-and more especially-when the insurgents present themselves in numbers.

"HABANA, October 21, 1896."

"VALERIANO WEYLER.

One who visited six of these stations declares that in these alone there were sixty thousand homeless and starving wretches, and not less than ten thousand died from disease or starvation during the first two months after the concentration order was put into execution. It is well known that the reason for driving these innocent noncombatants from their quiet country homes and herding them within the lines of fortifications, was to destroy, if possible, all the insur

gents' sources of supply and information; but during the eighteen months since the dastardly decree was put into effect, the enemy has managed to exist, but the poor peasants, driven from their homes. and farms and allowed to take nothing with them except what they could carry on their backs, have perished by the hundreds of thousands.

The recall of General Weyler and the appointment of General Blanco as Captain-General of Cuba, the more pacific administration of the new ruler of the island, the declaration from Madrid that the Spanish government was willing to grant a generous scheme of autonomy to the Cubans, all combined to quiet the indignation of America against Spain for a while; but when it was seen that she was acting with her characteristic insincerity, and when it became apparent that what the autonomy offered would not be accepted by the Cubans, who for three years had waged a valiant warfare for

liberty from the Spanish yoke and for national independence, American interest in Cuba and the Cubans became more acute than ever. Events occurred to intensify our sympathy for the unfortunate island and to increase our distrust of Spain.

Early in February Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish Minister at Washington, wrote a letter to Senor Canalejos, a Spaniard of high rank who had recently been in the United States and subsequently

in Havana, supposedly making observations for his government, in which he used disparaging and insulting language against the President of the United States, and clearly intimated in the letter that the autonomy proposals were not to be considered seriously, but that they were a mere blind for the purpose of gaining more time for military operations by diverting public opinion in the United States. Finding that his falsehood in denying the authorship of the letter was exposed, and knowing that his dismissal or recall from Washington was a foregone conclusion, he telegraphed his resignation, and hurried

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FUNERAL IN HAVANA OF THE UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS OF THE "MAINE.'

out of the country. This unfortunate episode did not tend to lessen. the bitter feeling against Spain.

In January, 1898, the Atlantic Squadron sailed to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and there was a rendezvous of the American fleet at the Dry Tortugas.

On January 25, by order of the Navy Department, the battleship "Maine " left the fleet and proceeded to the harbor of Havana. The Spanish government expressed its entire acquiescence in this act; and immediately it announced that, as a return courtesy, the Spanish cruiser "Vizcaya " would come to the New York harbor.

Just about the time the "Vizcaya " was due to arrive at Sandy Hook, on the night of the fifteenth of February, our battleship "Maine," lying in the harbor of Havana, was destroved by an explosion, and 266 of her men were killed. Because Because the officers' quarters were toward the stern and the explosion was near the bows, in the quarters of the crew, all the officers on board were rescued except two.

A vivid description of the catastrophe was cabled to the New York Sun by a correspondent in Havana who heard the explosion and was by the side of the poor maimed warship when she sank. Following is an extract from his story:

"As I sat in the park last night about 9.45 p. m., talking to some friends, the skies over the bay were seen to be brightly illuminated for about ten seconds.

"Then a most terrific explosion was heard which shook the whole city and threw it into great consternation. Knowing that something unusual had occurred, the reporter took a cab and drove to the wharves from which direction the detonation had come.

"On arriving there he noticed that the bay was brightly lit by the flames of a burning ship, which was easily distinguished as the

unfortunate Maine' by its well-known mast. Screams and cries were heard coming from the sinking ship, for she went partially down very soon after the explosion.

"Mingling with the echoes of the wails of the wounded and drowning sailors were heard the shouts of 'Viva Espana!' 'Mueran los Americanos!' Manana tendremos buena pesca en la bahia!' ('We shall have good fishing in the bay to-morrow') and such remarks coming from the Spanish rabble, who were congregating in great numbers around the wharves and seemed greatly delighted at the misfortune which had befallen the Americans.