The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-04
Beef Cannot BE Had at Any Price,
Horse Flesh Costs 81 "A Pound, Eggs
soc Each and Bread Csc a Pound.
STORIES TOLD BY REFUGEES
MANY PEOPLE DYING DAILY IN THE
STREETS OF HAVANA.
Principal Stores and Hotels Closed
Band Concerts which a Woman
Describes as CHASTITY Mockery.

NEW YORK. Aug S.-Accounts of the
condition of affairs in Havana, Matanzas
and Cardenas were given yesterday by pas
sengers of the steamer Fridtiof Nansen.
from Sagua. She brought twenty-nine
refugees. most of whom were Spaniards,
who had made all sorts of sacrifices to es-
cape from the island, in anticipation of its
becoming controlled by the insurgents.
Many of them were well supplied with
funds, having turned all their available
property into cash. They paid $500 each for
passage. Almost all those aboard being
Spanish sympathizers, a meeting was held
IN the saloon, while the ship was off Barne-
gat, N. j., at which a majority pledged
themselves to refuse to give any informal
ton to Americans regarding the condition
or thirgs in Cuba. A few, however, con-
scented to talk after they had got ashore
but even they were very unwilling to permit
their names to be used.
One woman, who had reached Sagua by
rail, from Havana, said the condition of af-
fairs in the capital was deplorable, and was
daily growing worse. There is plenty of
money" she said 'but of what use is it
when it will hardly purchase anything. 1t
is impossible to get beef at any price and
even horsefesh costs 81 a pound Bread
costs % cents pound, and is very bad at
that, and eggs, which are brought in from
the country in small quantities, cost So
cents each. The supply of condensed milk is
practically exhaused, and the little left is
sold at 81 for a can such as you buy here
for 10 cents.
ION an average ten to 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 horrors
of Los Fossos, the place at the foot of the
Prado, where the wretched reconcentrados
are herded together. 1 was told that there
were no less than four thousand of these
miserable people in the place when 1 came
away. and they are dying by hundreds, for,
of course, nothing is being done for their
relief when the government has not
enough food for its own soldiers. Worse
than this. the officials beat and abuse them
shamefully
"A fCsv gas lamps are still burning in the
streets. but the electric lights are only lit
on Thursday nights, when there is music in
the Parque Central. What a CHASTITY mock
cry those band concerts are, with so many
people starving to death within sound of
the music. All the theaHrs are closed and
their Hobbies are nigAtly crowded with the
homeless poor Wine is the only thing in
the city that is plentiful and cheap, so that
even the poor can get little at times.
almost all the stores in Weyler and
OReilly streets are closed, as are all the
principal hotels. The stock of coal is al
most completely exhausted and for a few
days the local trains that run to the Vedado,
past the Santa Clara battery were stopped
for want of fuel. They are now burning
wood, but even that will soon be gone.'
Juan Zarraga Zarte said: 81 do not know
anything of the condition of things in Ha-
vana, but / do know that there is much
misery in Cardenas and Matanzas Things,
however, might be worse, considering the
stringency of the blockade. Much starvation
has been avoided by the foresight of the
merchants, who, in anticipation of the out
break of the war, laid in big stocks of pro-
visions. OF course, they have sold at high
prices and heard of one man who made
100000 in a speculation in flour in Sagua.
All the stores which have provisions are
kept under constant guard by soldiers to
prevent tbs starving people from looting
them. Every one is tired of the war and on
all hands sne hears prayers that peace will
soon come
The Nansen brought a cargo of sugar,
which she discharged at Williamsburg. She
also brought 1868 bales of tobacco and 800
cases of cigars. This was the first cargo
of sugar reaching the United States since
the surrender of Santiago.