The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
QUEER OLD SAN JUAN.
The Fine Specimen OF n walled Tswn That the
Un ited states viii Have.
From the Boston Evsntno Transcript.

From the Boston Evening Transcript.
San Juan is a perfect specimen of a walled
town, with portculliS, moat, gates and battle
ments. Built over $50 years ago, 1t Is still In
good condition and repair. Tho walls are pic
turesque, and represent q stupendous work and
cost In themselves. Inside the walls, the city Is
laid of in regular squares, six parallel streets
running in the direction Of the length OF the
island and seven at right angles. Tho
houses are closely and compactly built Of
brick, usually Of two stories. succeed on
colors. The upper doors are occupied BY tho
floors, almost Without exception. are given up
to negroes and the poorer classes. who crowd
one upon another IN the e,, most az SppSilInE man sti.
mated at 10000, and most Of 1t lives on tho
ground floors; In one small room with a himsy
partition a whole family Will res ide.
The ground floors of the whole town reek with
filth, and conditions are most unsanitary. In a
tho sSSss so1n5cs; U of snc f'i SeTdih 5SH may P be easiiy
inferred. There 10 no running water in the town.
The entire, population depends on rain water
Quoted to the cistern, which occupies the greater
part Of the courtyard that 10 an essential part of
account of the crowded conditional Is small. There
10 no sewerage, except for surface water and
sinks. while vaults are in every house and &C.
risk Of communicating the water is great. and in
1IJ boabOhb Iho bubpiy 10 hshOt
EPldemics are frequent, and the town is alive
with vermin. MOSQUITOES. and dogs.
The streets are wider than in the older part OF
Havana and will admit two carriages abreast:
The sidewalks are narrow, and in places will
accommodate only one person. The payements
are of a composition manufactured In England
from Stag, pleasant and even and durable when
no heavy strain is brought to bear upon them,
but easily broken and unfit for heavy traffic
The streets are swept once 9. day by
hand. and, strange to say, are kept very
clean. From It's Typographical situation the
town should be healthy, but 1t is not
The soil under the city is clay mixed with lime,
30 hard as to be almost like rock. 1t is conse
quently impervious to water and furnisheP q
good natural drainage. The trade wind blows
strong and fresh, and through the harbor runs q
stream OF sea water at q speed Of not less than
three miles an hour. With these conditions nc
contagious diseases, IL properly taken care Of
could exist; without them the place would be q
veritable plague spot.
Besides tho town within the walls, there arc
small portions just outside. called the Marina
and Puerta de TERRA. containing 1000 or 5000
inhabitants each: There are also two suburbs
one, San Turce. approached by the only ronc
leading out of the city, and the other, Catano
across the bay, reached by ferry. The Marine
and the two suburbs are situated on sandJ
points or splits. and the latter are surrounded b!
mangrove swamps. Tho entire population O
the city and suburbs, according to the census o
1897. was 81, 600. 1t Is now 1896, estimated n
80, 900. One-half of the population consists o
negroes and mixed races.