The Republican journal., 1898-03-17

HdNdna, anu mas greatly intensified the
bitter feeling between the races. MANY
declare with certainty that the Cubans did
it in order to force the United States RI
make war upon Spain, and SO aid the
cause OF Cuba Libre: while others assert
with equal posiuveness that the Spaniards
We're responsible for the disaster with the
same end in view, because-since they
cannot overcome the rebels-they wish to
lose the island with less dishopor to Spain.
through being conquered by stronger
foreign power. Officers OF the Maine saw
that 1t was not possible for bomb to have
been put beneath her, large enough to
have any effect upon that enormous mass
of steel and iron, as her keel Law within
two feet Of the mud at the bottom of the
harbor. On that dreadful night of the
explosion, when the air was filed with
the shrieks of the wounded and rroans of
the dying, some lunatic on the wharf
raised the cry of Death to the Ameri-
cans. There are cranks everyw here. YOU
know, and nation cannot be made re-
A-4'>NAN
sponsible for them. But since then many
Spaniards have been heard to say exult-
antly that now 1.-The Yankees have no
more gun boats than Spain The masses
are too ignorant to comprehend the re-
sources Of the United States. and it is an
actual fact that the majority Of Spaniards
in Cuba seriously contemplate going over
TO whip Uncle Samuel as soon as they can
find time
The absence of the Stars and Stripes
from the grand official funeral has been
remarked in many quarters. One small.
inconspicuous American flag was all that
appeared in the whole spectacular affair.
but the red and yellow banner OF Spain.
the ugliest on earth-fgured largely Sure
Habana, in the Consulate and in the
houses of American subjects resident
here 10 have at least covered the cotfins:
and if it is true, as some believe. that
our boys were the victims of Spanish
hate, to decorate their corpses with the
red and yellow was indeed Iravesty.
On the sad evening Of the funeral, a
party of young Americans went TO dine at
a fashionable restaurant of the city Call
ing for menus, what was their horror
and Indignation to read among other
(fried chcken) la maine" I'm facetous
reference to the burned and dying seamen.
1t is needless to add that the Americans
collected and destroyed all the menus and
would have wiped the dirty floor with the
proprietor had he not discreetly kept out
of the way.
Washington birthday did not pass al
together unobserved by our wounded boys
in the san Ambrosia, though one Of their
number died in the early morning. Their
country women in Cuba carried them flow
ers and grapes and made them as comfort
able and cheerful as possible.
An hour ago the doctor of the Maine
brought me the information that another
OF the men is dying -day-George Bolger
of New York city. When l visited him
yesterday he looked up brightly and talked
Tor momentof his sweetheart and brother.
to both of whom have twice written, and
enQured whether letters might not be
expected to arrive that day; then his mind
wandered and he begged me to pick the
green out OF his bed l pretended to
i No.
into unc0nsciOuSneSs.
Toward evening on the 22nd OF February
| drove out to the Cemtario de Christoval
Coon, to lay a few flowers on tie graves
of our men in honor OF Washington birth
day. The place looks doubly bare and
desolate in the midst of the splendid monu-
meats of that beautiful cemetery, merely
a great pile of freshly turned gravel, with
few half dug pits at one side for the
reception of other bodies that may die in
the hospital or be brought from the sea.
The negro in charge pointed out tie exact
dimensions of the eight wide graves into
which the first 81 coff MS were placed
Miss Clara Barton President Of the
American Red Cross Society, has rented a
beautiful house in the suburb of Havana
called the Cerro, (the HID and is now
residing there with her secretary. 1t is
an immense place-a typical Cuban casa
of 20 rooms, with marble floors, fountain
and statuary in its patio, and beautiful
garden full of roses and tall palms. Not
least among its beauties is a bath house
in the grounds sort of Grecian temple,
circular in form, built up over pool of
clear cold water, with marble steps lead
ing down into it. 1t is the design. |
believe, to convert the place into hospi-
tal OR an orphan asylum tor deserving
Reconcentrados
Since my visit to Jaruco Miss Barton
has been there and made a surprising
change in that wretched place. A house
has been hired in which to store the
American food and from which it is to be
regularly distributed; and above it floats
the Stars and Stripes. Committees have
been organized among the citizens to
carry on the good work systematically;
and stranger than all, an actually clean