The situation in Cuba remains much the same.
The noteworthy event of the past week hasbeen a sad and unfortunate shipwreck which occurredon October 16th.
On that day a Spanish steamer was wrecked off thecoast of Pinar del Rio, while making the trip fromHavana to Bahia Honda.
The Triton, as the steamer was called, was carryingsoldiers' ammunition, money, and mules to be usedagainst the Cubans in Pinar del Rio.
According to all accounts the steamer was so heavilyladen that when she started her decks were onlya few feet above the level of the water.
It was a very black and stormy night, and manysailors on the dock expressed fears that the vesselcould not weather a storm in her heavily laden condition.
The trip she had to make was merely a matter offour hours, and the captain declared himself confidentof bringing his vessel safely to port.
All went well till the Triton was within a few milesof her destination; when off the coast of Pinar delRio she ran aground.
Those on board who were saved from the wrecksaid that the vessel was so heavily loaded that shewas not able to take her usual course, and, because somuch deeper in the water, ran aground on a bank thatin her ordinary trips she could pass over withoutdifficulty.
As long as the vessel had been cutting her waythrough the water, the heavy lading had caused littleinconvenience, but when she grounded the waves beganto wash over her decks, and cause much alarm tothe passengers.
While the vessel was in great danger, she mightstill have been saved if it had not been for the mules.These beasts, becoming panic-stricken as the wavesswept over the deck, stampeded to one side of thevessel, causing it to list over so much that the cargoshifted.
This is one of the most terrible accidents that canhappen to a vessel.
The loading of a cargo is a very important thing,and is a business of itself. The men who direct itmust understand just how to distribute the weightevenly in the hold, and how to pack the boxes andbales and barrels so tightly together that they cannotmove, because if a cargo should shift it is liable tothrow the ship out of her balance, and she is in dangerof overturning and sinking.
This is what happened to the Triton. The mulesand the shifted cargo together made such a heavyweight on one side that she keeled over, and withinfifteen minutes of the time she first struck the bankshe sank, carrying down with her one hundred andfifty of the passengers and crew.
The accident happened in the early dawn, whenmany of the people were asleep in their berths, andthough the captain had them roused, and lowered theboats to try and take them off the sinking ship, theseas ran so high that the small boats were swamped,and it was impossible to save the unfortunate passengers.
The ship went down in one hundred and twentyfathoms of water, so it is not likely that her valuablecargo of arms and money will ever be recovered. Theloss is a serious one to Spain at this moment, whenshe needs every penny she has to help her out of hermany difficulties.
There are disqui