The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-10

havana, July 9.-Had the United
States declared war against Spain two
: years ago the taking of Havana would
have been comparatively easy mat
ter; the Notifications which guarded
the city were few and of Anticipated
type, and a few well directed shots
from our war vessels would easily
have Si1enced them But the govern
ment waited and 1.-THE Spaniards, TAX
ing advantage of their opportunities,
set about erecting a new, more modern
and heavier cannon. While General
CampoS was governor general of the
island OF Cuba he foreSaw the war that
has finally come, and he began the
elaborate series of Notifications which
have been in course of erection ever
since, realizing that Havana was the
key to the island and that its capture
meant the capture of Cuba. Campos
was good enough soldier to realize
that the stone walls and masonry of
MORO castle and the old Notifications
would provide little protection against
! the rifled cannon of modern ships. In
the past two years all that money and
engineering could accomplish has been
done to put the city of Havana in con-
dition for a first-class defense, and the
work is still going on.
On account of my knowledge of en-
SinGGIlHS anu lily Will
Cuba, gained during six years of resi-
dence there, l was selected by Admiral
Walker for the task of finding out the
character and extent of these new for
tifications. This work was not eS-
pecially difficult or dangerous at first
1t was not possible to get into all the
Notifications, but it was easy to get |
near enough to get their plans, the
mounting of the guns and the general |
SrTpnOth n QnNh M RIIf after tha |
departure of General Lee the work was
much more difficult. Every American
was regarded with suspicion, and the
Spanish officials somehow got wind of
what / was after. During the last three
weeks of my stay a reward was pub
licly offered for my capture.
Even after | got all the information
1 was after 1 had hard work getting
out of Havana. but at last l got away
and was picked up by the Wilmington
% miles down the coast.
The inspection of the older fortifica-
lions was not a very difficult Lnatter.
Old Moro and the water batteries on
the east side of the entrance to the har-
Dor, Cabana. San Diego fort, La Punta
battery, Ataras fort and the Castillo
del Principe have been improved but
little; they would be practically value |
less against an attack by either sea or
land. The work of the SpaniardS has {
been confined to the erection of other {
fortification three to the eastward of
the entrance of the harbor and four to {
the westward; all seven run parallel &
with the coast, and are intended solely !
to ward off an attack from the sea. I
These seven strong battries were con- t
;trUcted prior to the departure of Cen {
eral Lee from Havana. O
/ began my Investigations with the
Nelasso battery, the first east of MORO g
,astle, and situated upon the same a
edge and almost under the shadow of h
he castle walls. Knowing that the I
spaniards suspected me, and that to be
ound wandering about near the bat II
cry would, in all probability, result in 9
ny arrest and Imprisonment, l chose .
he night time for an inspection of the v
arthworks. ] was thus enabled to ap- il
roach near enough ito discover that c;
he walls of the Notifications were but "
few feet from the edge of the 50-foot V,
huff. and that behind them We're three 81
owerful eight-inch guns. Five hun
red yards further to the eastward lay n,
mother battery, which ] knew was sit fe
ated upon Playa ChiVo Goat Beach, NJ
nd which is called the Cojima battery cl
10. l. Is
1 halted for a moment debating Of
neither or not to make for the Cojima, al
hich I knew to be strongly guarded. yC
s the moon was very bright it would te
2 no difficult matter for one of the OF
entinels to espy me before 1 could a.
ain the shelter of friendly wall. l Sr
ad started out, however, resolved to te
canine the Spanish Notifications, and tn
Y hesitation wasinbut momentary. co
owing as cautiously as possible, 1 Is
,irted the more open strip of land be- ~
veen the batteries and gained without tiff
ishap the shelter of the land wall of fo
1jima No. 1. Above my head l could int
EAR the laughter of two Spanish Off
rs and catch now and then a word of an an
cir conversation; j was not 20 feet an
ON them, and if they had looked over int
e wall they would certainly have dis oct
vered me. The five minutes during as.
1ich I crouched beside the wall gu
emed an hour; sentinel passed me, f Sai
listlng to himself a. Spanish air, but ba s
5 gaze was turned seward, where am
e moon made the curling waves look
e a silver sea. The beauty of the hal
enc was near to being my undoing, are
the soldier dropped the butt of his uSI
n to the ground with a thud and re- hui hui
lined motionleSS within six feet of fou
for almost a quarter of an hour. gun
stir meant capture and perhaps a cur
g imprisonment; lying fiat upon my the
mach 1 let the Spaniard get his fiji WEI
sea gazing, praying fervently that Wo,
might fall asleep and release me the
m my uncomfortable position. Fin resi-
Y he moved on, and the coast being