The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-29
Queer Old San Juan.

San Juan is perfect specimen of a
walled town, with a portcullis, moat,
gates and battle ments. Built over $50
years ago, it is still in good condition
and repair. The walls a. picturesque,
and represent stupendous work and
cost in themselves. Inside the walls,
the city is laid off in regular squares,
six parallel streets running in the d.
rection of the length of the island and
seven at right angles. The houses are
closely and compactly built of brick,
usually of two stories, stuccoed on the
outside and painted in a variety of
colors. The upper floors are occupied
by the more respectable people, while
the ground floors, almost without ex.
ception, are given up to negroes and
the poorer classes, who crowd one upon
another in the most appalling manner.
The population within the walls is esti-
mated at 10000, and most of it lives
on the ground f1oors. In one small
room with fimsy partition whole
family will reside.
The ground floors of the whole town
reek with filth, and conditions are most
unsanitary. la tropical country,
where disease readily prevails, the con-
sequences of such herding may be easily
inferred. There is no running water
in the town. The entire population de-
ponds on rain water caught on the fiat
roofs of the buildings and conducted to
the cistern, which occupies the greater
part of the courtyard that is an essen
tial part of Spanish houses the world
over, but that here, on account of the
crowded conditions, is small. There is
no sewerage, except for surface water
and sinks, while vaults are in every
house and occupy whatever remaining
space there may be in the patios not
taken up by the cisterns. The risk of
communicating the water is great, and
in dry seaaons the supply is entirely
exhausted. Epidemics are frequent,
and the town is alive with vermin, mo-
squitoes and dogs.
older part of Havana and will admit
two carriages abreast. The sidewalks
are narrow, and in places will accommo-
date only one person. The pavements
are of a composition manufactured in
England from Stag, pleasant and even
durable when no heavy strain is
brought to bear upon them, but easily
broken and unfit for heavy traffic. The
streets are swept once a day by hand,
and, strange to say, are kept very clean.
From its typographical situation the
town should be healthy, but it is not.
The soil under the city is clay mixed
with lime, SO hard as to be almost like
rock. 1t is conse quently imperious to
water and furnishes q good natural
drainage. The trade wind blows strong
and fresh, and through the harbor runs
q stream of sea water at speed of not
less than three miles an hour. With
these conditions no contagious dis
eases, il properly taken care Of, could
exist; without them the place would be
a veritable plague spot.
Besides the town within the walls,
there are small portions just outside,
called the Marina and Puerta de
TERRA, containing 1000 or 5000 in
habitants each. There are also two
suburbs, one, San Turee, approached
by the only road leading out Of the city,
and the other Catano, across the bay,
reached by ferry. The Marina and the
two suburbs are situated on sandy
points or splits, and the latter are sur
raunded by mangrove swamps. The
entire population Of the city and sub
urbs. according to the census Of 1887,
was ~ 900. 1t is now (lS96) estimated
at 10000. One-half Of the population
consists of negroes and mixed races
Boston Evening Transcript.