is no probability of troops
actually starving until the city is heleagured from the land side.
The British troop ship Dilivara has arrived here from Hallifax, with the Leinster
regiment.
There is no communication with Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada and Demerara, the
cable between St. Vincent and St. Lucia having been cut, as already reported.
The Situation in the Philippines.
HoNG KONG, May 17.—The steamer Esmeralda, which has just arrived from Manila
with 400 refugees, chiefly Chinese, reports that the United States cruisers Concord and
Boston are going to Iloilo, where they expect prompt recapitulation and to recapture
the American ship Saranack, with a cargo of coal. The blockade of Manjla is extremely
rigid, and several foreign ships have been refused admittance.
The rebels are useless as allies of Admiral Dewey. They are utterly disunited,
quite half of them being in favor of Spain. The Cavite arsenal was found empty. Col.
Miquel, of the artillery, committed suicide hecause he discovered that the ammunition
was non-existent.
Captain General Augusti is trying to conciliate the rebels and has authorized the
establishment of native councils. The archbishop of Manila in a pastoral issued on the
8th instant said :
‘‘Christians, defend our faith against heretics, who raise an insuperable barrier to
immortal souls, enslave the people, abolish crosses from cemeteries, forbid pastors to
perform baptism, matrimony or funeral rites or to administer consolation or grant abso-
lution.”
Pending the arrival of troops from the United States, the Americans defer hostilities
ashore.
The dispatch adds that it is absolutely necessary that more American warships and
a strong military force be sent to Admiral Dewey’s aid at once.
The Fifth Regiment off For Chickamauga.
Mr. GRETNA, May 17.—The Fifth regiment, Col. Theodore Burchfield, Lieut.
first to leave camp to-day. Two trains carried it, the first leaving at 1 o’clock and the
second 40 minutes later. The trains were in charge of Lieut. Col. Elder and Maj. Mec-
Namara, Col. Burchfield having gone ahead to Altoona to bid his family farewell. There
was a general turnout to see them off, and the trains pulled out amid tumultuous cheer-
ing. The several companies had their cars placarded with the names of the towns they
hail from, and that of Company E, Clearfield, bore the significant words, ‘‘Remember
the Maine.” The men were in excellent spirits, and seemed delighted to get away. At
Pittsburg the Fifth was given perhaps the largest reception of any of the volunteer
troops. The regiment arrived in two trains of 13 cars each. The men had been given
a continuous ovation from the Mt. Gretna camp, and fully 1,500.friends and relatives
from Pittsburg and nearby towns blocked Union station platforms to receive them,
when they got to Pittsburg. Almost all were burdened down with good things. The
boys continued on to the South in high glee, after a tearful parting.
The regiment was made up as follows : Company A, Huntingdon, Capt. John S.
Bare ; Company B, Bellefonte, Capt. H. S. Taylor ; Company C, Hollidaysburg, Capt.
John H. West ; Company D, Blairsville, Capt. A. Woodward Smith ; Company E,
Clearfield, Capt. Americus H. Woodward ; Company F, Indiana, Capt. W. M. Mahan ;
Company G, Lewistown, Capt. Louis N. Slagle ; Company H, Johnstown, Capt. J.
Swan Taylor.
Supplies and Ammunition for Dewey.
VALLEJO, Cal., May 18.—The cruiser Charleston got under way for Manila shortly
after 10 o’clock this morning. Salutes were fired at Mare Island Navy Yard and the
employes of the yard and citizens of Vallejo who were assembled along the shore vigor-
ously cheered the departing vessels. The compasses of the Charleston will be adjusted
as she proceeds down the bay and no stop will be made at San Francisco. On the vessel
are a number of newspaper correspondents.
The Charleston was heavily loaded with ammunition for her own guns, in addition
to a large supply of powder and projectiles for Admiral Dewey’s fleet. No troops were
carried on the Charleston, as she has no room for more than her own crew, 380 men.
The cruiser carried plenty of coal also, but will not have muck left when she reaches
Manila.
The Charleston should arrive at Manila in about twenty-four days, allowing a cou-
ple of days at Honolulu for coal. The stock of ammunition which the Charleston carries
is believed to be the great essential just now, the fierce engagement at Cavite having con-
sumed a large part of the admiral’s shot and shell.
A Prolonged War.
WASHINGTON, May 18.—The government at ‘Washington has decided upon the im-
Dladiate invasion of Cuba by the land forces of this country regardless of the Spanish
eet.
There has been no public promulgation of official orders to-day. The officers of the
‘War and Navy Departments have been commendably secretive, but it has been ascer-
tained that Spain’s alleged ‘‘strategy’’ is to be discounted at every point by the admin-
istration and its executive officials.
