The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-10-26
mo REPLY FROM SPAIN.
The Answer Has Not Reached the
Washington Officials.
THE PBsTHOLBs OF HAVANA.

DR.. Brunner, a Sanitary Inspector OF
Our Marine Hospital Service, De-
scribes the narrowing Conditions
Existing In These Deadly Sections.
Washington, oct. 26-Up to the close
Of Office hours yesterday Spain's reply
on the Cuban question had not reached
the president or state department. 1t
was stated also in other quarters, by
those in a position to know what had
occurred at Madrid, that the answer
had not been delivered to Minister
Woodford. II has been approved by the
cabinet, however, and Is to be COM
municated to Minister Woodford today.
denial was made by an authorita-
tive source that Minister Dupuy de
LONE had intimated to the state de-
partment that Spain would resort to
the search and seizure Of suspected
American vessels on the high seas If
flibustering expeditions continued to
leave this country. The reports, II is
believed, grew out of visits made by
the minister to the state department
last Monday and Thursday. At these
visits he called the attention OF the
officials to the circumstances of the de-
DdINuLt VI Allt dlitEtu unUublEI olANeI
Heel, after the authorities were put
in possession of explicit information
of the plans of the vessel.
Regret was expressed by the minister
at this occurrence, as it was felt that
1t would create a bad impression at
Madrid at a time when the govern
ment was maturing its policy. Beyond
this, however the minister made no
reference to retaliation upon American
vessels, or as to searches on the high
seas. 1t is said a prerequisite to such
action would be an announcement by
Spain of the blockade of all the ports
of Cuba, and certainly no step along
such radical lines has been proposed
thus far.
The diplomatic procedure in connec-
tion with Spain's reply to the Wood
ford note is that 1t will be communi-
Gated to him by the minister of foreign
affairs at Madrid. 1t will not be sent
to Minister Dupuy de LONE, as 1t is
distinctly a part of communications be-
tween Minister Woodford and the
Madrid officials, and is not an exchange
of notes between the state department
and the government of Spain.
In his last weekly report to Surgeon
General Wyman Sanitary Inspector
Drummer, of the Marine hospital service,
reports seven deaths from starva-
ton in Havana for the week ended Oct.
Z, and q for the week ended oct. IA.
He also reports a rapid increase in in
testinal diseases due to the contracted
food supply, estimating that two-fifths
of the total deaths of the city are due
to this cause.
DR.. Drummer calls attention to Los
Fosos, a place set aside for the country
people sent to Havana, which is, he
says, a pesthole. 1t is a large wooden
building, 150x5O feet in size, situated
in an enclosure, which is used for stor-
ing the carts of the municipality. DR..
Brunner says:
There were 500 people found in and
around this building, and of that num-
ber over 200 were found lying on the
floor sick and dying. 1 saw no child
under ten years of age who could be
considered in good health. The emacia-
ton of their bodies was startling. This
place is not a hospital, but simply a
place of residence for these people,
but a conservative estimate of the
death rate of these people would be
about ten per day. The number is re-
cruited by fresh accessions from the
country. There were over 100 children
below the age of 10 years, and 1 did
not observe one whose chance for iv-
ing 80 days, under the existing condi-
tions, was good. There are two other
such places in the city where the same
conditions exist. The hospitals, civil,
are refusing patients. One Of them,
capable of holding 200 patients, now
has nearly 500 and has refused to admit
any new patients until that number
can be reduced.