The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-03-23

Burning cane fires not far nom the rail-
road indicated that the insurgents, ana
possibly the Spanish soldiers, were busy.
Indeed only few evenings ago an in
surgent force captured a large herd of
no rs and cattle in the outskirts of
NJ lanzas, while the Dauntless discharg-
ed her last cargo of insurgent material
literally in the harbor of that city.
! was fortunate to have as travelling
companions Congressman Amos j. Cum
mings of New York, and William Alden
Smith of Michigan; also Clara Barton,
]. NJ. Elwell of Lawrence. Kan, DIR. and
Mrs. Lesser of New York, DIR. Hubbell
and Mrs. Ward of Washington, Mr.. Louis
klOpsch, proprietor of the Christian Her
aid, and other philanthropic persons.
All along the route were wretched peo-
pie in rags, but not until Matanzas was
reached was the full extent of the exist
ing suffering realized.
The railroad station was crowded with
poor creatures, many of them nearing
their graves as consequence OF star
walton and resulting disease. Men, Wo-
men and children iostlcd and crowded
one another. begging for help. Some of
the children were entirely naked, while
most of them Were covered only in part,
and that with ragged and dirty clothing.
The same condition of things was seen
on the streets, and the hotel lobby ex
hibited other scenes of similar destitu-
ton.
IT occurred to me as ! looked upon
these scenes of suffering and horror
that the Cuban recOncentrados might
well have adopted the words of Dante.
who enters here leaves hope behind,
when they were driven from the fields,
and herded like cattle in the cities and
towns of this fertile land.
The truth is that Weyler devised
scheme of human suffering and sorrow
that put. Dantes Inferno" into the
shade, and converted a contented, pros
porous people into a herd Of suffering,
starving unfortunates.
True, il is said that under the pres
ent regime they are permitted to re.
sumo work on the land, but careful in
quiry failed to discover that this is re-
ally so. and even were II so, how could
starving, penniless men and women,
with sick and emaciated children, find
their way TO their former homes and
take up the duties of life, with their
houses destroyed and every means Of
supporting life taken from them by the
/ cruel edict of a merciless tyranny.
In MantanZas | met an American citi-
zen at the office of the United States
consul. who one year ago was worth
$50, 000, but who today is utterly penni-
| less.
He was driven from his home into the
/ city. his buildings destroyed. and the
I Accommodations of a lifetime disappear
( ed. Recently he was told that he could
return to his land. which he did engag-
! ing in the manufacture of charcoal but
/ scarcely had he commenced work when
/ his property was again seized and he
/ was returned TO the city. inside Of the
| line called the zone of cultivation"
/ A day in Mantanzas is one never to
| be forgotten. The city nestles by the
D 4
| ten by famine and when commerce and
| trade made it one of the most impOr-
! tant ports of Cuba. Today the bay is
! deserted, except by ships bringing re
/ lief to the starving people.
Bcggary and Death.
! Matanzas is literally a place Of beg
gary and death. Never before did my
| eyes behold such suffering. and never
again do I expect TO see such havoc
wrought through cruel and inhuman
/ decree
| After a call on Consul Brice. whose
| good work in Matanzas is known and
| recognized everywhere. the company were
/ driven 10 the palace Of the governor Of
the province, where they were received
/ most graciously. The present governor
. Is Cespedes de Amos. a well-known jour
/ nalist. and man who seems to fully ap-
preciate the appalling condition Of the
, people
He was especially kind and courteous
| TO Miss Barton. placing at her disposal
one of the finest apartments in the pal
ace. and the other members Of the fam
fly were equally devoted to this good wo-
man.
The governor talked freely Of the situa-
ton, rendered the party a reception that
was declined. and when ne proposed a
toast to Hail, Columbia, il was evident
that his eyes are turned in the only di-
/ rection whence help can come 10 this
( stricken people
/ Governor Amos succeeded Senior Paret.
who served under Weyler and who is re-
membered as a cruel, brutal man. The
/ present incumbent of the office, while
/ serving the Spanish government. is I'M
/ questionably very solicitous for a better
/ ment Of the condition of the people.
Returning from places Of public resort.
! the party visited three hospitals. named
| respectively Providencia. Carload and
/ San Carlos, and here were fresh evidences
/ Of the ravages that starvation is work
I ing.
Some members of the Red Cross had
visited the hospital two weeks ago but
/ they were terrified to discover that al
most every one of the inmates had died.
and. to some extent others had taken
Z lHeH places mere poverty. sorrow ana
! suffering were depicted in their worst
forms. Children gaunt in face, but with
! abdomen and limbs terribly swollen
I women in the last stages of emaciation.
and men rapidly drifting to death were
/ on every hand.
No Food or Medicine.
If there was food in these hospitals 1
did not discover it: neither were there
| signs of medicine or of proper nursing
! or care. AS these unfortunates lay there
| suffering the pangs of hunger an abund-
! ance of food was at the railroad sta
/ ton, sent there by Miss Barton more
/ than week ago, but which, through
/ some mistake. had not been distributed,
/ and the Fern and one other vessel were
/ lying in the bay loaded down with con-
| tributions from the Government and
! people of the United States.
/ wish l could command language elo-
/ quent enough to pay a just tribute to
| Clara Barton, the guardian angel of op-
! pressed, suffering humanity. More than
| seventy years of age, when the cry
/ came from far-off Armenia, she was
! soon In that stricken land, carrying the
! ministrations of the Gospel and distrib-
/ uting benefactions under the aegis of the
| Society of the Red Cross. More than
/ tnree-score-and-ten years of age, she has
! again responded TO the Macedonian cry.
| and is in Cuba, relieving suffering and
! sorrow, a very angel of mercy and of hu-
man love and sympathy.
| For a large proportion of the remain
! inc a dot n. l..