The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-19
HAVANA Is HELPLESS
Century Behind the Times
In Defense Work.
LAND AND NAVAL FORCE
VIII Combine to Capture 1t
One of These Fine Days.


city. known wherever the fame of cities
! has reached, and deserving of its fame
| too, for Ike all great cities Of industry
and art, It is unique
Cubs capital is coeval with the Medi-
| terranese conquest of the western heInis-
phere. The name Of the city is charac-
teristic of the religious Latin races for,
| when Diego de Valesquez laid its founda-
tons. in 1915, he chrisrened- it San Chris
tobal de Ia Habana-St. Christopher Of
the haven or harbor-in honor of Column
bus, the discoverer Of the island The
name, bestowed upon the city by the con-
queror of the island. has remained IN
changed, and Is still officially so called.
But its popular name has been shortened
to Habana in Spanish and Havana in
other tongues
Havana is vastly interested at any
time. but its Importance rises to the high
est degree at present and this is true es-
pesialIy for Americans who are now face
to face with the question: What defense
can Havana make against a feet Of yam
kee war ships sent thither to dislodge the
empire Of Spain?
Fortunately we are in a position TO
answer this question with supreme salts
faction to ourselves. Havana IS cited on
the west side of the bay Of its ownname-
one Of the most beautiful bodies of water
Of its kind found anywhere. The city
stands on a sort OF peninsula that IS
formed on one side by the waters Of
the bay, and on the other side by those
Of the gulf.
In olden times It was one Of the strong
est places Of the civilized world When
ships Of war were of wood and carried
few guns whose bullts were repealed by
granite masonry, Havana was impregna-
Bile. But the "oak leviathans' and the
''rock built cities" of Lord Bryon are now
historical. One the one hand the recent
destruction Of the Maine indicates the
cause Why granite walls are no longer
needed, and on the other hand it is seen
how the submarine mine and torpedo
have developed gun power. which enables
a ship to stand miles without a harbor
and land shells in a city's heart.
BEHIND THE TIMES.
Yet # It were not for Spanish poverty
and decline, Havana today might have
DCcIl do ttidLiNtAE StAOlS c1c NAAS4lJ III 4ocOI
it drove the fierce Sir Francis Drake
away from its coasts. The fact is that the
Spaniards have not kept step with the
march of progress. The insanity Of at
tempting to defend Havana with the same
implements and weapons of warfare that
were successfully used in the wars three
centuries ago IL in perfect keeping with
Spain's anachrOnism in civilization. The
truth is that the city Of Havana would
be as helpless before a bombarding fleet
as one Of Weyler's skeleton reconcentra-
does before a Spanish soldier
Within the past two years Spain has
squandered vast sums on what it con-
siders thes strengthening Of Havana's for
tifications, but in spite of all that the
town is in no position to repel any serious
attack by land or sea Havana's defenses
facing the sea may be divided into two
parts. those at the entrance of and in the |
harbor and those which have been re-
Gently put up along the coast, east and |
west Of the mouth of the harbor. The for !
mer are interesting only for their an
tiquity, and the latter are almost rudi- !
mentary so far as effectiveness is CON
cerned.
The most widely known of all Of Ha-
vana's forts is the celebrated Moro Cas- |
tie In an antiquarian way this renowned |
redoubt is a. marvel. a century or more |
ago its tremendous bastions bristling |
with the heaviest and deadlest artillery |
of the age, bade defiance to all the navtes |
OF the world. Today, the once terrible |
Moro IS used as a prison In whish are |
practiced the refined tortures that only |
Spanish brain can conceive. The castle
has 0 arms ex..rt a few obsolete can
non. total v harmless except 10 those who |
would attempt to use them. Obsolete as
a fortress. Moro serves an excellent pur-
pose as a base for an excellent and use
ful lighthouse that towers above the sea-
ward height OF the castle.
Moro is the first sight that greets the
incomer through the bay. II has been
well called a huge. hollow rockery. The
storms Of a century have beaten against
i and the Spaniard has perpetually
painted It's walls. The result Is that K
presents a picture as savage In color as
1 Is possible 10 imagine, All the colors
II the sprectum are flung together with
oUt the remotest attempt at harmony. II
> a resplendent object and prepares the
visitor for the inscrutable heterogencity |
If color ne is later 10 see IN the city Itself.
DEFENSES OF HAVANA.
But to return 20 Havana's defenses.
Moro has an outwork known as Velasco
which is not mora efficient than
he castle itself. Across the harbor from
MORO IS the quaint old castle de IA Pun
q, which IS a square Fashioned stone fort
This stronghold" IS armed with three or
our ancient Parrot guns and a single
5-inch Rodman. This latter weapon is
Il Specious stnlar 20 that which has
y late been hauled down from Fort Ham
lion and Fort WadsWo.th 10 give place
o modern artillery. Down q way from
ne Pun;a IS the CaYalle-.a wharf. and
between the two PAGES : the remains q