Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-12
Water supply for Cuba
(Army and Navy JournaIl

(Arny ana NAVY Jouildlsg
One of the difficulties our troops arc
Iu,aIv ~ meet in Cuba is n deficient sup
ply OF drinking water. After hearing go
much about the rainy season In that
island and the difficulty, amounting, Il IS
often asserted, practically 70 an impossi-
bility. of moving troops az that season.
n NAV surprise the uninitated 20 learn
that the annual rainfall Of iabana Is pre-
cisely the same as that OF New YORK
about forty and one-half inches. Even dd-
ring the six rainy months. May 10 Octo-
Der, inclusive, the rainfull IS only about
twenty-eight inches, and in the dry haL
of the year twelve and three-quarterS
inches. rain falling in every month OF the
year 1t is the peculiar topogiaphlc%u con.
ditjons OF Cuba that control its storage OK
water and reduce It in this respect IN
places almost 10 tho state OK D desert
country. -,
The general Characteristic OF the Island
is n series Of mountainous elevations,
with a very narrow fringe or Level lRnl'
In the highlands Of the interior, whlch
I'm the western part reach an elevation Ok
. 200 70 5000 feet, and in the eastern
mart $500 TO 500 and 1900 feet, the rain
fan increases up to three times Wnat u
&c ON the coast. and the difference
between the wet and dry season is
strongly marked. In one month more
rain will fall there than in the whole
wear AT Habana. The watercoursos tneh
become torrents, and the steep slopes
deliver the water rapidly 10 the low
lands. flooding them, but leaving Ins
uplands comparatively dry Cuba 49, III
fact. an overdrained country, ana tne
stream beds, which are floods IN the
rainy season. may be as dry as Arizona
a month later.
The rock formation OF the island IS, 70
n very great extent. limestone, with some
schistose and granite rocks and the
cover OF soil must be comparatively thin
or else so subject 70 drainage on account
OF its relative height and nearness 70 the
sea that it loses IT'S store OF water "a
pidly. Wells are deep, from 90 70 30 teei
and usually more than 100 feet and th'5
not in the extreme interior. but WIN"
fifteen miles OF Cardenas for instance
Through much OF their depth these wells
are I'm solid rock. Under these circum-
stances II is evident that the supply OF
drinking water 70 a camp by driven Wen'
will not often be practicable. except per
| haps where IL is not needed. e., alons
the line OF a constant flowing river
In the savanna country along the coast
wells could be driven with success out
|
| would supply could hardly be wholesome
! From such information as we have peen
| able TO gather, It is probable that a sooo
water base will be at one Of the necess'-
| ties OF an invading force.
Now that the subject OF sanitation =
receiving the attention IL deserves wouiu
! IL not be well to detail one or two ON
GERS from the medical corps 10 attend !.
| this especial branch OF army controi
A simple apparatus, with the chemleals
necessary for microscopic and chemlca
tests. could easily be provided. and, Whii'
military service does not always perm
| ~ selecting a camp at will II Is quite
! likely that bad conditions could be some
| times avoided. and every improvement
| Of this kind tends to the preservation o
| individual life and the army strensth
The water OF the savannas must oitei
be very bad. as we found In the ChicKa
hominy swamps, and the labors OF rev
officers might mitigate It's evils mater
ally. Some waters that look good enousi
are deadly, and some that are not a.
trsctiye In appearance are entirely heaith
full.