The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 25, April 29, 1897

But the war still lingers on. What advantages are gained are of very small importance, and the rest of the world is looking on while lives are being thrown away in a struggle that seems as if it would linger on until the once beautiful island of Cuba becomes a desolate waste of ruined towns and barren fields.

It seems as if some friend ought to step between the two warring countries, and try to bring about an understanding between them.

There seems to be a chance that the United States may be that friend.

It has been felt that our rulers were too friendly to Spain, and that in preventing the filibustering expeditions from leaving our shores, they were in truth doing police duty for Spain, and helping her, contrary to the wishes of the country, which is in sympathy with Cuba.

In the case of General Rivera this can no longer be said.

When it was learned that the General was not to be treated as an honorable soldier and held as a prisoner of war, but was to be tried by a drumhead court-martial and shot as a rebel, the Senate immediately took action in his behalf.

A drumhead court-martial is a hurried trial held in camp. It is used in the case of spies or deserters, or for soldiers who have committed some disgraceful act which is best disposed of at once.

Senator Allen, of Nebraska, offered a resolution, declaring it the duty of the President to protest to the Spanish Government against such a violation of the rules of civilized warfare.

The resolution was passed, and much to every one's satisfaction, twenty-four hours after, Senator Sherman, the Secretary of State, had the pleasure of announcing that the Spaniards had decided not to hold any drumhead court-martial, but to keep General Rivera as a prisoner of war.

This means that he will not be shot, but will be held by the Spaniards until the end of the war, or until they want to exchange him for a Spaniard of equal rank, who may happen to fall into the hands of the Cubans.

This prompt deference to the wishes of the Senate looks as if the Spaniards were ready to look at Cuban matters more fairly and calmly.

An offer from President McKinley to bring about an understanding between the two countries has been courteously received by the Spaniards, and though it has not been accepted as yet, it is a great step in the right direction that Spain is willing to receive the offer amicably.

In the mean while, there is a joint resolution before the Senate, offered by Senator Morgan, of Alabama. It is "that a state of war exists in Cuba, and that the United States shall accord belligerent rights in its ports and lands to both parties engaged in the struggle."

Senator Morgan has laid a great mass of evidence before the House, which shows that the Cubans have a government which is in thorough working order, making laws, administering justice, carrying on a postal service, and maintaining a fine and well-organized army.

Under these circumstances, he claims that Cuba is not engaged in mere rioting and disturbance, but in an earnest warfare, a struggle for liberty, in which she should have the sympathy of other free nations, and be given by them the privileges of a nation at war.

If this resolution is passed, Cuba will be free to fit out a navy to help her in the struggle, and to buy in this country and ship all the arms she needs to carry on the war.

As we have said before, the Cubans believe that the passage of such a resolution would almost put an end to the war, for they could then land arms and men enough to crush the Spaniards without any difficulty.

There was a good deal of excitement over the report that Gen. Julio Sanguily was preparing to return to Cuba. This is the General who, as stated in No. 20 of The Great Round World, was released from a Cuban prison early in March.

When he was released by the Spaniards, General Sanguily was made to promise that he would not again take up arms against Spain, and therefore every one was much shocked to learn that he was preparing to join a filibustering expedition and return to Cuba, to place himself at the head of one branch of the army.

It was learned that the General had gone to Jacksonville, Fla., and sensational stories were spread about that there were two parties of Cubans staying in different hotels in that city, in each of which was a man who looked like Sanguily. It was said that this was done to prevent the Spanish spies from finding out the movements of the true Sanguily.

Finally, the Spanish consul got so excited about it, that he swore out a warrant for the arrest of the General, on the charge of fitting out a filibustering expedition. The General was accordingly arrested.

When the case came up, there was no evidence of any kind against him, and he was immediately discharged.

He stated to the court that he had had nothing whatever to do with fitting out an expedition for Cuba. He had given his word not to return to the island, and he meant to keep it. He had gone South to escape the damp atmosphere in New York City, which made his rheumatism worse, and it was in search of health and a warmer climate that he had gone to Jacksonville.

The Cubans were very indignant over the arrest of Sanguily, and the Spanish consul was apparently somewhat ashamed of the part he had taken in the matter, for when the case came up he refused to give any evidence.

Spain has more troubles on hand.

