Evening star., 1898-12-03
PICTURES OF SPAIN
Lecture by Prof. Priest Before Ma
tional Geographic Society.
CAPITAL CITY OF TIE KINGDOM
Cuba. Porto Rico, the Caroline and
Philippine Islands.
ST. JOHN OF THE NOBLE PORT

The main lecture hall at Columbian Uni
versity was crowded with representative
people of Washington and those from other
sections to attend the second of the series
of popular meetings which has been ar
ranged for by the National Geographic So
ciety. The lecture of the evening was Illus
trated with about $50 lantern slides and
was by Prof. W. Edwin Priest of Central
High School, whose theme was Spain in
Europe and America" The lecture was in
terrupted before its close by the arrival of
Gen. Jose Miguel Gomez, Col. Manuel San
gully and Don Ricardo Diaz Albertine of
the Cuban commission, now in Washington.
and Don Gonzalo de Quesada. Cuban repre-
sentative here, for whom an informal re-
ception had been arranged by the officers of
the Geographical Society. Gen. Garcia had
also accepted an invitation to attend the
reception. but at the last moment was
taken ill and was unable to be present.
Prof Priest said in part:
In speaking of Spain and the Spanish
government the thought usually centers
about Madrid. not always pictured as it is,
a city of nearly 100000 people. adorned with
beautiful parks and shaded bouIevards but
standing in the Alcala, the handsomest
street in the kingdom. which runs through
the city from side to side. some impression
of the Spanish capital dawns upon US.
The royal palace of granite and marble
was built before our revolution yet the
Spaniard would scarcely call it old His
country abounds in buildings so much older
It's ceilings are masterpieces of the great
spanish artists of a century ago. Its deco
rationS are priceless tapestries. costly mir
rors and the richest marbles Its library
contains 100000 volumes.
The Government
"Of the government itself nothing too bad
can be said. Spain, during the present
century. has had seven different constitu-
uons-two at time, occasionally A
Wretched, inefficient, inconsistent fearfullv
oppressive militarism. there is on the part
of the people for it nothing but the SUI
premest Indifference, coupled with passive
helpless submission. Nowhere is the toiier
so subordinated to the drone'
Spea king Of the Canary. Islands. Nr.
"A botanical wonder is the, dragon tree
Forty feet high, $500 years old. il stands in
the iStand OF Ieneritfe. That tree was
growing Wnen Moses was still in Egypt
me canary archipelago constitutes prov
lnce, and SO a part of Spain-not a colony
Such as cuba was nevertheless the off
clals are nearly all sent out from the pe1ia
sula, and the oppression is very great The
administrative office have been multiplied
beyond all reason to make sinecures for the
lrlehds and rctaners of the Madrid poH-
ticfanS.
blessing to Canaries
"A greater blessing could not come. 10 the
people of the Canaries than to fall into the
hands of England or the United States. and
commercially it would be an inestimable
boon to either country to possess them.
Although Cuba is geographically situated
TO Command the entire commerce of The
W est Indies, yet such has been the restraint
placed by Spain upon all intercourse with
the surrounding islands that Cuba has prac-
ucdlly had tbar
ever, ana so perpetual has been the quar-
antine existing against the island on the
part OF al its neighborS that to reach any
OF the adjacent islands as Hayti or Jamai-
ca-each less than hundred miles distant
1t has usually been necessary for the Gu
ban first to proceed to New York and thence
to his destination
"A ship canal once cut through N;cara
qua, Cuba, with its magnificent harbors
VIII always be the key to the Caribbean
and, in fact, the outer gate to the commerce
OF the east, and so must be under the con-
trol or the dominant power of the west
eFn hemisphere.
With the entrance of the American there
VIII be sanitation of the cities making
them healthful; but 1t is scarcely possible
Tor us to imagine the utter neglect of even
the first principles of sanitary precaution
IN the cities of Cuba and Porto Rico.
The Caverns.
"one of the natural wonders is her great
caVerns. The rock formation is limestone
and the country is full of caves of remark
able size and beauty. of which the caves of
Bellamar, near Matanzas, extend three
miles under ground and are especially no.
table for the beauty of their stalactite for,
nations The caverns were much used by
the insurgents as hiding places. 1t Is no
unusual thing in Cuba for Il river to disap-
pear into an underground channel to re-
appear at a lower level miles away
Beautiful and picturesque as is the city
nf Ia1 to
lnsalubrious in the world. Though il has a
capacity for thousand ships, 1t has an en-
trance both narrow and shallow. while the
/ pay Wlthln Is hundreds of feet in depth;
| therefore no tidal action can ever cleanse
tue harbor, which for centuries has been
receiving the drainage of the city.
. oplSpo street is one of the best in the
city The fact that most of the houses I'm
Havana are two-Storied, though this is nor
exactly revealed by the picture viii make
the incoming Yankee appreciate the neglect
OF SKY space The Yankee in Havana will
nnd ample opportunity to employ his on
ersies. He will find that he is IN the land
Oh the manana-of tomorrow-of any time
excepting now.
Interesting Building,
ferhaps the most interesting building in
havana Is the cathedral. In this antIoue
structure was the reputed tomb of Column
bus, although San Domingo claims to pos
sess the genuine remains, while Spain has
taken steps to deprive America altogether
of the honor of possessing the dust OF the
great admiral.
Like the Spaniard, tho Cuban goes 10
church Sundays in the morning and to the
bull ring in the afternoon. If the United
states assumes control 1t can scarcely
be expected that II will permit the Ha-
Vanese to run a slaughter house for their
amusement.
About thousand miles due southeast
from Havana opens northward the harbor
of San Juan Of Porto Rico-'Saint John of
the Rich or Noble Port" Is the CITY Is
approached the scene Is most beautiful
White houses and palaces rise one above
another over the placid waters OF the bay.
reminding one of the orient. San Juan Is a
perfect specimen of a walled town, with
portcullis. moat, gates and battiements
Buht over 80 years ago. 1t Is still in good
condition and repair. The city is laid off
in regular squares with very straight
streets, which beautifully paved with
blocks brought from England. The streets
are swept once a day by hand and kept,
strange to say, for a Spanish-American city
remarkably clean.
1T is noble acquisition we shall have In
Porto Rico. It's great value as a strategic
center will be seen when we remember that
1t is about 500 miles from New York