The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-03
War NOt8S
and M6n16ntO88
Cuban Re|cs---Thngs Seen at Night-Key West Naval
Bass---H Hospital Ships.

Jlldl SiilpS'
during the war. lie at the foot of the
principal street testifying to the slow
ness of change in Key West. A naval
officer who was here in 1866, Just after
the close of the war, says that at that
time there was much talk Of making this
an important naval station. Some
earth batteries were thrown up, and
these batteries look about the same to-
day. There are more people here but
the town and the harhOr look about the
same as in 1866.
An officer on the Terror. who was
here in 1874. says the facilities then for
the old navy were as good as the faclli-
ties now for the new navy. There are
large coal sheds here. Il naval store
house and distillng plant whose water
is still brackish: but there are no ade-
uuate dock facilities. the harbor is so
uncertain that every vessel that comes
in heaves the lead, and the steamer Mas
cote stuck fast in the mud few hun
dred yards from her wharf the other
day, while large vessels like the first
class cruisers and the battleships are
unable to enter the inner harbor at all,
and have to anchor six miles out. The
water is often rough in the outer har
bor and coaling is difficult.
The people here are somewhat con-
cerned over Admiral SIMPSONS letter
in the Cadet Jones case, in which he
suggested the ACCESSIBILITY of sending
the prizes to Charleston. or Port Royal,
s c.. on account of the anti-Spanish
feeling and imagine that he will not do
anything To further the interests of Key
West. but the government will undoubt-
eddy establish Il great naval station
here The geographical positions of the
Key. makes this certain. Modern for
titications are being constructed, and the
contract for new wharves has been let.
THE HOSPITAL SHIPS.
The United States hospital ship Solace
is expected to remain at Guantanamo
until the number of wounded is larger
than she can accommodate, when she
will bring them here. Sick men are
much better off on the Solace, lying in
smooth water than they would be in
the hospitals in Key West, where the
heat is intense and mosquitoes abound.
The temperature at Key West sometimes
reaches % degrees in the shade at s
O'Clock, in the morning. The heat in
creases as the day grows older. The
nights are hot and sometimes the night
breeze is very faint. On the SOlace
lying in smooth water, wounded men
have every comfort that they could get
on shore. are cool and are not troubled
by mosquitoes. The Spanish hospital
ship Alicante, is not likely to have many
patients. If she should venture out of
San Juan harhor, it is thought here, she
would probably he seized by the United
States as ii Spanish ship of war. The
United States has proof that she was
Il coal tender for Cervera's feet. 1t is
known that she coaled the torpedo boat
Terror ut Port de France, and her En-
glish engineer will testify TO her career
as IL naval collier.
The vessels white paint. however, is
not the only thing that upholds her
claim to be called a hospital ship. She
has physicians and nurses aboard, beds
for the sick and all the modern surgical
appliances. She belongs to Henderson
The Glasgow. is chartered by the Span
ish government. and is of 5000 tons and
has Il speed of nearly fourteen knots.
CUBAN PATRIOTS.
San Carlos hall in this city may be
called the Fanuiel Hall of Free Cuba.
1t was here that the meeting was held
in 1895. when the final steps were taken
to begin the last rebellion against Spain.
The Cubans of Key West, most of them
very poor have given every possible
penny of their earnings to the cause
and many Cubans have gone from here
to fight for Cuba. In fact young Gu
han who had ma halplnSc parsnu 6apopI-
ent upon him. and who should remain in
Key West. would have no standing
whatever in the Cuban colony. Most of
the young unmarried Cubans have gone
to Cuba. The aged mother of General
CaliXto Garcia lives here in very humble
circumstances. She has not seen her
famous son in eighteen years. Much of
that time he has spent in prisons and in
the fields. Mrs. Garcia is very warm
admirer of General Fitzhugh Lee, as is
also Mrs. Alexander Rodriguez, wife of
the commander of the Cuban forces in
Havana province General Lee rescued
her from the Spaniards who sought to
wreak vengeance on her for the injury
done to Spain by her husband. Mrs.
Rodriguez came to Key West from
Cuba. The parents, brothers and sisters
VI lHt ldit -NeStOE
live here. Two of the boys are with
General Lacret in Santiago province.
Colonel Arnao, chief of staff Of Gen
eral Diaz and who has just arrived
from Cuba. is nephew of the elder
Aranguren. and General Julio Sanguily,
now in the field in Cuba, is a cousin of
Mrs. Aranguren.
The family of General y. Bonachea,
who was executed at ManzanllO. in
1880 having been captured while trying
to land filibustering expedition. lived
here, and the Generals son is fighting
with the insurgents in Cuba.
Angel Figueredo, Vice President of
the local Junta, is a son of General
Figueredo. who was executed at San
tiago during the ten years war Angel
Figuercdo was child i'm the insurgents
camps during the ten years war, and
has been fighting Spain for twenty-nine
years. Hardly Cuban family in Key
West has not claim for blood ven
geance against Spain.
Our baby has been continually trou-
IIaI with collie and f.bolar. 81,