New-York tribune., 1891-01-30
ALONG THE CUBAN COAST.
FROM SANTIAGO TO BATABANO.

TrRoa srAFP CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Ra,abano ian. l4-The southern coast of Cuba
ooens at Cape Mais with barren highlands and
heavily wooded mountains and ends in the west
with level plains sentincllcd by palms with waving
nl,mes There is one Caribbean seabosrd that
rivals il in holiness and beauty-the mountainous
coast Of Venezuela but there are no harbors
on the Spanish Main TO be compared with those
Of Guantonamo, Santiago and Cicnfucgos. Santiago
IIarbor sren at daybreak is glorious spectacle
which strs the pulses OF the most sluggish travel
Ter and remains in the memory silhouette OF en-
tranc;ng beauty. The rock-bound coast snllenly
opens its granite gates, and iealously guards the
entrance to spacious bay hanked by mountains
One of the giant cliffs soping abruptly seaward
is crowned with gray and yellow fortress 30
narrow IS the entrance that the ship seems 10
pass directly under the antique battements ana
Moorish turrets and the sentincls on the stone
terraces and the prisoners behind the barred
windows are almost within call, save that the
breakers underneath the green bank are hlhng
with uprOar the cavernOuS depth of the rocky
buttresscs The harbor opens and widcns as the
shin sails on until it is placid eXpanse of shelf
cred water with blue mountains cncirclinG 1t ana
the city long way in the distance TRANSPORTED
in the golden light Of a tropical morning Like
Rio, it lies among hills with mountains encampcd
about it, with islands brstling with Notifications
and with seaward defences which could be made
impregnable, even with mcagrc engineering skill.
Like Rio also, it is foul and shabby town, un-
worthy of its magnificent Surroundings.
Santiago was founded by Velasqucz in 1914, and
its streets have never been swept TO this day.
There are incrustatiOns of mould on the Cathedral
walls and there is the dust of ages on the low
browed tiled roofs of the crumbling, dilapidated,
tiled houses. In other Spanish American towns
dirt Is painted over or whitewoshcd at least once
in decade; but here ii passes for time-staln ana
is considered quaint and venerable. The streets
are padded with slime and filth, and the city,
with its population of $4,000, Is in the worst posi-
bic sanitary condition. There is dngy plaza
where on Sunday evenings band plays and young
and old walk brisdy up and down for two hours.
During the week il is deserted and has an untidy,
neglected aspect. The Cathedral is n large but
unsightly structure filled with tawdry decora-
tons and cheap statues The Government build
ings are antiquated and shabby; the shops are
unintercsting and the houses are lOwblllt struct-
urcs, remarkable chiefly for the absence of glass
in the windows and for the advanced stages OF
decay which the cracked, sunlcn, and bulginC
walls disclose. There Is good clubhouse for
foreigners-one of the rcdeeming features Of this
unfortunate tOwn-and few of the American and
English sugar merchants have clean and comfort
able Offices; bat these are almost the only signs
of modern civilization. The horses which drag
the cunbrous volantes over the broken cobblc-
stones are skeleton backs looking much the worse
for wear The very dogs in the alleys have lean.
cadaverous faces. The bookwriters. am aware.
draw II very different picture of Santiago from
this: but saw nothing in it that was bright
and cheerful except the genial face Of the Amer
can Consul, Mr.. Reimcr in his comfortable and
we'll furnished Offices.
Santiago is city rich In traditions and memo
ries of nearly four centuries of Spanish rule On
the island IL was stronghold against the
buccaneers and pirates who made Guantanamo
their rendezvous, and il was also the base o.
operations against the insurgents in the long and
disastrous Civil War The picturesque Moro at
the entrance Of the harbor has been for many
generations a dungeon where political offenders
have been confined and tortured, and among tie
low buildings adjoining the barracks the men of
tile Vireinius were put 10 death. short distance
up the coast on the line of of the mining
railways was the hiding place of Tweed when be
escaped from New.lork in u yacht and "as trans
fcIrcd t. ship heading for Spain. There IS q
cabin pointed out In travellers as the one where
he enjoyed the hosptoty OF .; burly mulatto; but
il is only substitute for it. furnished for the
sake Of perpctuating . tradition interesting TO
American tourists. The cabin in which lie slept
and played mild game OF poker TO whlie away
the time caught fire not long ago from sparks
from passing engine ami was burned to the
ground. The muatt0 still lives and has en-
bellshed the original tale Of the rescue of tie
refugee Tammany statesman until II can hardly
be recognized By those who first listened 10 the
recital Tweed presented him with drinking
cup on the eve OF sailing for Spain, and this he
exhibited for long time with an air Of conscious
superiority. Mercenary motives finally proved ir
rcsistble and he was induced TO sell the cup TO
a relic hunter who has carried it back 10 New
York.
There has been recent outbreak Of yellow
fever among the Spanish miners in the mountain5
which renders the present sanitary condition o.
the city extremely dangerous. There is also
mild form of the grippe prevailing gcncrallg IN
the town. This is known as the Manganese, be-
cause there has been recently good deal Of
trouble in the manganese trade; but similar
outbreak Of the disease last year was popu-
larlv called the Mckinley. The Cubans have
made no attempt to master the details of the
new scheme of American tariff legislation. All
last wear they were shaking their heads ominously,
yesticulating wildly, and declaring that the
Mckinley bill would complete the ruin of the
island Explanations respecting the free market
offered for sugar were OF no avail. Mckinney
loomcd up in the imagination of many Cuban
as a terrible agrc-the dcadcst and most tTeocAeT-
Gus enemy of the island. Many of them, mstak-
ing the application of the legislative BILL fell into
tie habit of attributing all the misiortunes and
the bad business of the year 10 Old Bill
Mckinley" and coUrteously, but firmly. declined
10 he corrected When the grippe came they
named it after the supposed source Of all their
woes They had the Bill Mckinley and erOwled
savagely at him whenever they coughed between
cocktails.
Cienfuegos, the terminus of the Ward Line OF
steamers and of the Western railway system of
Cuba, is a modern town built since the present
century opened 1t has fine harbor and a grow
ing trade, and is the commercial centre Of thirty
of the LARGEST SUGAR plantations Of the island.