The sun., 1897-05-15
CUBA'S AWFUL MISERY.
DISEASE AND sTARVATI0N DEoI-
MATING THE NON-COMBLTANTS.

onaailpox Patients Left 20 Dio in Hospital
without Feoa or R1edictnee-The BviuE
Left in Hea with the Dead-Ths Famine
Stricken Cut Dewn by Spanish ouerriiias'
HAVANA, May II, via Key west-The Spanish
runboat Diego vslaEques entered on Wednes-
day morning the bay of Cienfuegos. carrying
twonty1our families Of paoihoos from the prov
inoe of Santa Clara. The families were found
near the shore, starving. and wero sent TO the
putposts at Cienfuegos with the other famine
stricken non.combatants by orders OF Gen.
weyler.
At Pozo Lunar, in Santa Clara province. the
Fpanish battalion Of ZaragoEa found seventy
four families starving in huts. Instead OF giving
them any relief, the spaniards treated them
brutaily. Women old men, and children were
brought TO O place near the Spanish Tort ana
obliRcd TO stay there. within sight OF tho guard
without shelter or food.
At Guines, in Havana province, several
Spanish physicians we're detailed to inspect the
place and report on tho sanitary measures that
bhould be taken to chock tho smallpox. They
~ere 90 much impressed by tho situation tnat'
oven at the risk of being prosecuted. they
presented . few days ago to the Sanitary De-
partment Of the town report denouncing tho
carolessness Of the Spanish authorities. In tho
suburbs Of the town they found persons ill OF
smallpox, without any medical assistance and
medicines and crowded into small huts. They
found father with two children, the children
dyinE of tho disease and tho father OF hunger.
The reservoir which provides drinking water
for tho town was terribly polluted. Moro than
q foot of decaying organic matter coats tho
bottom.
The physicians found In q hospital 4s sick In
I3 beds. Three Of the beds had two sick persons
each, and in another one three persons were
hours No physicians were In attendance. In
tho square La villa, inside of the town. there
were 200 huts OF pacificos, gathered In by the
SPANISH columns. In each hut there were at
least two persons ill Of smallpox. In each or
several four or five sick men and women were
found. The people had no money. oven for cor
fms for their dead. For fifty cents. paid to tho
cemetery guard, q family might secure an old
coffin in which body might be sent out for
burial. Later the coffin would be returned for
further use.
After this report was presented, the Sanitary
Department ordered that new hospital be
erected Immediately. But the sick who wero
transferred to that new building were aban-
doncd there, and after thirty six hours. without
any assistance, the majority died Of hunger.
At FL Limonar, near Matanzas, the Spanish
guerrillas in attempting to reconnoitre tho
neighboring hills, fell into an ambush prepared
by the insurgents Forty out Of the 100 guerril-
las were killed. The rest fed to the town Of
Limonar. There they avenged themselves on
the unarmed and starving pacifcos. attacking
them with machetes and killing women and
children. Sixty paciiicos were killed.
In Santa Clara province 500 persons died Of
hunger last week. The American Consulate 10
surrounded by men spying on those who bring
in news about the situation.
Your correspondent has conferred with infiu- |
ential persons here about Mr.. Calhoun's visit |
and the measures that could be taken by the |
American Government in behalf of the American !
victims OF the famine. The general opinion is |
that Mr.. Calhoun will find the situation worse |
than has been reported though the Spanish au-
thorites will make all possible efforts to thwart
his Investigations. |
The famine is but consequence Of the devas- |
tation of the country by Gen. Weyler and Of his |
barbarous warfare upon non-combatants, whom |
he has obliged to crowd the towns without CIV !
ing them means OF subsistence. weyler and |
Spain are the only authors OF these horrors. |
sensible man here, a Spaniard by birth. said |
yesterday:
"If the United States would like to do some-
thing for their citizens and for humanity here |
the first step to take is to remove tho cause"
And pointing to the Spanish flag waving over
Moro Castle. he added, "There ID the cause"
The war is going on usual. The Spanish
forces undor Col. Alfau, on their way from
Corral Nuevo to Canasi. Matanzas province,
heard the firing Of Spaniards and insurgents in
conflict ut Vista Hermosa. Alfau turned off to
help the Spaniards His vanguard, led by Lieut..
Guardia. fell into trap, and was destroyed by
the Cubans. Guardia himself being killed. The
retired in haste, leaving moro than
eighty killed on the field.
Near Cobre, Santiago de Cuba province. the
Spanish forces Of Buenavista were routed by tho
insurgents under Carlos Garcia. son of Gen.
Calixto Garcia. They left on tho field twelve
killed and fifteen wounded.