The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-27

The people are rich; the sites for the palm
bark villages of the hu8Ty are elevatd and
halthy; the water is good; some organized
charitable efforts have been made by the
citizens; the city government has Mid In
swamps and made boulevards TO give work
TO the destitute. The little hamlets men,
tened have had none Of these ameliora-
tons.
Yet in Mantanzas out of 1900 country
men, women, and children there are today
not more than 5000 left, and they are bare
ly alive The streets are full of tottering
ones, the cafe doors frame squads Of wom-
en- and children, the public square has a
living skeleton for each OF Its beautiful
shrubs and trees, the dead carts go 10 the
cemetary loaded with bodies three deep.
Remember, Havana is taking almost good
care of its starving. and Mantanzes is
doing al least something.
Then. remember that these two are the
largest cities of Cuba.
That the conditions grow worse at the
towns are smaller, and that 80 per cent OF
the country people of Western Cuba have
been herded I'M the smaller towns. Then
yon may form a faint idea of what horrors
there are in Cuba; may comprehend how
thousands of dead can be seen from a car
window.
The Mayor of Mantanzas publicly said a
few days ago that 1900 reconcentradoS
had been brought to town. 1900 of them
last February and March on Weylers first
order. The first arrivals had little mon
ey and some cattle. Then struggled in or
or were brought in the remaining 5000.
There have been no considerable arrivals
for three months.
L .zt a..
ernor of the province sent 5000 to be dis
tributed among several SMALL towns near
by. 1t is almost certain that IS per cent of
those are dead; it Is certain that 1900 of
the remaining 10000 have died.
This appalling fact has been proved in
several ways. The houses occupied be the
reconcentrados have been counted and the
dead estimated from the difference between
the average number of occupants now ard
when most crowded. This check with the
average present number per house multi
Piled by the number of houses. The num-
ber of applicants for the soup issued lately
has been considered. The numbers apply
ing 10 organized charities and asking work
in the swamps and on the roads have been
ascertained. and I have secured the opin-
ions Of the Americans. Spaniards. and Gu
bans in the best positions to know-to tell
IL.
moderate statement. Nothing but a corps
of fifty men to count simultaneously the
palm tree houses, the streets. the alleys,
and tie parks could get the number ac-
curately.
In the little huts are twos and threes, and
many are empty. while at first every one
was full. In Cuba, even under normal con-
ditions that means seven or eight persons
to each palm tree hut 2Ox20 feet square.
Before hunger came 10 kill them off each
hut had from ten to twelve, principally
women and children
The civil register of the city only hints
at the awful loss of life. 1t is official and
does not record the many quiet burisls n
the fields TO avoid the danger Of waiting
days 10 secure permit necessary fer poor
mans body to be allowed its six feet OF
consecrated ground. II shows 2, 3ie deaths
actual sad figure.
The present death rate of forty starving z
ones daily, had It been constant since the
beginning of Weyier would have wiped out
the entire 20 600 before now. The total daily
death rate varies from sixty-five &c seventy.
On Nov. g. 123 died. Physicians claim the
daily average should be eighty.
AT this rate IN little more than a year
Nantanzas will be a graveyard, and in less
corcentrados Although the conditions may
change for the citizens of Msntanzss there
is little hope for its enforced visitors. Gen.
eraI Blaneo's relief measures, although
humane. are wholly inadequate II carried
out by the local authorities they come TOO
late. Soldiers rat.ons, even with jeTked
besf and cornmeai added. VIII XII more
than they will cure The snaenSs tstarveD
condition OF the wrstched bipeds here is
such tina: expert medical testimony 6ooms
one half of the 800 concentrates left 20
death. and II the rations issued are the
same tie Spanish soldiers here now barely
exist on, the same testimony declares that
al least 2on VII die.
The starved are not likely 70 &c; even
tina. much. One OF the highest officials
wao wo0ii be intrusted with the issuing Of
rscens. has said within three days:
We are no; going 70 pay any attention
10 Bls.co's order
TIE money rtsed for the feeding the starry
e5 has been mostly stolen The change Of
officials has let this cut through the intense
hatred OF he Spanish rsforznis1 for the
Spanish conservative
An income tax OF per cent was Ieyie3
for the care o. The hungry AID coiiectei.
TIE present Officers charge TIE former
officials with putting mos of :, TITO Their
pockets TIE amcunt raised was consider
able. the work done next 90 nothing.
Six THOUSAND collars went n ssSes az 3
cents 2 Gay and ioEnwari fer s~szp fl
Ing Two hundred ms1 worked @
boulevard ;xo weeks and pad most of fh-s-
rroa-y back 20 the officials fS- ne :sc1
they we're compelled 10 bug II certain
places.
within a week 4 issd1-x Spanish Es--
chant sizpred the former Mayors face sf-
ter .exinx him and the former CcveT1or
with tbs and otae. stesE-g2
Another example Il tie barracks 5a-i