The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-02-26
a Fl. Smell Discourses of a Voy.
age to Cuba.
PEARLS OF THE ANTILLES.
Key West and Its Vast Army Of Cigar.
makers.
Havana Buildings and Their Pecularities
Filth and Fevers-A Strange Popula-
q tion-The PradO Promenade
Guiana Beauties, Etc.
Especial Correspondents Of THE HERALD.

HAVANA, w. I.-When that adventur-
Gus liar Jules Verne chose Tampa bay on
the Florida peninsula as a starting point
for his passenger proiectile on its aerial
"Trip to the moon, that modest little in
dentation on our southern coast attained
more renown than it has any reasonable
hope of ever doing again.
At Port Tampa the only life or move
ment existent buzzes round about pier
built a mile or more through shallow
waters into the ocean from where the
West India steamers of the Plant Line
sail tri-weekly for Cuba, the ''Pearl OF the
Antilles One night early in January
the steamship Mascot arrived at the pier
and while she was discharging her pas
sengers and cargo went in quest of the
4 captain aud made the yellow fever
Sin the Windward islands a subject
OF inquery. l was already sui
ficiently well informed to know
that isolated cases of that or some other
dread malady were continually haunting
the tropics, but unusually disquletlng
rumors of an epidemic of yellow fever at
Havana had been rife in Florida for a
month or more, and ! wanted to know,
You know, because If you lind out these
things after reaching your destination,
''where are you2 Why, there you are, you
see;'' as one of the English passengers
remarked. The captain, pleasant little
man In navy blue. assured us that similar
runors were circulated every year when
the winter resort season opens, by inter
ested parties. presumably Florida hotel
keepers. 81 guarantee, - continued the
lcaptain, bringing his seafaring hand onto
kmy shoulder, 'tthat there is no more yell
= low fever in Cuba than there is in you. -
That settled 1t, and l embarked, retiring
an hour later with the vague belief that
1.-THE Pearl of the Antilles, - on closer
acquaintance might prove to be not only a
little off color, but worst OF all, straw
color.
The staterooms on the Mascot are clean,
bright and cheerful, and what is of prime
importance to voyagers, they are well
ventilated. Each contains an upper and
lower berth, a sofa, stationary wash
stand, mirror, jugs and decanters OF
water an electric light and two life-pre
servers. There are framed instructions
on the wall req esting you to try on one
of the latter. The writer did so, but his
figure being somewhat given to central
expansion, there was not enough lie pre-
server to go rcand, and as means Of
aiding longevity would have been as use
ful as a lightning rod in the hands of q
\ drowning man.
The sea commenced to rise as the moon
went down. Clouds had been gathering
and light wind and rain, forerunners OF
a storm over the face of the waters, COM
menced to beat against the shrouds. Not
star remained in what an hour before
had been a cloudlass sky, while the scud
went f1ying thick and last to WindwaTd.
When leaving the coast none OF our Pas
sengers were in mood to exchange the
warm sweetness of the ocean night breeze
for the stuffy atmosphere of the salon OF
eangwav. but wind and wave rule on the
great southern gulf as on other seas.
Next morning the sun came up glow
ing like a ball of fire. The wind had gone
down during the night, but the ship anc
the sea were still rolling, while the per-
sonal appearance of the few passengers
who had come up on the deck gave unerT.
ing proof of their having passed a restles:
night: one in particular, a Spaniard, wa:
frightfully i'll and probably thought o
al the sins he ever committeeman would
commit over again ii he lived and got an
other chance
Towards evening the ship reached Ke,
West, an island of 20, GOO inhabitants
and celebrated, as you are aware, Tor 1t
extensive manufacture of cigars and TO
nothing else. The extent of the key, o.
island. is about three by six miles anC
eleven feet above the surrounding sea
When the cigar makers are out on
strike. which local government office
informed me was an event Of tri
weekly occurrence, they can anus
themselves by turtling, fishing or diving
for sponges, the only three industrie
remaining. Owing to its extensive ciga
factories Kew West is said to be the rich
est. as 1t certainly is one OF the dirties
cities of its size IN your country. IT is il
importance the ninth port of entry in tn
United States, and the third naval stra
tegic point. The city alone pays NOR
import duty and internal revenue ia,
than all the rest of Florida, Georgia, AL
ALBANIA and Mississippi combined. TIL
steamers stop there five or six hours ant
that is quite long enough for anyone no
specially interested in the manipulation
Of the fragrant Inian weed.
I found the city and location dull ant
commonplace. the streets and environ
dirty. and off one or two main thorough
fares there was nobody around. Tn
population being mainly foreign, wer
probably all at work in the factories
With its present prosperity, Key Yves
stands in need, not of the Golden age, bu
OF the Sewerage
Towards midnight the ship slipped he
hawser and stood out to sea again. Hal
4 an hour later that Florida key and it
g-limmering lights, coral reef and comm
breakers were fast becoming faint and ia
in the mists and gloom of the night.
Next morning the passengers were o.
deck at early dawn watching for the dir
outline of the Cuban coast on the horiZo
Of the sea. The purple hills of Matanza
first came into view, then follow tn
wind-worn battlements of the Morr
castle on a rocky headland. We take o
a pilot, then a quarantine and custom
officer and finally pass through
narrow, deep channel between th
frowninC guns of the SPANS
forts, and entering the bay {
Havana site up to a floating'' buoy /
nnidstream, none but Spanish vessels be
ing allowed to dock. We are immediatel
boarded by the usual horde of howlin
hotel runners, who each secure fragment
of the prey and drag them into the boat
living alongside. An examination of a
but the hand baggage follows at the Gus
tom house where we land. Shortly afte
carriages are taken and within an hou
most of us find pleasant quarters at th
Hotel de Iuglaterra, the only first-clas
hosiery, size and location considered
which Havana boasts. We glance at th
thermometer, rs degrees, order bati
and an hour later, having lai
aside their travel-stained suits
4 some OF the voyageurs alread
1 appear in white flannel or other Summe
suits and straw or Panama hats ard al
prepared to do the city and be done
t1NC1g blAuS - IL ONoe S<NCSf
the grade of morality, but most of on
party are hardened and reckless, havin
spent a month in Florida where nothin
was low but the temperature. Hotel ratt
here are 81, s. and Sc, extra meals s1.5t
New York HerGEd Is cents, magazines
cents, Havana illustrated paper SC cent
marquette seat in the theatres q, but the
will sell admission for single act of an
performance after which, should you dI
eide to remain, another ticket must
purchased.
The buildings of Havana, private an