The herald., 1898-12-24
SPANISH TRANSPORTS
FILLED WITH SOLDIERS BOUND
FOR SPAIN
CONDITIONS ARE HORRIBLE
A Doctor Estimates That 0ne-Third Of
the Men Aboard Will Die
En- Route
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, Dec. ga dispatch to the
World from Havana says:
Cabanas and Moro are being prepared
for delivery to the Americans. Every ar
ticle capable of being moved has been taken
away, all the swords have been destroyed
or packed in huge cases for transportation
to Spain and the interiors OF these huge
houses which have held so many Spanish
secrets have been prepared for the flood OF
light which will be thrown on them when
! the American troops march in.
Secrecy as dark as the grave has been
maintained in regard to both these places
and the destiny of their thousands of prison.
ers is still unknown. Friends and relatives
of missing men await anxiously to ascertain
whether they still linger in dungeons or have
gone the way of thousands Of Others in the
bloody laurel ditch.
The Spanish government Is exceedingly
anxious not to leave behind trace showing
the gross irreguarity with which trials have
| been conducted or the exact number OF vic
tins who have gone to their doom there.
During the past two days La Machna
wharf has been crowded with departing
Spanish soldiers.
The sight of the men who embarked was
pitiful in the extreme--sallow, wan, filthy,
with a starved look and scarcely enough
! strength TO carry tnelr Iiiies.
Even of those who still retained regimen
tai formation many will die on the way
home. The men were. scarcely able after a
quick march through the town to hold their
places in their boats taking them to the
transports, and several tainted from sheer
exhaustion on the way.
As for the sick, their condition was be-
yond description. Suffering from all kinds
of diseases, principally fevers and horrible
skin complaints, many died before they were
lodged on board the fearfully crowded
| transports.
One poor fellow on La Machina wharf
| asked for water and was given large glass,
iced. He took a huge gulp and fell back
dead, the shock of cold on his weakened
frame killing him on the spot.
Before the Cheribou sailed permit from
Spanish officer enabled the World CORES
pondent to go aboard and ascertain the con-
ditions. She was crowded from truck to
keel. having more than 2OO0 on board, 600
of whom were sick.
in cots on the lower deck, surrounded by
filth of all descriptions and stencil un-
bearable. They had been only ten hours
aboard, but eight died and their bodies
awaited burial when the ship got to sea-
Uncared for, living and dead, lay together.
their bodies touching, in some cases, dead
mans stiffened arm resting on the shoulder
of still suffering eomrade
Three doctors and several hospital corps
will go with the ship, but there is a total
absence OF medicines and supplies. Ore
doctor estimates that thirty per cent. will
die on the voyage.
An effort VIII be made to have General
Gomez come to Havana to take part in
the five-day celebration of the Spanish evac-
uation of Cuba, beginning January l. The
Junta, various patriotic clubs and an Execu
tive Committee in each district have ap-
pointed general committee to make ar
rangements and raise funds for the purpose.
A grand meeting will be held in the Ia
con Iheater, at which speeches will be de-
hvered by we'll known Cubans. All the
clubs will combine in grand procession, a
paign dinner party will be given to the
Cuban troops.
Solemn high mass will be celebrated in the
morning at the Cathedral, at which special
prayers suitable to the occasion will be
read.
Arches will BIZ erected in all the principal
streets and the houses will be decorated
Numerous private balls will be given, to
which invitations by the hundreds are being
showered on the American officers.
Strong protests are being made by the
Cubans against the enlisting in the new
police force of men who were lately guer-
rillas in the Spanish army.
The fight over electric street franchises
will be begun again after January !. Will
lam Mackenzie, the president of the Toron-
to Street Railway Company, who is here
with colleagues representing Montreal and
Toronto syndicate, is confident of obtaining
a concession.
The situation now since the revocation of
the franchise granted to the American
syndicate by the Civil Governor is just as
it was before.
The Canadians will again make an offer,
and it is believed in financial circles here
field again without the Montreal and Hall
fax backing of its previous offer
AN AWFUL DEATH RATE
Havana's death rate is astounding. There
are between ffty-fve and seventy-fve
caused by malarial fever, typhoid claiming
the next largest number of victims(and per-
nicious fever about the same.
The civil register today shows a total
of forty-nine deaths in this city in the last
twenty-four hours, and two parishes where
the death rate was usually high, made no
report. The mortality last week was at the
week it will be higher. In New York the
rate is only twenty-five deaths per annum
for every thousand of population.
All the hospitals are overcrowded and 10
more patients can be received. The munich |
pal hospital has been organized as an emer-
gency hospital to care for the recencentra-
dos, and is taking care of 235 patients with |
space for only l00 One surgeon said today |
that he had to leave sufferers lying in the |
streets because there is no place to care for |
them.
Vile stenches from the indescribable dirt |
iness of some sections offer herculean task |
to the engineer officers, who are preparing
to clean the city, making the Americans
despair OF any immediate lowering Of the |
frightful death rate.
WORSE THAN DISEASE
NEW YORK, Dec. 23.-A dispatch to the
World from Havana says:
On the heels of the announcement that
Jim Corbett will open saloon here comes
he news that Bat Masterson, Wyatt carp,
of Tombstone, Arizona; Doc" Holiday and I
casey, THE Kid of Skaguay, Alaska, and
Doc Brown of Spokane, are coming to
Havana to engage in various enterprises.
Judging IRON appearances, the early his
tory of the Western towns of America will
De repeated in Havana
Gambling houses will be opened every
where. 1t is poor building in business street
which has not bids on it for location for
an American bar. 1t seems to be the
dea among the sporting fraternity that Ha-
vana will be made another Monte Carlo
10 endure through the reconstruction period
1T least
Blanks Must Hang
FRANKFORT KY. Dec. Ex-Governor
Bradley tonight finally refused to extend
lemency in the case of Bob Blanks of May