The record-union., 1898-12-04
The Island Capital Now More Like an
American City Than Ever Before.
General Greene Fast Making
Ready for Our Reign at Havana
HAS Brought Order Out of
Chaos and Given a Good Start
to the Work Of Preparation for
the Troops.


from Havana says: The pier at Ma
rianao Beach is now fully completed,
and Colonel Hecker in his reports
shows it to have ten feet of water at
low tide-sufficient for all lighterage
that may be attempted. General
Greene, who was reported to have re-
jected the pier, and whose alleged re-
marks were given by correspondents
here, says he was misquoted. He ap-
proves the work, and expects it to an
swer all purposes for which it was
designed.
Colonel Hecker, who leaves for home
tomorrow, and is not to return to
Havana before January 10th, yesterday
signed a contract for the construction
of pier before Casa Blanca, in Ha-
vana harbor, and for a railroad track
from the pier to Guanabacoa. The
contract was awarded to the Ameri-
can Indies Company of New York,
which is associated in this venture
with the railroad constructing firm of
Drake, Stratton & Co. The railroad
track is to be six miles in length, and
at Guanabacoa will connect with the
Matanzas line of railroad, and by this
means form direct connection with all
the railroads leading out of Havana
Colonel Hecker to-day completed a
series of conferences with railroad
as to rates of transportation
for troops and stores. A reasonably
satisfactory agreement was reached.
Havana now looks more like an
American city than ever before in it's
existence. Americans come by every
boat, undeterred by fever or by lack
of quarters, which is being felt severe
ly, officers being quartered in all the
hotels and in many residences. The
unloading of transports keeps an al
most constant procession of horses,
mules, ambulances, army wagons and
stores passing through the streets.
Americans, even in uniform, no long
er attract more than passing notice
American business men are making
themselves felt, though, as usual, the
saloon man is the first to offer his
goods to the public. American saloons
are opening in all parts of the city,
while gamblers are ready to open
games as soon as protection is, afforded
them This is something not likely to
be given, as army officers are opposed
to permitting gambling of any sort.
Not only has General Greene brought
order out of chaos, and given a good
start to the work of preparation for
the American troops, but by his un-
varying good nature has made discord
impossible. Speaking to me this morn
ing, he said:
'"The people of Havana are watching
the Americans with most critical eye.
They are quick to see any mistakes
we may make. I am particularly
pleased that no jealousies exist among
our officers or men, for nothing would
weaken confidence SO thoroughly or
quickly as international dissention."
1t has been decided that it would
be folly to clean the entire city, even
temporarily, with the $4,000 which
has been placed to General Greene's
credit, so Major Davis, who has been
making an investigation of the city.
decided that attention shall be called
to the pavements. open sewerage and
slaughter-h house district.
When the work is organized under
Captain Geary. who has been made
inspector for the time being by Cen
eral Greene, the first lesson will be
given in municipal cleanliness.
AN
NEW YORK, Dec. 3.-A special to
the Tribune" from Washington says:
Surgeon General Wyman of the Ma
rine Hospital Service, has received a
report from DR.. w. F. Drummer. the
United States Sanitary Inspector at
Havana, covering the week ending No
vember oath, which shows little or no
Improvement in the health conditions
of that city in spite of the efforts now
being made to prepare it for the army
occupation. In the week there were
40 deaths.
Yellow fever enteric fever, malariaI
fever and pernicious fever are credited
with causing, respectively, 80, 81 and 9
Deaths SO are attributed to enterics,
26 to dysentery. 1 to starvation, 9 to
pneumonia and 55 to tuberculosis OF
the four cases of yellow fever, two were
among the Spanish troops in military
hospitals, and the others among the
civilians. DIR. Brunner thinks there
are less than sixty cases in the city.
The report continues:
'sI am at loss to understand why
the enormous death rate continues The
weather conditions favor a decrease in
the death rate, and, while the city is
filthy and dirty in the extreme. cam
not see that the native population
should be unusually affected by such
condition of affairs. There are some
few cases of malarial fever occurring
among crews of vessels in the har-
Dor, but they are mild in their nature
and yield to treatment Since Sep
tember Oath there must have been
from fifteen to twenty American
schooners in this port. Nearly all of
them discharged their cargoes of lum-
Der at some of the badly infected docks.
but no cases of yellow fever have de-
veloped among the men composing the
crews. In fact. the largest death rate
has occurred in the suburbs of the city,
sections well removed from the bay,
those two known as the Cerro and We
dado showing an abnormally high
death rate.
"Some attempts have been made to
clean the city, but as they were not
made intelligently they were not eff
fective Fire engines have been used
for flushing the sewers. but as they
merely pumped the water into the
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