There has been a revolt in Porto Rico, another of the West Indian Islands which belong to Spain.

This revolt was of no very great importance, and was very quickly put down. It would have been hardly worth mentioning, but that it followed so closely on the news of an outbreak in the Spanish provinces on the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that it became noteworthy as a sign of the breaking up of Spain's vast colonial system.

Spain has now five different quarters to fear, five different revolts in various portions of her domains. Her enemies are within her own borders.

She has the Cuban war, the war in the Philippines, the revolt in Porto Rico, the Carlist riots, and the revolt in her African colonies.

She certainly seems to have her hands full.

She has done her best to keep the African troubles to herself, but the news has at last come out, and with it the fact that Spain cannot spare a single soldier to go and subdue it.

The waters of the Mississippi are still rising, and as yet there is no hope of the floods subsiding.

Every day news is sent of fresh crevasses formed and of more levees broken.

While the city of New Orleans has not yet suffered, there is hourly fear that it will be flooded. The levees are breaking in all directions, and in the near neighborhood of New Orleans fresh breaks are feared, which will send a vast volume of water flowing toward the city.

A government report from Tennessee says that nearly eight hundred square miles of territory is covered with water, from three to seven feet deep. What cabins are still standing are filled with people and cattle, crowding the upper floors or huddled together on rafts moored to the houses.

In Missouri the levees protecting Davis Island, the home of Jefferson Davis, have given way, and the island is submerged.

Davis Island was densely populated, as about twenty-five hundred people lived on it. Help had to be sent for, and steamers and barges came down and rescued the people and the cattle.

Telephone and telegraph messages are being hourly received from points along the river, asking for boats to come and save the unfortunate people, who in many cases are clinging to trees and housetops till help comes.

Many stories are being told of the way the people are rescued.

In some instances the relief steamers will find a whole family perched on the cottage roof, the women and children, half-dead with fright, clinging panic-stricken to the roof, and crying aloud for help. In others the people will not realize the danger they are in, and refuse to be taken off their housetops, insisting that the floods will subside in a short while, and that they need no help.

One party of negroes was found seated on the roof of a cottage. The water had risen to the eaves, and the house was in danger of collapsing under the pressure of the angry waters.

The negroes, however, were busily engaged in playing cards, and were annoyed at being rescued from their perilous position before their game was finished.

The present flood is the worst ever known in the history of the river.

In 1862, during the war, there was a great rise of the Mississippi, which destroyed most of the levees along the banks, and from Vicksburg down the whole country was flooded.

Since that year the river has never risen as high until the present time, when the high-water mark of 1862 has been reached and passed in both New Orleans and Vicksburg.

For twenty-five years after, the people of the Mississippi Valley felt the effects of that great flood, and the worst fears are entertained for the ruin and desolation that the present one will leave in its path.

Thousands of people have been brought to want, through the sweeping away of their homes by the waters, and so much misery and poverty have been reported, that President McKinley sent a message to the Senate, telling them of the distress caused by the floods, and asking them to take legislative action for the relief of the sufferers. He stated that he had been informed that $150,000 to $200,000 would be required to assist the people.

On receipt of the President's message a joint resolution was offered, giving $150,000 of the public money for the use of the people in the flooded districts.

This resolution was passed by a unanimous vote of the Senate, and would have been sent to the President, but that word came from the House of Representatives that that body had passed a resolution voting $200,000.

The Senate immediately recalled its resolution, altered it to agree with that from the House, and passing it promptly, sent it to the President, who signed it without delay.

The Secretary of War, General Alger, has made all arrangements for giving the fund to the suffering people. Six officers are now in the flooded districts, finding out what the wants of the people are, and another detail of officers is to follow them, distributing food and relief according to instructions.

That every section may be reached, the flooded country has been divided into six districts, with one officer to go over each.

The Citizens' Relief Committee of Memphis, Tenn., had arranged to help the sufferers in its district before Congress was heard from. This one society fed and cared for nearly seven thousand people who had sought refuge from the waters.

This society has also sent large quantities of food and supplies to various points in Arkansas and Mississippi, but the help of the Government was very badly needed. The Citizens' Relief Committee could only reach a very small portion of the people who are suffering from the angry rise of the Father of Waters, as the Mississippi is called.