Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-06-23
SAN tiago De Cuba.

hay of Santiago de Cuba Is, admittedly
the most picturesque in the western
hemisphere In reality, the bay forms
| two harbors. an inner and an outer
both Iandlocked, and approached by a
4 very contracted and more or less tor
tuous channel, beset with rocks and
| shoals. In fact, the entrance 10 the
outer harbor is difficult to locate, and
would be almost impossible but for pc
| culiaritles OF Typographical outline and
the Notifications that loom up against
the hillside. Santiago City, generally
known as .'Cuba" TO the natives, lies
at the further extremity of the inner
bay on its right bank, consequently Is
not at all visible from the sea DIRTY
aud squalid fol- the most part, with III
kept streets and dilapidated dwellings,
it. nevertheless, is most attractive when
viewed from the water front and at
distance: the yellow and blue houses
literarly rise from the waters edge. ex-
tending almost 70 the summit OF bill
that. but for dwarfng effect produced
by the hazel blue peaks that encompass
both valley and bay, would be termed a
mountain. Indeed, the shores Of the
harbor are almost uniformly high and
rugged. being merely the foothills and
| spurs Of the Sierras
AS military and naval station,
Santiago dates from 1914. when Diego
yelasouez here founded a settlement
| and erected rude defenses for its protec-
| ton. Thus. after Baracoa, Santiago IS
the Oldest city in Cuba, and for more
than two centuries enjoyed the distlnc-
| ton Of being the capital Of the Island
In 1853 it was raided by the French and
the fortifcations in part destroyed
| Ten years later new series OF defenses
| were undertaken, that in 1663-65 were
/ replaced hy the obsol etc brick, stone
1aaIu Aaa-aIrIa-as-Al
| Castle, and Estrella, Punta Gorda and
Santa Catalina batteries. Of later
date are batteries A4uadores and Blan-
| ca-the one an outlying defense to
MORO, the latter occupying the place OF
| the ancient artillery barracks just be-
| low the city-and the fortress of La
Zocapa (or Socapa) Of still later date
are water batteries on Isla de Smith
where the lower bay deboucbes into the
| narrow gut that connects ii with the
| Caribbean Sea.
MORO, which is pra ctically dupli-
cate, though on a slight re duced scale
| of the castle of the same name that
guards the entrance of Havana, Is
| perched high upon tho cliff that at the
right hand entrance of the harboT forms
| MoriI1o Point It's anc lent crum bling
| look and weather beaten and discolored
walls cause it to have the appearance OF
being ready to topple into the waves
below; but for all, it is stronger and
| more defens sible than its exterior would
indicate, and the least salient portions
lie beneath the masonry, having been
exeayated from solid rock. 1t will be
| r ecalled this structure once held the
| cells, offices and torture chambers OF
| the Inquistion at the time when the
Holy Office" assumed to be arbiter of
| the destinies of all Spanish America.
| How far the Morro and it's sister and
| OUTLYING Notifications have been
strengthened in order to meet the exig-
encies of modern warfare, and special
ly Of the present conflict, is chiefly a
matter of coniuncture, and it is not safe
TO rely too much upon the indolent hab-
it's and procrastinating traits OF the
Hispano-Latin race.
Dia gonally across the outer entrance
| of the harbor. TO the west of MORO,
and exactly opposite to the fortress OF
Santa Catalina on Canones Point, stands
the castle of La ZocaDa Here is the
narrowest part Of the channel, there not
being more than 1870 yards between the
opposing shores. BY glance at the
haabor plan, it is possible to more fully
realize the nature of the defences OF
Santiago, remembering also that the
I tnarur1f rcpCgrrpny -Ur rrr rrgrUH cO1-
situtes the strongest portion thereof
being such az to defy any Improvement
at the hands of man beyond fortifica-
| tions and armament. The hostile yes
sci that essays Santiago Harbor is not
only subjected TO the fire Of MORO and
| the water batteries below and behind to
| the east of this castle, but must like
wise run the gauntlet OF the Estrella,
Santa Catalina and Zocapa; further,
from the moment she is well inside
Morillo Point she is subjected to an ep-
filading fire from Punta Gorda, an or
deal that is supplemented by like fire
| from Isla de Smith as soon as the mar
rowest part Of the channel il reached.
At present this gut IL additionally de-
Tended by the Spanish warships. Admir-
al Cervera having manifestly taken an
advantageous position with this view.
Presuming, however, all these obstruc-
tions and dangers are safely encount-
cred and passed, to reach the city there
still remains to DO forced the second
narrow channel, only about double the
width Of that guarded by MORO and
Zocapa, ct al. in order TO enter the mp
per bay. Guarding the upper end Of
this channel ia Rat Island Gsla de Ra-
tones), now believed to be well defend
ed by modern earthworks; and the bat
terry on Punta Gorda has again 10 be
considered, for II 1t has not been com
pletely silenced, it is still capable Of de
livering an enfil aiding fire and over the
stern, instead OF over the bow as before,
Of the foe Again. certain charts indi
cate that In the vicinity OF Rat Island
the only navigable channel in certain
spots shoals 10 "a feet, which II prohibit
tive TO the passage Of battle ships and
the heavier class Of cruisers, which re
quire 26 feet.
Thus Santiago IL eminently fitted by
nature TO be a western Gibraltar. Prop
erly fortified and defended, the harbor
conld defy any attack from the seaward; !;
and TO the landward the rugged charac-
tiers Of the hills and mountains are such
as 10 offer almost unparalleled advan
tages for either offensive or defensive
operations. But since the early history
Of the province OF Santiago, no meas
| ures have ever been taken TO defend its
capital city and chief seaport from the
rear, except those Of temporary and
himsy character that have been neces-
sitaied by the raids Of insurgents
In the light Of the foregoing, the feat
- fyL ty. Af.t fF1sy hA