The squadrons under command of Admiral Sampson and Commodore Schley will
take care of elusive visitors from the Cape Verde fleet. The harbors of Cuba will be
blockaded effectively and the Spanish fleet will be destroyed, if it comes within striking
distance of our squadrons. The blockade of Havana will be maintained by the invin-
cible monitors, Puritan, Terror, Miantonomoh and Amphitrite. This much has been
decided by the Naval Board of Strategy, and it is enough for that duty. The monitors
can maintain the blockade, with the assistance of two or three cruisers and torpedo
boats. Moreover, they can crush the force which Spain has sent in the event of an at-
tack. They can rock on the waves, four miles apart, in front of Havana, covering a
distance of twelve miles, and their guns can sweep the seas for a distance of ten miles
from each monitor. They can sink the Spaniards at a distance of five miles.
LITTLE HOPE OF A NAVAL BATTLE.
It has been the hope of the administration that there might be a decisive naval bat-
tle, which would be followed by an early termination of the war. That hope is aban-
doned. It seems to be in the interest of Spain to prolong the war ; and it may be pro-
longed. The Spanish admiral will, consequently, risk no conflict. This conclusion is
reached, and future military and naval movements will be predicated upon it.
The Oregon will be stationed before Cienfuegos and will guard the entrance of that
harlcr, with the assistance of two or three battleships and one or two cruisers. The
remainder of our naval force will be on the lookout for the Spaniards. The Minneapolis,
the Columbia, the New Orleans, the Montgomery, the New York and the other fast
fighting vessels of the navy will attend to the elusive visitors.
ARMY TO MOVE SOON.
No official information has been obtainable to-day concerning the detailed plans for
the movement of the army of invasion. It is only known that the army is to move
soon, and that it is to go on transports convoyed by a strong squadron of cruisers. The
army is fully equipped and ready to move. There are thirty-one transports awaiting
orders for the embarkation of the troops. This matter is under the jurisdiction of the
quartermaster general, and it has been attended to with prudence and sagacity. The
ships now ready for the transportation of the army are staunch, safe and well-manned
vessels. They can make the journey in six hours, but it is calculated that nine hours
will cover all the time necessary, making allowances for unforeseen delays in embar-
kation and weighing anchor.
Navy Department Bulletins.
WASHINGTON, May 18.—The news bulletin issued by the Navy Department to-
day contained the following items : ier !
An abstract of the mail report of Captain McCalla, commander of the Marblehead,
describing the cutting of the cables in Cienfuegos Bay last Wednesday.
At the recent action off Cienfuegos Lieutenant Southerland commanded the Eagle,
Lieutenant B. Day Winslow the steam launches and sailing launches from the Nash-
ville and Marblehead, with Lieutenant E. A. Anderson second in command. There
were four boats used and their orders were to drag for and cut the cables off Cienfuegos
under the protection of the guns of the Nashville and Marblehead. An infantry and
cavalry force posted about the cable house was first driven from their position by the
guus of the Nashville and Marble. The four launches than dragged for and succeeded
in cutting the cables.
The cable house was destroyed by the guns. A small inshore cable was found, but
an infantry force with a Maxim gun at a distance of only one hundred and fifty yards
kept up such a hot fire as to prevent this cable being grappled, particularly as the
enemy had retreated into the gullies and ravines, where they could no longer be reached
by the fire from the ships. The enemy had finally concealed themselves in the light-
house and opened fire on the boats from that point, and the ships opened fire upon the
lighthouse and destroyed it.
Lieutenant Winslow was wounded in the hand.
was killed. Ernest Suntzenich, apprentice, has since died. Six other men were
wounded. I cannot speak in too high praise of officers and men engaged in the four
boats in cutting the cables. Their work was performed with the utmost coolness and
intrepidity, under the most trying circumstanees, and I shall later have the honor to
call special attention to their conduct. B. H. McCALLA, Commander.
Patrick Regan, private marine,
An order has been issued by the department forbidding the presence of Sylvester
Scovel, a newspaper correspondent, aboard vessels of the navy or at any naval station on
account of his conduct in stowing himself away on board of the tug Uncas on the recent
visit of that vessel to Havana—he having heen refused permission to £0 as a passenger.
On to Cuba Next Week.
