New-York tribune., 1880-02-07
GENERAL GRANT IN CUBA.


SIGHTSEEING AND LITTLE CEREMONY.
THE GREAT BALL PosTPoNED-A VISIT TO MoRko
CASTLE AND THE FORTRESS OF CABANAs-GEN-
ERAL SHERIDAN PICKS OUT THE WEAK SPOT
A VISIT TO TIE INTKRIoR-INTEREsTlNG fACls
ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE.
IFRoMA SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBUNE'I
HAVANA, Jan. 2S.-General Grant has passed the
last three days quietly. living in the Cuban style'
except that he rises early and is usually taking 4
walk about the streets before any one else save
the laboring classes, is stirring The routn' of Nv
ing here is coffee in the morning, breakfast at IL
o'clock and dinner at @. Colonel Cuestra. the CIvll
Governor, Colonel Cerero. Chief Engineer, ana
General Vallejas are constantly In attendance 10
extend every possible courtesy to the guest OF the
island. They have adopted rather the plan oI
quietly making the General feel at home tnah III
dulged in formal receptions. The families Oh INC
principal officers have called upon him. ihere was
to be reception for Americans and Others foiIo"e
by ball. but it has been postponed 1t is announced
that when General Grant returns from the interior
the ball will be given. also military parade III
which 5000 volunteers Will take part
Saturday night General Grant and the entire
party visited the Payret Theatre. Sunday there
was service IN the chapel at the Palace, and Mon
day evening there was quiet reception in the par
lors IN honor Of Mrs. Grants birthday.
The visit TO MORO Castle made yesterday,
upder the guidance Of the Chief Engineer OF the
works. The party were rowed across the bay in the
Captan-G Generals boat and first visited the fortress
OF Cabalas In the fortress are quarters for abont
1000 men in barracks that are extremely
close and unhealthy, owing to poor ventlla-
tion. General Sheridan took great pains to examine
the sleeping accommodations of the men.
After passing over part Of the walls the party
we're received at the officers quarters by General
Pocurull who invited General Grant and his COM
panions to his house. General Pocurnll IS cmei III
command OF the fortress, aud lives there with his
wife and two little daughters. His quarters are
very pleasant. although they form part of such
a gloomy system of old parapets and defences' as
massive and powerful as human ingenuity could
devise The floors are of marble. the ceilings are
lofty. and the windows and doors 50 arranged that
thercis always a draft of cool sAr.
After resting half an hour Colonel Cerero con-
Quoted the visitors toward Moro Castle, iurlong
TO the morrill, Cabanas commands the city; MORO
the sea. The latter stands upon rock at the leit
side of the entrance TO the harbor. and the chief
work antedates Cabanas by at least a century. The
ocean washes its foundations. There are hundreds
of guns brstllng the many parapcts of Cabanas
and Moro but few of them are Of any use. The
water battery. for example, that's IN the most eifrc-
tive position to sweep the harbOr Is composed OF old
bronze pieces, while the upper walls are furnished
with similar guns Of heavier calbre, long iron guns,
and little od-fashioned mortars. However. one
very fine battery Of ParrOtt and krupp guns OF the
most improved patterns is being mounted TO the east
Of the old works Of Morro and will command the
approaches to the harbor There are three monster
Krupp guns capable Of firing IOO-pound elongated
shot The PARROTS also OF the heaviest cali bre.
These guns are supplemented by mOrtlrs Of the
most improved pattern. placed on the upper ter
races Of the citadel. and are capable of throwing
0omh for n distance Of six miles. bcncIal bIant
suggested that the labor ~ constructing all these
massive walls could not have been paid for at very
hgh wages, but Colonel CcTcro insisted tha al Inc
labor on the works had been paid Tor on liberal
cash basis. General Sheridan gave 10 A. hs opinion
that unless the narrow entrance to the bay was
led with torpedoes, vessels could run 10y this Te
Of the city; HAVahl has tiust'u lIolectlO.
to these forts almost exclusively, the nrid sido OF
the city being scarcely fortified nj All.
Tomorrow General Grant and the entire party 60
info the interior for Visit 10 some niuoTai baths
and plantations 40 san Antonio. Upon leaving The
cIfv the visit TO the CapiGin-GeneTal VIII he az an
end. and wncn they return tnri VIII occupy quar-
Political excite ement is affecting the markets. II
Is leared that the trouble with the slaves Will be
renewed, and also that the next tobacco crop Will
not be a large one.
Last sunday | went to San Custobal. seventy
five miles west of here, where the earthquake made
such havoc. The houses were chiefly built OF lava,
daubed with mud. Some Of them were coated with
a yellow plaster and had few bricks mixed with
the lava IN the construction OF the walls. The
church. Jail municipal buildings and nearly every
warehouse have either a fallen roof or shaken and
cracked walls, or are out OF plumb 10 that no one
darcs to 20 into tbom. The town contained about
! 900 people. and is situated at the foot of The
mountains n stream of the same name. lhc Guns
along tins nver were shaken so that thrV
fell INTO the. river IN many places. 1hcre
are also cracks ~ the earth, from inch 10 foot
in width Three distinct shocks were f,it or the
90 flto f4f tral f.sif nf .lUlf
IL o'clock the second at O'Clock and the third at
$50 o'clock, when the principal damage was done.
Ii seemed wonderful that 40 one was luiied-eXcept
a prisoner who was shot 'while trying TO escape
when the jail fell dOwn-till SenOr Rstor explained
that after the fret trembling until o'clock, there
was constant Tnmbhug underground, like the
roar of the sea- that so terrified the people that they
gathered In the open places, fearing the conse-
0uences Of the falling walls. About twenty-five
T5ersops were injured. The thermometer stood nj
77o the barometer falling rapidly; the moon
was full and at the zenith. and Immediately after
81. l. H. tl,or ofs, fall in forr r.flfs