Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-03-23
SAN DOMINGO.

= c0'''o not 20 our readers a more accept
able service than by giving the follow
0 ing copous extracts, written by the COZ
rasnondont If tbo NJ Y Sam who oo
..., ~, O.,
'o''p"''''" ''' "''0U '''",e' No''',n''
, S'o''eF Oh Ooaru 'he sup tennessee L
| the city of San Domingo, to that paper
The letter was dated in that citv. Feb
3rd and contains mucb voInobIo inEor
,,;,,, ,,,1,,... =. 49,, .,:.,,. l.
'''''oD i''"','0 ~ ''0 ,"''o0' '""'"'
'crls'lcs oil that coVerted ana worthless
" island of the sea" We hope ou
readers will not pass bv this highly in
,oro.t;rr nrod,n,;on Ln,r will nooJ f.
M, I,io,r
hc ie'ter SayS'-
When President Grant talks OF the
splendid harbors OF this island, he sim
ply proves how gulIlbIe he IS. There is
not a moderately decent one on the
WhoIe coast; but TO prove 1t L Will de-
tai each.
VI oamana have already given you
some account, 1t is very small. The
tennessee ana not 60 into 1t, but coaIed
two and half miles from the wharf ;
ana for TINS accommodation the UuIted
States pays SloO,OOO year. OF this
as coaIlng station, as compared to st.
Thomas, VIII speak further on. The
western end OF the harbor OF Samana is
large man9roVe swamp, from which
must emanate most Ceadly mIasm@.
wafer APPARENTLY OF good quality and
apuhuauV III quanllly Is oD'aluaDle al
'lr' burrs place. about halt mile
eastward OF the town IL flows from
springs IN Ihe hIlIslde' and IS brought
doWh 10 The shore IL open wooden con-
o0IIs
AT TINS place, San Domingo City,
there IS nothing but an open roadstead.
ana the ground swell, occa8Ioned by the
southeast trades, and which rules all the
year. IS the very worst ever ieIt' and
renders loading a verse; outside a sheer
ilhpoSSlolilly' 1here IS a small inner
harDer' or ralher The wldened mouth OF
the river Ozama' opposite the town,
with ii 10 l0 feet OF water IN 1T; but
no vessel can cross the bar drawing
more than lo99 feet' The United States
steamer lantlc, which was drawing II
feet struck on the bar on entering. |
hear she was so damaged that it is not
unlikely she may never be moved. Her
officers have taken house in this city,
and live ashore.
Puerto PLATA
is an open beach with "A heavy surf con-
stantly rolling, and it is exposed to
northers. There is no wharf there, al
though the Government collects wharf,
age on every package of merchandise
either landed or exported there. The
United States steamer Nantasket was
lying there on the 25th of December
last, when norther sprang up, and she
was obliged to 60 to sea, leaving boats,
officers, and part Of her crew ashore.
CALDERA BAY
is situated on the south side Of the
island, some sixty mi cs from this place,
ana IS uhqueSllohaoly Tue peSt harror
on the whole coast IL mas, however,
only lately been surveyed by Mr..
Charles a. stone master on board the
steamer NantasKet' ms gentleman
certainly has the glory o' having sur
yeyed the only really useful harbor IN
San Domingo vessels drawing not
over sixteen feet can lie IN a perfectly
land looked bay, while SHIPS OF heavier
draft lie outside IN eight iathoms OF wa
ter close IN shore, and IN under the lee OF
spit OF Iand winch bends northeast,
and which completely protects them from
the southeast trades The Bay OF Cal
dera has the disadvantage, however, OF
being surrounded, for the most part,
with fiat salt marshes, and there is no
fresh water procurabe IN the vicinity.
The whole shores OF the bay are more
over, utterly uninhablted, there not be-
ing house or sign OF civilization any
where about.
MONTE CHRISTIE,
the westernmost part of the north coast,
and the dividing line eetween San Do
mIngo and Haytl, is open to the same
objection as Puerto Plata; 1t Is entirely
exposed to the dangerous northera,
When President Grant spoke as he
did In his message to Congress, of the
navy yards, arsenaIs, SHIPS OF war, etc,