WASHINGTON, May 18.—Unless some unforseen movement of the Spanish fleet oc-
curs, the invasion of Cuba by the United States army will begin the latter part of next
week. At the earnest solicitation of the secretary of war and prominent army officials,
President McKinley will give orders that actual warfare in Cuba will begin as soon as
possible. The delay of last week had been most beneficial to the volunteer army, which
has been put in a much better state of organization than would have been possible had
the expedition started earlier. The principal reason that no further delay is to be made
in the Cuban invasion is that reports have been received from Cuba stating that the re-
concentrados are in a fearful condition. It has now been nearly a month since the Presi-
dent was empowered to use the entire land and naval forces of the United States to put
an end to the barbarous cruelty in Cuba. As yet no move of definite character has been
made. The people of the United States are becoming exceedingly impatient.
Bismark Condemns our Policy in War.
FRIEDRICHSRUHE, May 18.—A correspondent has obtained from members of the
Bismarck family the view of the former chancellor on the Spanish-American war and
the suggested Anglo-Saxon alliance, as expressed by him during his most recent talk at
the table. In substance his views are as follows :—
Prince Bismarck condemns the war outright. He says it is due to systematic
American provocation, which finally became unbearable. He added :—
“The whole course of the Washington administration has been insincere.
as to war are well understood. I have always held that it is only
other remedies have failed.
‘“The result of the war cannot be wholesome either to America or Europe. The
United States will be forced to adopt an intermeddling policy, leading to unavoidable
frictions. She thus abandoned her traditional peace policy and, in order to maintain
her position, she must become a military and a naval power—an expensive luxury,
which her geographic position rendered unnecessary.
‘‘America’s change of front means retrogression in the high sense of civilization.
This is the main regrettable fact about this war.’
Regarding the speech made Friday by Joseph Chamberlain the British
State for the colonies, at Birmingham, Prince Bismarck said :—
“The importance thereof depends upon whether Mr. Chamberlain’s private opinions
are those of the British government. Closer Anglo-American relations are doubtless
feasible, but an alliance is improbable and unserviceable to both.
*‘Besides it is a mistake to call the Americans Saxons. Theirs is a mixed blood—
British, Irish, German, French and Scandinavian. The Anglo-Saxon does not even
predominate to-day.
*‘This dwelling on so-called race interests is monsence in politics. Look at the
Russo-French agreement and the Dreibund. Politics are not dictated by such far-
fetched sentimentalities. :
Germany’s duty plainly is to maintain her interests by carefully nursing the good
neighborship of the European nations.’
My views
defensible after all
Seretary of
Summary of War News. The Minneapolis and Yale are at Cape
Haytien.
The report that Cervera’s fleet has ar-
rived at San Juan de Porto Rico lacks con-
firmation. All that is positively known
is that the ships left Curacao.
An American landing party, according
to a Havana dispatch via London, has been
repulsed off Caibarien, in Santa Clara.
Spain {is preparing to send its Cadiz Re-
The Tenth Pennsylvania volunteers are
under orders to at once proceed to Manila.
The Oregon is safe and it is believed it
will join Admiral Sampson’s fleet soon.
Schley and his flyers are at Key West.
The food supply at Havana, if Madrid
dispatches are to be believed, is assured for
a long time.
serve squadron by the end of May with 11,-
000 troops to the Philippines.
The government has decided to cut the
cables leading from Cuba and deprive
Blanco of the means of obtaining informa-
tion regarding the movement of the United
States army and pavy.
Two carloads of shoes, numbering 10,-
pairs, were shipped from the Schuylkill
000 arsenal for the volunteer army now being
mobilized at Chickamauga. About 10,000
tents were received at the arsenal from
New York and will be forwarded to the
various points of mobilization of troops as
soon as orders are received.
Admiral Sampson’s squadron, according
to advices from Cape Haitien, is still off
the north coast of Haiti.
The Osceola and Ericsson fired into a
large body of Spanish soldiers patroling the
Cuban coast. The Spaniards hastily scat-
tered.
A report from Havana states that an
American warship was blown up while the
crew was removing torpedoes from Carde-
nas Harbor, and that all on board were
drowned. The report was discredited at
Washington and Key West.
Reports received here from Key West
show that the condition of the little torpe-
do boat Winslow is much worse than was
supposed, and it will be necessary in all
probability to have her come to Norfolk for
repairs.
The Governor of St. Thomas will not al-
low warships to coal there except by his
permission.
Commander Todd, of the gunboat Wil-
mington, sunk a derelict schooner of Ha-
vana, which the Spaniards had sent out of
the harbor in the hope of wrecking some of
the blockading vessels.
Although the Venezuelan Government is
neutral, the people side with Spain in the
war.
Inan official report to Secretary Long
Captain Dorst, at the head of the Gussie,
says he landed arms on the Cuban coast for
the insurgents.
Cervera Still Elusive
PANAMA, May 18. — No report has
reached here of the Spanish fleet since it
left Curacao, but a rumor is current that it
may put into Colon for coal. As the dec-
laration of neutrality regards coal as con-
traband of war, it will not be supplied.
