The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-19
SCENES in CUBA.
Starvation and Death in the Most Fer
tile Country Under the sun.

tie country Under the sun.
NEW YORK. March 1S-In letter from
Havana to the New York Journal Amos J.
Cummings says: Dante apparently stood
on the borders of Inferno on his way out
and looked backward. He has accurately
expressed his feelings After visiting a score
of the camps Of the reconcentrados in Cuba
you feel like one who stands on the edge
of Inferno at Havana and looks backward.
Dante's victims are living, but living in
torment and misery; the most of the victims
of the Cuban Inferno are dead, yet enough
live to accurately portray the former suffer-
ings of those now in the other world. The
richest country under the sun is now abso-
lutely uncultivated, no gardens are growing
to feed the starving. That they have died
by thousands is beyond question. The off,
cial figures, which 1 have seen, prove this
beyond a dolpt.
The Governor of Matanzas told me that
when he entered office on Nov. u, 1897, TWEEN
ty-three persons starved to death on the
same day in the palm-shaded park 'front.'
ing his palace Matanzas has about 10000
inhabitants. In November last 1900 recon-
centrados were the victims of starvation in
that city; in December 1850 more crossed
the river of death; in January 700 died; and
in February 500.
The starving still remain, fearing butchery
by the Spanish soldiers if they slip beyond
the limit. There are few if any men among
them able to use the hoe. The women are
weak, wan-eyed, feverish living skeletons.
The children are even in a worse condition.
A few weak tots unclothed and unfed,
gather at the railroad stations and around
the restaurants. 'plaintively asking for aid
Their information is weak and as plaintiVe
as the cry of the pee-wee in Northern
meadows.
In Matanzas I saw an American citizen
who two years ago was worth $50, O0O lie
had a plantation within six miles OF the city.
where he raised vegetables and cattle for
the market With others he was driven
within the line. To-day he is penniless,
hardly knowing where to obtain the next
meal for his family
AT Santo Domingo a town of 800 inhab-
itants, twenty-three miles away, the mayor
told me that $50 reconcentrados had died
All the relief that had been sent to this lit
tie city was three bags of rice.
l talked with the mayor of Santa Clara,
city of about 1900 inhabitants. He is
also an autonomist appcintee. He declares
that over 1900 recOncentrados had died in
this city alone.
/ have seen far more horrible scenes than
care to describe. They are not only hor-
l'ibla, but revolving. One. however, ! can
never forget. 1 saw it while passing over
which had been used in fishing. Near the
net l saw what seemed to be a recumbent
one had thrown it from the bridge Gazing
steadily at it, it showed signs of life. 1t
was the naked figure of gigantic negro,
as black as coal. and apparently in the last
stages of starvation. He lay in the hot
sun, making a feeble effort to scratch his
thin shank He uttered no groan nor moan
and cast no pitiful glance upward.
The vast majority of the reconcentrados
are dead, but thousands remain. Looking
backward over the desolate camps, and
those where remnants of humanity are
painting for life and dying for lack of food
/ feel like one gazing upon the blackened
embers of fearful confagration. The fer
tile plains are dotted with Spanish block
houses and the chimneys of burned sugar
mills. The fields are the prey of wild vege-
tation and the whole country is apparently
deserted, the combatants alone remaining.
Even the buzzard has flown TO the seashore
I'm search of food, and rarely casts a shadow
on fields once the most fertile and produc-
tive in the western hemisphere.