The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-04-14
Some Interesting Facts About
Cuba.

,
Cuba is the largest and most ives
tern of the group of islands called
the West Indies and situated in the
Caribbean Sea.
1t is ia miles from Yucatan, 96
miles from Florida, 105 miles from
Jamaca and 45 miles from lIayti.
Cuba resembles somewhat the arc
Of a circle. It's greatest length from
east to west is $50 miles and its
greatest breadth, which is in the
eastern part, is 100 miles; It's least
breadth is in the province of Havana
and is % miles; its average breadth
is 80 miles.
Around the island are innumerable
iSlets. keys and banks, facilitating
navigation for vessels Of small
draught, but dangerous in many
places for large vessels
The southern coast is covered with
a species Of brushwood called man
glades, the bark of which is used for
tanning. At high tide this land is
inundated, and when the water re-
cedes the rotted vegetable matter
produces marsh and other infectious
ieyerS.
n chain of mountains like a back
bone tIaVerSes Cuba from east to west
only a few isolated groups being Of
much height until it reaches the
eastern coast in the province of San
tiago de Cuba, where it joins a group
called Sierra del Cobre, with peaks
5, 200 feet high.
The rivers are navigable only in
The eastern part Of the island. !
Vast caves are to be found on the |
STAND. c
In the city of Havana the death z
ate is ) per cent. or less than that |
# Naples, Valparaiso and other t
'laceS. The death rate III other sec @
ions Of the island is no greater. b
The whole of the island is habita. o
lie for people Of temperate and even II
old climates, provided they do not b
rink to excess or eat unripe fruits Il
nd observe general sanitary rules. cl
The census of 1887 gave a popula- CO
on of 1883, 900 whites and 52S, 600 in
acks. The present population is
hmatcd at about one-third black. II
The months from the beginning of in
ay to October are called the wet b,
ason, though rain falls every month an
the year. With May spring be- til
MS on the island. an
The forests of Cuba are of vast ex-
it, and some are so dense that thew 49,.
almost impenetrable. ="
Havana is city of 100000 in ~
hitants, with fine promenades, t -"
lIevarts and streets, first class . ,
tells with restaurants, which are H.;
lmed to be equal to those of New bm'
rk, Paris, BuenoS Ayres, etc. ,n'
IN the Cathedral at Havana are ~,
ned the remains of Christopher ,,n
'nmhuS and his son, Diego. ~,
lantanzaS, Puerto and Santiago 49,
Cuba are cities the next in impor- oI,,
ce and have 10000 inhabitants ~"
h. The next largest city is Glen ,. I,
COS, with $4,000. %"'
very kind of vegetation peculiar -"
he tropics grows with extraordin :
luxarlance. Some canefelds have "
led abundant crops annually for az
nty years. Corn, potatoes. sweet y
toes and various oleaginous her Y
'eous plants produce two and
e crops a year. g
he banana in all it's varieties is III
Important article of domestic con- IL
ptlon and of export. "A
lgar and tobacco are the chief
ents OF the agricultural wealth Of can
by
lere are more than 1000 miles God
llroad track in Cuba, and steam phite
'nnect the island with a dozen It Is
ent parts of the world. Oil Is
vana, Cienfuegos and Santiago isten'
'uoa have cable connections
telegraph and telephone lines
'ntroiled by the Government.