The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-01
SANTIAGO De CUBA.
Description OF the City, It's De-
lenses and Harbor.
BATTERIES ARE WE'LL TRAINED.

Entrance to the Harbor Is Narrower Tina
the One to HAVANA Bsy-Consul Hyatt
Speaks of the city as n veritabie satur
MALTA of Vice cad Crime-Its Importance
In History L.orro Castle Walls Ar
From Fifteen to Forty Feet Thick.
Santiago dc Cuba bay. which is sale
to harbor the Spanish admiral. Ger
vera, is equally impregnable to as
| saults from enemies on the sea as il
Havana. Two hills that look as il
nature had intended they should meet
precipitately end within 800 feet of each
other at the entrance TO the harbor. One
may stand on one side of the channel
and converse with another on the other
side. 1t is of narrower width than the
entrance to Havana bay. The points
widen gradually for 800 yards, and then
the eye gets full sweep of the blue bay
that seems to sleep like a tired child.
Just how many guns there are at the
entrance no one but those in Spain S ma
val employ have accurate knowledge. In
1895 two immense Krupp guns We're
landed and added to MORO Castle. At
the time Consul Hyatt informed re-
porter that there were as many cannon
inside the fort then as Grant used in
Smelling Vicksburg. Many of them are
of ancient make, however.
Moro Castle guards the sea. A tower
$50 feet high sits back of the fortifica-
tions, in which there are always observ-
ers with farreaching glasses. Just
across the channel from MORO is an I'M
finished castle that in an emergency
could be utilized. Blanca battery is To-
Gated inside the bay and has something
like 20 cannon. This battery was placed
there in 1868, and intended for use in
the event of local uprising against
the crown. It's numerical strength in
the way of officers and men is about
1000. Military camps are just to the
north OF Blanca battery, where at most
seasons body of from 5000 to 5000
troops is always stationed
The city of Santiago de Cuba is some
six or seven miles from the entrance to
the bay. 1t is built on hillsides and is
laid out III irregular style. Narrow
streets wind in and about, seeming to
start from nowhere and ending abrupt
~ at similar places. OF all spots on the
island Santiago is the most TO be de-
spised by persons fearing unhealthy eli
mate, lazy men, insulting soldiers and
trcacherous stilettos. Such conditions
abound throughout all the city's ram
iicaticns.
Looking out toward the sea from one
of the most prominent eminences in the
city, Mr.. Hyatt remarked one day, "As
DIR. Ben Jonson once said, God Al
mighty in his infinite wisdom and SUI
perlative strength might have made
better berry than the strawberry, but
he never did, which reminds me that
the same power that makes straw berries
might have, if he wished, made more
saturnalia of vice and crime
than Santiago, but 1 haven't heard of
his doing it, -
For an American fleet TO lombard
the city it would first have to silence
the guns Of MORO, which could only be
done by the demolition of the castle.
And this would be difficult. The castle |
Is made Of stone dug from the noun |
talns thercabout. The thickness of the !
walls protecting the guns vary from 10 |
to 40 feet. Some Of the cannons are sup |
piled with disappearing apparatus. The
big ones are stationary.
Ii was said by member of Consul
Hyatt's staff that 20 shots could he |
simultaneously thrown distance of ~
miles. The guns are so arranged that
they can be pointed to any direction
The castle resembles some an
church cathedral 1t rises nm 40
feet above the earth, and its interior
arrangements are such that
guns may lie lifted to the roof. where
better range Is obtained.
The castle contains subterranean cells.
narrow and gloomy passageways, where
sounds OF ever dripping water never
leaVe the ears OF those imprisoned there.
Inc capacity OF the prison is about
|, ooo The full complement of naval
orncers, military commandments and men !
is about 200. Communication between
The governors Office, which is located
some distance away, is of hourly occur.
renee even during times of peace.
lhere may be political as well as mill.
AIRY prisoners. Passes to the fortifica-
ions are never given to those not di-
'ectly connected with the crown sery.
ce.
The bay spreads out, making V like
to the land. The waters are al |
ways calm and placid. They are too far
lway from the convulsive sea TO be af
ected. The aristocracy of the city some.
lines sail about in the basin i'm dingy
'olored yachts and go home with empty
The aroma from the accumu.
ated filth that daily finds its way to the
bottom OF the bay is sickening.
An American fleet sailing toward San.
lago could not observe the fort or the
Mountains surrounding them until
within rifle shot distance. The atmos.
'here is always heavy and hard for the
we to penetrate. Indeed it is difficult