Evening star., 1898-09-30
GEN. WOODS TASK
Frightful Sanitary Conditions to Be
Relieved.
CLEANING UP THE CITY OF SANTIAGO
The Death Rate Has, in Conse-
quence, Steadily Dropped.
RESTORING THE SEWERS

governor of Santiago. 1t is personal to a
great extent, but deals with many ques-
tions of interest to the public, and Secre-
tary Alger has allowed some extracts to be
published.
1t may be stated that the Secretary feels
that the course Of events at Santiago has
demonstrated the wisdom shown in the
selection of General Wood for this pecu-
liarly difficult post. Combining, as he did,
medical skill with the highest type of SOL
Gierly qualities and executive ability to
meet and overcome the problems presented
at Santiago. The letter, moreover, presents
vividly the frightful conditions that con-
fronted the American army of occupation
after the surrender of Santiago.
General Wood says, in part:
Il have had" writes Gen. Wood, "a very
difficult position from sanitary point of
view, and not an altogether easy one from
a military and civil standpoint. When we
came into the city the sanitary situation
was something frightful. There were a
great many unburied dead in the houses,
between two and three thousand Spanish
wounded and sick and a great horde of
half-famished and sick people. nearly 2O,-
coo in number, who had just returned from
FL Caney, where they had gone during the
siege. The water supply of the city had
been cut off; there was water to be
obtained except from ciSterns and few
wells, and the streets were full of dead
animals ard all sorts of filthy materials.
/ had to start in from the bottom and re-
pair the WaterWorks. Then came the re-
moVal of the dead Some OF these We're
burned, because the number was so great
and decomposition lad advanced to such
an extent that they could not be buried.
Burning is not unCommCnly practiced here
during the epidemic season.
We had yellow fever all around us. and
about twenty cases in the Spanish Military
x,:,-il 81 fttl Of
dying people, and public buildings were be-
ing used as hospitals. On the whole it was
an extremely difficult task, requiring
great deal of hard work. l have been
working Systematically with every means
at hand to improve the sanitary condition
of the city. 1t is in this department that
vast amount of work has been done.
have n force of about 10 II en- constantly
employed and at many times have had ac-
cumulation@ of inGescribaDle filth removed
which has accumu ated in the out houses
and yards, well as the streets of the city,
which is reputed to be one of the most I'M
healthy and filthy in the world.
Drop in the Death Rate.
The death rate has dropped steadily
since we came in, and is now about one
fourth of what it was in July. The water
system has been put in order and great
many repairs made to it, and the supply,
although insufficient, is utilized to the
greatest advantage.
Il have had to hire doctors for the hos
pitfalls. purchase medicine for them and sup
ply them with beds and bedding and food
in fact, re-establish and take entire charge
of them. | have also established strict
system of house inspection and inspection
of the streets, and have disinfecting de-
partment well cleaning department.
The city has been divided into five districts.
in each of which is a relief station, where
food Is distributed and physician is in
attendance who preScribeS for those who
present The mSelNeS sick and visits the sick
in the houses. The police department., all
doctors and the officials in each ward have
received Instructions TO furnish these ply
SicianS a list of sick requiring attention,
and also Of the worthy poor. in order that
we may be somewhat protected in the dis
tributiOn of medicines and rations. l am
issuing 1T present about 1900 rations per
day. The physicians are probably prescrb-
ing for about 600 or 100 people, and on
some days man" more. These physicians
are native Cubans educated in the United
States and employed by our government as
contract surgeons.
burned the Garbage.
THE garbage and material which 1 col
lect in the streets l have dumped outside
OF town and burnt. 1 have also had the
lower and most unhealthy portion of the
city ditched and drained and the bitches
running into the harbor cleaned out also
the waterfront system of sewerage, which
was completely obstructed and in fright
full condition. 1t has long been the custom
in this town to depend on heavy rains and
the rushing floods through the streets to
sweep away the accumulated filth of the
dry season. All this has been swept down
to the water front, where it has been col
lecting for years, choking the drains and
filing the shallow waters near the shore so
that when the tide goes out masses of de-
composing material are exposed to the in
tense rays Of the sun and furnish frightful
causes of disease. Later this year when
the endemic shall have p1SSPd il
is my intention, if | am granted funds and
authority, to have the shallow places
dredged out, so that at least a thin layer
OF water Will cover them at low tide and
prevent the present condition of affairs.
The police force has been re-establlshed
and its uniforms changed to one similar To-
that worn by the Cubans, and they will
soon be entirely rid of all suggestion of
Spanish rule.
The light house system in the harbor 1
have re-established. and arranged pilots,
harbor masters, etc.
Acting as Police Judge.
"As the courts are not yet running, l
have the delightful experience each day Of
acting as police judge and clearing the
docket Of all sorts of odd cases. OF course
the most serious cases, such as crime, are
being held for trial, either by military COM
mission or by the courts when they are es-
tabished and in operation.
The receipts of the city from customs
since we occupied it, l understand from
Generals Shafter and Lawton who have
charge of this matter, have been about
100000 The expenses of the city per
week, supporting the hospitals, cleansing
the streets, doing the necessary engineer
ing work and the many little things that
are required to keep up the different de-
partments of the city Of $4,000 people, are
at present 81, 500 to $1,000. OF this about
$1,000 is for sanitary work and engineer
ing, the balance for hospital, police etc.
Il have been as economical as possible
but have felt that in this matter of sani-
taticn expense should not be taken into
consideration, as the lives of all Americans
here might be said to depend upon a prompt
and thorough correction of the frightfuI
unsanitary condition in which the city was
found.
1.-THE great expert on yellow fever Dr.
Guiteras, assured me in July that an epi-
demic of yellow fever of great severity was
absolutely unavoidable, and that we were
destined to lose a large proportion of our
people here. Thus far 1t has been avoided
and not only avoided, but today 1 do not
know of an authentic case of genuine yell
low fever in Santiago de Cuba proper and
every day increases our chances of escape"
General Wood then makes. some recon-