The morning news., 1898-08-07

CainDtd battery, situated on tongue OF
laiin which enters the sea. Built over 25O
years ago, the city is still in good condition
ana repair. The walls are picturesque, and
represent stupendous work and cost IN in
themselves. Inside the walls the city is
laid Off In regular squares, six parallel
streets running in the direction of the
length of the island and seven at night
angles.
The peninsula on which san Juan is sit
uated Is connected with the mainland by
three bridges. The Oldest, that Of San An
tonic carries the highway across the shall
low san Antonio channel II is a stone
arched bridge, about $50 yards long, In
Guiding the approaches. BY the side of
this bridge is one for the railroad and
one Tor the tramway which follows the
main military highway to Rio Piedras.
Among the buildings the following are
notable: The palace Of the captain gen
eral, the palace of the intendencia, the
town hall, military hospital. jail, Ballaja
barracks, theater, custom house, cathe-
ufal, Episcopal palace and seminary. The
houses are closely and compactly built of
brick, usually of two stories, succeed on
the outside and painted in a variety of
colors. The upper floors are occupied by
the moro respectable people. while the
ground floors, almost without exception,
are given up to the negroes and the poorer
class, who crowd one upon another in
the most appalling matter
The population within the walls is es-
timated at 1000, and most Of 1t lives on
the ground floor. In one small room, with
a himsy partition, a whole family will re-
side. The ground floors Of the whole town
reek with filth, and conditions are most
unsanitary There Is no running water in
the town. The entire population depend
upon rain water caught upon the fiat
roofs of the buildings and conducted to
a %
part of the inner courtyard.
There is no sewerage, except for sur
face water and sinks, while vaults are in
every house and occupy whatever remain
ing space there may be in the patios not
taken up by the cisterns The risk of con-
taminating the water is very great, and
In dry seasons the supply Is entirely ex-
haustod. Epidemics are frequent and the
town is alive with vermin. fieas, cock
reaches, mosquitoes and dogs.
The streets are wider than in the older
part of Havana, and will admit two car
riages abreast. The sidewalks are mar
row, and in places will accommodate but
one person. The pavements ere of COM
position 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
a day by hand and, strange to say, are
kept very clean.
From its typographical situation the
town should be healthy. but it is not. The
soil under the city is clay mixed with
lime, so hard as to be almost like rock.
1t is consequently imperVious to water
and furnishes a good natural drainage
The trade wind blows strong and fresh
and through the harbors runs a stream of
sea water at speed of not less than
three miles an hour. With these condl-
4; opIvr
taken care of, could exist; without them
the place would be a veritabie plague spot
Besides the town within the walls there
are small portions just outside, called the
Marina and Puerta de TERRA, containing
2,000 or 5000 Inhabitants each. There are
also two suburbs-one, San Turce, ap-
proa ched by the only road leading out
of the city, and the other, Catano, across
the bay, reached by ferry. The Marina
and the two suburbs are situated on
sandy points or spits, and the latter are
surrounded by mangrove swamps.
The entire population of the city and
suburbs according to the census of 1887,
was $1,000. 1t is now estimated at 10000.
One-half of the population consists of ne
groes and mixed races.
There is but little manufacturing, and II
is of small importance. The Standard Oil
Company has a small refinery across the
bay IN which crude petroleum brought
from the United States is refined. Matches
are made, some broOms, little soap and
a cheap class of trunks. There are also
ice, gas and electric light works.
The climate is warm and agreeable for
nine months of the year, although one is
subject from the sudden changes, to cold
and catarrh. The natives are particular
ly susceptible to this class of ailment, and
to consumption and bronchitis.
The following authorities and corpora
tons have their residence in the capital
A lieutenant general a field marshal
second in command in the province and
| Governor of the garrison; a brigadier
general of the navy, chief of the mari
| time province, one of engineers and an
! other Of artillery; bishop of the deiocese
a sub-intendaut, a sub-inspector of mill
/ tary sanitation. judge advocate. war com.
missary, colonel, sub-inspector of the
tercio of civil guard and a commandan-
cia of the same, as well as of artillery
and engineers, a court, a provincial dep.
utation and treasury administration.
submarine cable connects the islanC
with, Kingston, Jamaica.
RED CROSS RESIGNED FOR RENSnNS