The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-08-04
pEPLoRABLp CONDITION

OF the Inhabitants OF Havana, Matans
gas and Cardenas-Storles of Spanish
Refugees who Have Arrived in New
York.
NEW YORK, Aug. 3.-Accounts Of
the condition OF affairs in Havana, Ma
tan1as and Cardenas have been given
BY passengers Of the steamer Fridtjof
Nansen, which has arrived from Sagua.
She brought tweuty-nine refugees, most
Of whom were spaniards, who had made
az sorts OF sacrlAces-to escape from the
island In anticipation Of tts being con-
trollet by the insurgents. Many of them
were well supplied with funds, having
turned all their available property into
cash. They paid $500 apiece for passage.
Almost al those aboard being Span
tsh sympathizers, a meeting was he'd in
the saloon while the ship was OF Barne-
cat, N. j., at which majority Of them
pledged themselves to refuse to give any
information TO Americans regarding the
condition Of things In Cuba. A few,
however, consented to talk after they
had got ashore, but even they were I'M
Wiling to permit their names TO be
used.
One woman who had reached Sagua
by rail from Havana, said that the con-
ditiOD Of affairs In the capital was de-
plorable and was daily growing worse.
There is Plenty Of money" said she
but Of what use Is II when II win
hardly purchase anything? II Is Inn
possible to get beef at any price, and
even horse flesh costs 81 q pound Bread
costs IS cents a pound and is very bad
al that. Eggs. which are brought In
from the country in snaii quantities,
cost So cents apiece. The supply OF con-
densed milk Is practically exhausted,
and the httle left is sold at 81 for q can
such as you buy here for ten cents. on
an average ten or twelve persons are
found dead OF starvation in the streets
every day, and this takes no account OF
the scores who daily die Of hunger in the
houses. No words can describe the hoT-
rors of Las Posses. the place at the foot
OF the Prado, where the reconcentrados
are herded together. was told there
were no less than 1000 Of these misera-
BE people in the place when l came
away. and they are dying by hundreds.
for. Of course. nothing Is being done for
them; even the government has not
enough food for It's own soldiers. Worse
than this, the officials beat and abuse
them shamefully.
the streets, but the electric lights are
only lighted on Thursday nights, when
there ls music in the PaTque Centrale.
What a CHASTITY mOckery those band
concerts are with so many people starry.
ing to death within sound Of the music!
An theatres are closed and their lob
bles are nightly crowded with the home
ieSg poor. Wine Is the only thing In the
city that Is plenty, and cheap, so that
even the poor can get Httte nj times
Nearly all the stores In WeyleT and
O'ReiIsy streets are closed, as are the
principal hotels. The stock OF coal is
almost completely exhausted and for a
few days the local trains that run TO the
yedadO, past the Santa Clara battery,
were stopped for want OF fuel. They
are now burning wood, but even that
win soon be BOne."
Juan ZarrRga ZHTte saidg ~ do not
know anything OF the condition Of
things at Havana, but do know that
there IL much misery at Cardenas and
Nationals Things, however, might be
worse, considering the BtriHEency Of the
blockade Much starvation has been
avoided by the foresight OF the mer-
chants, who. In anticipation OF the out
break OF the war, laid IN large stores OF
provisions, OF course they have sold
nj high prices, and heard Of one man
who made 100000 In Il speculation IN
-four in sagua. All the stores which
have provisions nre keeping them under
constant guard by soldiers to prevent
the starving people from loonng them.
Every one II tired Of the war and on all
hands onF hcnrs prayers that peace win
soon come"
The Manson brought up cargo Of
sugar, which she discharged at VIII
taulsburg. She also brought 3GS bales
OF tobacco and 322 cases OF cigars. This
was uhc first cargo Of sugar reaching
thu Unitc6 States since the surrender OF
Santiago.