Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-04-26
THE POSTAL EXCURSION TO CUBA
key West TO havana.


as stated in my last, through the most unan-
lmously decorated town l ever saw. Almost
every house in city of 1900 population was
literally covered with bunting, while stream
ers attached to ropes were suspended across
the streets from the tops of the highest houses.
A1tef our reception at Jackson square we got
back to the Russell hotel and dispersed in va
rlOus directions to see the place. The sight
was decidedly tropical: Thousands of cocoa
nut trees with nearly ripe fruit on them spread
their shade all around and bananas, palms
and other luXuriant growth, rendered the
scene one OF no little interest to us all The
many OF them of strange appearance to us
except as rare specimens in our botanical gar
dens at home We met number of persons
number OF acquaintances which, though of
brief duration, we are not likely soon to for
get get AhG,7nIg: AAhm,E7ng them Paymaster Mellach and
WeSt-is the leader in every business enter
prise here, and still finds time to be agent of
the Associated Press. Mr.. Clark, editor of
the Key West Dispatch, showed us many at
tentlOnS. In the afternoon most of us found
it convenient to visit the neighboring shops
and hunt up thin clothing, including broad
brimmed hats, as the sun poured down on us
with almost vertical severity.
THE ISLAND OF KEY WEST
is seven miles long by one mile wide. All the
property fronting on the gulf from the harbOr
side between Fort Taylor and the custom
house. and tor considerable space back from
the beach, is owned by the government Fort
Taylor is a vast brick aud stone fortifcation,
carving two rows of casemates all around
and row of barbette guns. The armament
IS OF heavy calibre This fort would not last
long under the fire of modern iron clad
were IL not for the heavy earth caSemateS
which nnlade 1t from several commanding
points, and which are mounted with heavy
Parrot and ROdman guns of l5inch bore.
Ihe roofs OF all the houses here are utilized
for catching rain-Water, which is received in
large iron ciSterns for drinking purposes. The
| artillery barracks belonging to the govern
ment are about one mile north of the fort and
was built under the following circumstances
At the breaking out of our late war, General
BrannOn, in command of the barracks, found
out one afternoon that an organization had
been effected to capture Fort Taylor. He kept
his own counsel, and. proceeding to the bar
racks, made his preparations, and after night
men, and cut road through the chaparral in
rear of the city mile in length, through
which he dragged his two batteries of guns
| and planted them SO as to cover the city and
the approaches to the fort. At daylight next
morning, when the cOnSpiratOrS came out to
capture the fort, they found such preparations
had been made to receive them that it would
not pay to proceed. Thus this important po-
S1lon was saved to the Union, and Key West
was the only part OF Florida which did not
secede with that state, being fifty miles from
The mainland, and it afterwards proved a val
uable port for our naval forces during the war.
From the fort we drove a couple of miles to
THE SALT WORKS,
now dismantled, but recently purchased by
Mr.. d. w. Cash, one of the city fathers, who is
about to resume the manufacture of salt for
purposes of commerce. The salt Iields cover
many thousand acres, and are separated by
low stone and cement walls, with cOmmuni-
cat ing dykes. They stretch away for miles.
and are supplied by series of force pumps
worked by wind mill power. The recent gale
here demolished the wind mill which is about
TO be rebuilt. The water is evapOrated by the
solar rays, leaving the fields crusted over with
salt, which is then gathered up and manufac.
tured into fine table salt.
Some distance back of the city we saw corn
IN the ear and growing vigorously, and wild
ful appearance; The population is about
equally divided into negroes, Cubans and
Americans: The Cubans here are represented
to be an orderly and industrious people, always
at Wol at cigar making, which is apparently
the principal industry. At six O'Clock p. m. we
embarked on board the SOuder Captain S. E.
population turned out and accompanied us to
the wharf to see us off. The revenue cutter
Graiwiordi SGiDh Captain M Davis was got under
best people of the Key, accompanied us down
the harbOr with band of music, and her rig.
glng covered with bunting. Hearty farewell
fired from the cutter amid waving of handker-
| chiefs on all sides, and thus amid the acclama-
tlons of whole city to cheer us on our way
we sped across to the Ever Faithful Island"
The SOuder Is an S00-ton steamer, admirably
appointed. and sits like duck in the water.
She IS trelghted with flour and other merchan-
qualntance, John G. Clarke, an old Washing
tonian: She belongs to the Roberts line, be-
tween NeWhOrleans and Havana, and makes
ten to twelve knots an hour without difficuItV
The phosphorescent wake she leaves behind
her in this clear water is watched with delight
by all OF our party, who have never witnessed
| so beautiful sight before.
SMALL GRIEVANCE.
| to
grievance, and to call the attention of our dig
nified State department to it. We have some
ten persons with us who have Joined us since
we left home, and who were not provided with
passports. Under the regulations of the State
department persons travelling abroad must
obtain passports in person from the DEPART
ment, or, if residing in other sections of the
country than Washington, must send their de-
public, with certificates of Identification: and
when man has occasion to jump aboard an
out-going steamer at New Orleans or Key
West fora run overto Havana, he is subjected
to all the Inconvenience and delay of going
through the red-tape process above referred to-
In the meantime the steamer leaves and he
puts him to Inconvenience and in some in
stances to distress, in more ways than one.
what reason exists for not authorizing the
collector of the port to issue these papers do
not know, but those officers are empowered to
issue registers and clearanceS to vessels which
are matters OF serious Importance, and vet
HdSO uO pO"Sl W iSSuc passports, which are
not matters of any significance. The incOn-
Venient regulation was likely to cost some of
our party so much trouble as to terminate
their trip at Key West, but the Spanish consul
was good enough to send cablegram to the
Captain General stating the facts, when the
latter at once replied granting permission to
Capt. FOOte to bring the whole party over
with him. have no doubt the fact that Post
master General Key and several representa-
tives OF our National Legislature were going
over had good deal to do with the suspensiOn
by the Captain General of a rigid law OF the
Spanish government, as compliment to those
distinguished gentlemen.
ARRIVAL AT HAVANA.
HdUdnd, April Ill retired to nv state
room in the middle of the Gulf stream last
night, and awOke this morning in sight of the
headlands which jut out into the water on the
north coast of Cuba; We were very soon after
wards all assembled forward and on the pilot
house to catch the first glimpse of the light
house of Moro Castle, which soon lOOmed up
out OF the grey mist as we approached the
harbOr. We soon came up to a close view of
this celebrated stronghold as we neared the
entrance, having it Oh our port side almost
within stones throw as we entered the mar
rows. 1t frowned ScOwiingly down upon us as
We passed directly under its heavy guns and
got into the extensive harbor, which is well
dotted with vessels, including several Spanish
frlgateS, an Austrian corvette, and a good
many heavy merchantmen the larger half he
ing vessels of the United States. The entrance
to the harbOr being passed, we see other fOrti