Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-03-19
General Grant in Cuba.

correspondent, writing from Hav-
ana. Cuba. says: General Grant mas
nassed the last three days quietly, hv-
inc in the Cuban style, except that ne
rises early, and is usually taking Walk
abont the streets before any one else,
saving tho laboring classes. is stirring.
The routine of living here is coffee in
the morning, breakfast ut eleven O'Clock
ord dinner at six. Colonel Caestra,
the civil governor, Colonel Cerero,
chief engineer, and General Vallejas
are constantly in attendance to extend
every possible courtesy to the guest OF
the island. They have adopted rather
the plan OF quietly making the General
feel at home than INDUCED in formal
RECEPTIONS. The families OF the princi-
nal officers have called upon him. There
Tas to be a reception for Americans
and others, followed by ball, but it
has been postponed. It is announced
that when General Grant returns from
the interior the ball will be given, also
a military parade in which fifteen thou
sand volunteers will take part.
Saturday night General Grant and
the entire party visited the Payret
Theater. Sunday there was a service
in the chapel at the palace, and on
Monday evening there was quiet re-
ception in tho parlors in honor Of Mrs.
Grants birthday.
The visit to MORO Castle was made
under the guidance of the chief eng-
neer CT the works. The party were
rowel across the bay in the captain
generals boat, and first visited the for
tress of Cabanas. In the fortress are
quarters for about two thousand men
in barracks that are extremely close
and unhealthy, owing to poor ventila-
ton. General Sheridan took great
pains to examine the sleeping accom-
a modatlons of the men.
y After passing over part OF the walls
the party were received vt the officers
quarters by General Pocurull, who in
yited General Grant and his companions
to his house. General Pocurull is chief
in command of the fortress, and lives
daughters. His quarters are very
pleasant, although they form part of
such gloomy system of old parapets
and defenses. RS massive and powerful
as human ingenuity could devise. The
floors are marble, the ceilings are lofty,
and the windows and doors SO arranged
that there is always draft Of cool
air.
After resting half an hour Colonel
Cerero conducted the visitors toward
Moro Castle, furlong to the north.
Cabanas commands the city Moro the
sea. The latter stands upon rock ut
the left side of the entrance to the har-
Dor, and the chief work antedates Ca
bauas by at least century. The ocean
washes its foundations. There are
hundreds of guns bristling on the many
parapets of Cabanas and Moro, but
few of them are of any use. The water
battery, for example, that is in the most
effective position to sweep the harbor,
is composed of old bronze pieces, while
the upper walls are furnished with SIM
liar guns of heavier caliber, long iron
guns and little old-fashioned mortars.
However, one very fine battery Of Par
rott and Krupp guns of the most i'm
proved patterns is being mounted to
tAe east of the old works of Moro, and
Viii command the approaches to the
harbor. There are three monster Krupp
guns capable OF firing four-hundred-
pound elongated shot. The Parotts are
also of tho heaviest caliber. These
guns are supplemented by mortars OF
the most improved pattern. placed on
the upper terraces of the citadel, and
are capable of throwing bomb for n
distance of ten miles. General Grant
suggested that the labor in constructing
all these massive walls could not have
been paid for ut very high wages, but
Colonel Cerero insisted that all the la
Dor on the works had been paid for on
liberal cash basis. General Sheridan
gave it "a his opinion that unless the
narrow entrance to the bay was filled
with torpedoes, vessels could run by
this tremendous array OF ordnance and
land troops in the rear Of the city.
Havana has trusted for protection to
these forts almost exclusively, the in-
land side Of the city being scarcely for
tilted at all.
Tomorrow General Grant and the
entire party 60 into the interior for a
visit to some mineral baths and planta-
tons at San Antonio. Upon leaving
the city the visit to the captain general
will be at an end, and when they return
they will occupy quarters at the Pas
sage Hotel. - -.
Political excitement is affecting the
markets, It Is feared that the trouble
with the slaves will be renewed, and
also that the next tobacco crop will not
be large one. ...t wa ~ o.,
New Telegraph Lines. ..,,