The times., 1898-05-22
SPA|N'S DASTILES IN CUBA
Castles From Which Prestige
and Glory Have Departed.
MORRO'S FR0WNING WALLS
Forts Tint Exist without the Honor
of Their Names-Degraded From
the Position OF Defenders of M
tionnI Honor to YiIest of Prisons
and ChurDeI Houses.

Morro Castle, which at one time
ranked with Gibraltar as among the
strongest and even as among the most
glorious Notifications within the limits
OF the world has long ago lost the pres
tlge Of its ancient grandeur and in the
history of recent years has been de-
graded in the eyes of civilized men
into a prison and charnel house. 1t is
the Bastile of Spain in Cuba. Its
frowning walls looks defantly seaward,
with all its grimness and assertion of
power the day is set somewhere in the
immediate future when civilization
viii be gifted by finding them lump
OF ruins, and over their debris the Star
Spangled Banner of America floating
in recognition of the fact that another
relic of barbarism and savagery has
been leveled to the dust on the altar
of freedom and humanity.
Hideous is the story of Moro Castle.
The horrors of the Inquisition of the
olden times have been emulated in
these later days within its Shiny walls
and damp and dreary cells. Cellars and
underground tunnels leading TO the sea
wherein the victims of Spanish cruelty
have been thrown to feed the sharks
that ever hover in the vicinity are a
prominent feature of the construction
of this pride of Spanish castles. Its
strength as a fortiIcation is not def
initely known outside of the Spanish
government The fort itself bears the
age and consequent decay of nearly
four centuries, and until lately it's arm
ament has been known TO be of a most
inferior grade Within the last year,
however, there has been a patching up
of both the exterior and interior of the
old prison house. Heavy guns OF the
newest caliber have been mounted, but
the walls have lost their protecting
power and MORO Castle is destined to
become more of a wreck of ruins than
a proud Illustration Of national
strength.
Inglorious as it has become, infam-
Gus as it is, there is always, TO passen-
gers on the route TO Havana, an in
fatuation in their first glance at MorTO
Castle. There it seems, between sun
rise and sunset, in the calm days of
peace, to be lying in strength like a
gcod-natured mastiff whom all may
as to their safety. When the sun
sets in the western Gulf of Mex
leo and gilds the wave with ting
es of golden glory until he appears
again and tintS the eastern ocean, the
mastiff is awake, vigilant and snarling
at any passer-by. Between sunset and
sunrise the gates of Havana, guarded
by the watchdog are secure from in
tIuSion.
MORO, which is at the left of the en-
trance leading to the semi-circular
harbor of Havana, or Habana, as the
Spaniards and some complimentary
Americans and Englishmen choose to
spell it, has a neighbor. a fellow jailor,
Of equal grimness and cruelty on the
same side of the harbor. This is the
Castle la Cabanas-also a prison house
La Cabanas doesn't enjoy the glory of
an ancient Castilian castle as MORO
does. 1t lacks age TO give it the same
respectability, but it is equally merit
odious, taking this fact into considera-
ton, in the annals of cruelty torture
and humanity.
1t can hardly be said that Weyler
gave any new twists to the methods
that have been in vogue within the
walls of these so-called castles. He
could, even with his active zeal for the
infections of torture upon the friends