The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-04-20

them, telling of the terrible misery
and the failure of the Authorities tC
give relief The relief offered, he says
is only in name. "Death rate is dirnin
ished somewhat y Mr.. Brice remarks
"Now about sixty-three daily. There
are less people to die The scenes o.
misery and distress daily observed art
beyond belief. Here is one out of hund.
reds: In a family of seventeen living
in an old lime kiln, upper part of city
limits, all were found dead except three,
and they barely alive"
Mr.. Brice's next report on the recon
centrados was dated Jan. Is. In short,
jerky but effective sentences, character
istic Of his whole correspondence, he
tells of the misery about him. Things
were improving in Matanzas then, ow-
ing to more systematic distribution OF
food and medicine.
SIN behalf of these people," he says,
''I earnestly ask the department that
some prompt measures be taken to fur
ther relieve them. They are abso-
lutely helpless-no work, shut up in
cities and towns like rats in trap to
starve. We have fifteen or eightee
American families = American recon-
centrados who own property in the
country-and were they allowed to go
to their homes could make good liy-
ing. All these have begged and plead
ed with authorities under Blanco's
order to go, and in every case refused.
Since May "a, 1897, to Dec. 20, 1897
seven months-we have given food and
medicines and relief to an average of
sos American citizens at a cost of IS. 175
Spanish gold"
$1,000 STARVING IN MATANzAs.
In one of his communications sent
in January Mr.. Brice submitted a few
facts illustrating the suffering in Mat
anzas province.
There are in Matanzas province he
said, ''over 10000 people who are in ac-
tual starving condition-require food,
clothing and medicine. In addition to
these there are thousands of families of
the better classes, Formerly we'll to do,
who are to-day living on one meal
day, aud that very scant. They have
sold or pawned furniture, jewelry and
clothing to exc out an existence until
all is gone or nearly so. Too proud to
beg, they suffer in silence, and many
die of starvation. The daughter of a
former Governor of this province was
seen begging ineognito on the streets Of
the city. Many of these people call on
me privately at my residence asking to
be remembered, for Gods sake, to be
remembered when this relief comes
from the United States. Ii is to be
hoped that this relief from the United
States viii came quickly, for hundreds
are dying daily ia-s.'s province Of star
walton. Conditions are dreadful and
no relief is afforded by Spanish author
tiles"
Consul Hyatt, at Santiago de Cuba,
sends references to many engagements
between the Spaniards and the patri-
ots. On Dec Ii he told the State De
partment that ''the order of reconcen-
tration is now practically wiped out,
and, so far as the Spanish Government
is concerned, men go about nearly as
they please" He says that Spain will
have to prosecute the war more vigor-
ousIy if she would conquer peace in
Cuba. There are many thousand
square miles at the Santiago end of the
island, he adds, where a Spanish soldier
has never trod. Within this zone the
patriots have their families, corral their
horses and cattle and raise their crops.
Mr.. Hyatt says he will not attempt to
answer why Spain has not attempted
to penetrate this region.
DISEASE HELPING HUNGER.
Conditions among the reconcentra-
dos had grown worse when Mr.. Hyatt
wrote again, on Dec. 81. The death
. rate was appalling. a disease known
by various names and resulting from
/. insufficient food was raging among the
natives. Out of total of $1,000 Span
ish soldiers sent to Manzanillo, nearly
{, 900 were in hospitals or quartered on
the people. Many had smallpox or
yellow fever. Mr.. Hyatt tells of three
American brothers named Rivery, own
ers of coffee, cocoa, and orange groves,
who had been rendered penniless by
the insurrection, and were being sup
piled with food by him. In Santiago
at that time there were more than l2,-
600 people sick in bed, not counting
those in military hospitals. This was
50 per cent. of the population.
The question Of the success or failure
of autonomy is discussed by Mr.. Hyatt
in a report dated Jan. s, 1898. He says
the Spanish Government has made a
most energetic and thorough campaign
to make autonomy successful. Some Of
this report is eliminated and Mr.. Hy-
ats conclusions are not contained. at
will be seen," he says, "that Cubans
are moving very slow in accepting au-
tonoply."
In report dated Jan. II Mr.. Hyatt
says: at is beyond the power of my
pen 10 describe the situation in eastern
Cuba. Squalidity, starvation, sickness,
and death meet one in all places Beg
gars throng our doors and stop US on
the streets. The dead in large numbers
remain over from day to day in the
cemeteries unburied.n Again, on Jan.
-, he writes: "The military situation
is completely overshadowed in import
ance by the starving, struggling mass,
whose cry is: Bread, or perish ?"
The descriptions of the awful scenes
in Santiago are repeated in this COM
1nunication, which is concluded in
these words:
"If the present death rate is eontin-
ued there would not be a soul left in
the city at the end of five years. For
The masses it is speedy help or sure
DEATH"
WORK OF RELIEF.
On Feb. / Mr.. Hyatt sent the opin-
ion that autonomy is already dead
issue, while buying insurgent leaders
thus far is not a marked success. do
not believe that the Western Continent