The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-01
PONCE A HEALTHFUL PLACE.
Description of the Porto Rican TOvI
Near Which Miles Landed.
Baltimore American.

Ponce, the second city in commercial i'm
portance in Porto Rico. is believed to have
was slow, and it was not until 1S4S that it
received the title of villa. From that time
on its growth was rapid and in 1877 it be-
came city. AT present II has population
of 22,0O0, and. being the chief town of the
official district of the same name. its juris
diction extends over 5000 people who live
Ponce is situated on a plain about two
miles from it's port. Playa. where all the
port has about 5000 inhabitants, and here
are the custom house the office of the cap
tain of the port, and the offices of the vari-
Gus consulates. The bay is large, and will
ADMIT vessels of twenty-five feet draught.
A fine road leads to the city.
Ponce is regularly built, the buildings IN
it's central part being of brick while the
material chiefly used for suburban construc-
ton is wood. 1t is the home of the military
commander of the district. and the seat of
an official chamber of commerce. The city
contains two churches. one of them Protest
ant. said TO be the only one in the Spanish
Antilles; military and two other hospi-
tais. a municipal public library. three good
hotels, a fire department. perfectly equipped
with American apparatus: theater and
dates from the foundation of the town was
reconstructed in 1888, and finished in 1S47
1t is a structure 25S feet long and 129 feet
broad, with two steeples, and contains richly
decorated affairs.
The theater is the finest on the island. 1t
is built mostly of iron and marble. and cost
ly decorated. and by a mechanical contriv-
ance may be turned into a dancing hall
Ponce is said to be the most healthful city
on the island, and yellow fever is never
known there. The climate is hot and dry
but sea breezes by day and land breezes
by night keep it from becoming oppressive.
An ample water supply also adds greatly
to the comfort of the city's inhabitants
The only line of railroad which connects
Ponce with the other towns is that running
westward to Yanco, distance of about
twenty-five miles The road from San Juan
across the island, seventy miles in length.
erds at Ponce and is in good condition for
travel throughout the year.
The military defensf around the city are
weak, but series of earthworks have re-
Gently been thrown up elong the hills to the
north. West of the city batteries have been
placed to guard the connecting point of the
railway and the military road. About thir-
ty mountain howitzers are also available
for the defense of the city.
Bahia Honda, on the eastern coast of
Porto Rico. lies a little to the west of the
southern extremity of Puerca island. 1t
is about a mile in extent open TO the south
west and protected by reefs which con-
tract the channel at the entrance to the
width of about quarter of a mile. low,
sharp point marks the end Of the bays
eastern side. while on the west rises bold
headland crowned by a hill. Two small
islands. the Cabras covered with brush
wood lie off the eastern point The reef
which bars the entrance also skirts the In
terror Of the bay, leaving in some places