PORTO PLATA, San Domingo, May 18.—
No Spanish fleet has been sighted here.
The censor eliminates everything concern-
ing the movements of American warships.
The Dominican cruiser President, from
San Domingo. passed through Mona pass-
age to-day. Dispatches from Cape Haitien
and Port au Prince, Haiti, say that noth-
ing has heen heard at either place of the
movement of the fleet under Admiral Cer-
vera.
A Last Word from Our Centre County
Boys Before Leaving Mt. Gretna.
Mt. Gretna, Pa., May 17th, 1898.
Editor of WATCHMAN :—Many events of
interest to your readers have happened since
my last letter from Camp. The examinations
being over all who failed to pass were ordered
home, and many a sad farewell was passed
between the men. Some left broken hearted.
One member of Co. B. sobbed and cried like
a child as he bid good-bye to his comrades,
and tears trickled down many a cheek in
camp as these boys departed. The new re-
cruits, from all parts of Centre county, filled
Co. B to the full quota of 75 men, all being
sworn into the United States service last
Wednesday afternoon, and a hearty “I do,”
burst from the lips of every officer and man
after the oath was administered. Gov. Hast-
ings and many other Bellefonte people were
present when the company entered the ser-
vice. Every man has been equipped with
uniform, hat, shoes and shirt. The guns and
other accoutrements for the new men will
be shipped later. We have been drilling
very regularly and every man has made a
great effort to do the best he can, and I can-
not speak too highly of their good work.
They are willing, obedient and prompt ; the
very necessary essentials to make good sol-
diers. Major Kennedy, of our battalion,
after drill Thursday, ordered the other com-
panies to drill their men to the efficiency of
Co. B. Several promotions have been made
since we have become United States Reg-
ulars. Sergt. Charles Garis to Color Sergt. of
5th Regiment ; the honor was given Co. B by
Col. Burchfield, for the reason our recruits
were the first to report in camp. Corp. Jas.
Morrison was advanced to 6th Sergt. Corp.
John W. Lose to Commissary Sergt. and no
better or more capable man than Sergt. Lose
can be found in the regiment. Private Wil-
lis Williams to 4th Corp. Our old good na-
tured cook and friend, Henry Vitalini, was
compelled to leave for home ; his age hav-
ing prevented him from going to the front.
The boys were all very sorry to see him go,
for he was, without exception, the best cook
on the ground. The recruits from Philips-
burg, Howard, Millheim, Milesburg, Belle-
fonte, Penn Hall, Centre Hall and many
other places in the county take to soldier life
naturally and a better and finer class of re-
cruits cannot be found in camp. Davis, of
Philipsburg, and Reading, of Iloward, are
cooking for the boys and they are very satis-
factory.”
The people at home can feel assured that
their boys will be well cared for while in the
service. The officers of the 5th Regiment
are all competent and tried men. Col. Theo.
Burchfield, of Altoona, commanding, is a
veteran of the late war, a thorough tactician,
cool, collected, careful and exact. Lieut.
Col. Rufus C. Elder, of Lewistown, is 2 man
of many years of military experience in the
service of the guard as Capt. of Co. G. Maj.
John P. Kennedy and Maj. Robt. McNamara
have filled various offices in the regiment.
The regimental surgeons, Dr. Stayer, of Al-
toona, Dr. Hayes, of Bellefonte and Dr.
Glover, of Altoona, are men of large practice
and experience.
Many visitors have been. here to see us
among them were Mrs. Robt. Hayes, Mrs.
N. B. Spangler, Mrs. Hugh Taylor, J. W.
Gephart Esq., of Bellefonte, Jacob Truby,
of Reading, Dave Atherton and Mr. Walton,
of Philipsburg, Claud Smith, John Snyder,
Hon. Robt. Foster, and Col. Amos Mullen.
The rations are first class in every respect ;
the men have plenty to eat but of course the
food is that which is required for army life,
plain, good, solid and wholesome.
Orders have been received at this writing
that our men will move to Chicamarga
not later than Tuesday afternoon at 3 o’clock
and by the time your readers receive this
letter we will be encamped far South, ready
to invade Cuba. The orders read that each
enlisted man will be given 1 seat in the car
and each commissioned officer 1 berth in a
Pullman. It will take about 60 hours to
make the trip. We go by the way of Pitts-
burg, through Ohio to Cincinnati, thence di-
rectly South. We all go to the front prepared
and determined to do our duty as soldiers.
On the part of Co, B I bid the readers of,
the WATCHMAN and of this letter, farewell.
VOLUNTEER,