Evening star., 1897-06-02
DRIVEN FROM home BY TIE TROOPS
Effects of the Concentration Order
Of General WeyIer's. :.
WHAT THE AMERICANS SAW
From The Stars Special Correspondent.

means. Mr.. calhoun has been among the
pacificos or country people, who are hude
died together by the thousands on the hill
sides of Matanzas. He has witnessed suf-
fering such as he never saw before in his
life. such as he hopes never to see again.
and such as he never will see again outside
of this fertile island. 1t has been a revela-
tion to him of the way in which Spain
makes war, a revela n that could come
only from personal knowledge.
The mists were hanging over Havana
Sunday morning when Mr.. Calhoun and his
companions crossed the ferry and took the
train for Matanzas. Consul Brice had been
there to confer with Consul General Lee
about the distribution of the money for the
relief of distressed Americans Advantage
vas taken of the opportunity to go out
quietly with him. 1t was a better way
than to go under official escort of Gen.
Ahumada or Governor Palmerola. No
parade was made of the departure of the
party. No advance notice of their coming
was served on the authorities at Matanzas.
II was simply quiet trip for observation,
Inc raliroad journey was a reminder of
the war. The forward car was armored
and filed with soldiers Other soldiers
were on the platforms The passengers
were mostly officers going back to their
posts The train was preceded a few hum
dred feet by a pilot engine, or "explorodor"
ihis pilot engine is sent ahead to discover
dynamite. If it is not blown I'D. the res.,.
lar train may safely follow The cr,w of
the piiot engine are stoics, and do not even
receive extra pay. Their only advantage Is
that the single engine can puff at full speed
through the deep cuts where attacks from
insurgents are possible, while the train
must proceed slowly.
The Camp of Paciacos.
we had the first sight Of an extensive
camp OF pacificos at Campo Florido which
Is an hours distance from Havana Hun
dreds OF palm huts were spread ont on
either side Of the railroad tracks. barh-
ed wire fence, eight feet high. was stretch
ed along the outskirts of the settlement
just outside the fence ran a deep ditch On
the knobs and hills were the fortilinos or
httie forts, garrisoned and with sentfnels
on the lookout. Soldiers patrolled every
where, Looking down among the buts
tnen at the barbed wire fence, the ditch.
the soldiers occupying the commanding DO
si'ions' IL was no longer a mystery why the
pacilcos In the desperation of hunger did
HOT break out into the open country. They
would never get through that fence and
eAi% aieSA USyouU the range OF tla
guns. Those at Campo Florido were wan
aerins aimlessly around within their pen
ike Gagged animals on exhibition,
At Juraco and other stations further
glimpses were had Of the pacificos SMALL
pox mas been very bad here and no one
cared to leave the train for a closer sight.
The people were not the only things tn be
seen. l write of them as things, because
under the present military policy they are
not considered human beings. The other
objects which excited attention along the
route we've the evidences of ruin-cane
fields burned over, bare walls and chtmneys
CT lngenios" or sugar mills heaps of ashes
and blackened mortar, the absence of all
signs Of life except close to the stations
and forts. Everywhere could be seen what
seemed to be great bamboo bird cages
These were the houses of the people who
titled the SOIL These houses had not been
burned Instead they were unroofed, the
weather boarding, II 1t might be called
that, taken off and the poles and rafters
lett II peace ever comes they may be
thatched with palm and again be habit
able. But now they must shelter no one
1t Is impossible to overlook the complete
ness of the military defenses along the line
of the Matanzas railway. Every hill has
its fortilino, with sentinel on the lookout
in the watch tower and with soldiers gar
risoning it. Every station is fortified. Even
the churches are barricaded. And the SOL
dters are numberless. Admirable prepara-
ton, 1t all seems, to resist an invading
army, but we had not looked for it in
province which is officially reported as
pacified
Pleasanter Sight.
Sahara has it's oases and Aquacute is
green spot between Havana and Matanzas.
The country around it has not been devas-
tated. The sugar mills are not bare walls
and smokeless chimneys. There are fields
Of waving cane. The palm huts Of the
country people are yet thatched and more
comfortable homes, with broad porches,
undersloping roofs. peep out under the
brow Of the hills. Cattle are grazing on
the uplands and in the basins. Men are
ploughing in the fields. turning up the rich.
red loan. We guess the cause of 1t all in
the troops. These have been massed in
sufficient numbers to give protection from
the insurgents, and some powerful influence
has kept the soldiers from destroying.
Whatever the cause. 1t is a grateful sight.
We can admire the beauty of the land
scope as cur eyes sweep over It, where tine
hills slope gently into the valleys and the
valleys rise as gently into hills, crowned
by groves Of palms and laurels.
Every beautiful" we say to the civil
Spanish officer. who has been answering
our questions. YES" he replies. "a won
derfully beautiful country. And to think
that it should be inhabited by such an un-
grateful people," We do not want con-
trcversy. but this remark cannot pass un-
challenged. Seeing signs Of q rising storm
the Spanish officer quickly changes the
subject.
1 Or Cascore Hlll.
Matanxas is reached at last We may
not stop now to look out across the bay
which has made It celebrated. There win
be time enough later to hear OF the lost
tra4 and dead commerce OF this Liverpool
of the Antilles. We can easily understand
that a splendid harbor cannot be filed with
slips when the sugar they ones carried
away was this year only acres and acres
Scontsuded q Ninth PaseJ