Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-26
ABOUT PORTO RICO
Its People, Climate, Geography and
Industries.
DAYS AND NIGHTS NOW ARE WARM
Heavy Storms and Furious Huri-
canes.
VISITED BY EARTHQUAKES

| The semi-official announcement that Por-
| to Rico is to be included within the domin-
| ion of the United States as result of pend
| ing military and naval operations has natu-
| rally directed general attention to that ISL
| and. Its case is altogether different from
| that of Cuba, in which the policy of the
government is directed solely to the estab-
| lishment of an independent and stable gov
| eminent by the inhabitants, free from all
| interference by Spain or any other foreign
government. Porto Rico is also to be
| wrested from the Spanish government, but
| unlike Cuba, she is to be appropriated by
| the United States and incorporated into the
| Union. The military information division
of the adjutant generals Office has COM
piled some military notes on Porto Rico"
| containing a mass of interesting data about
the island.
The Island and It's People.
According to this publication, the island
of Porto Rico is about thirty-five miles
| broad and nnety-five miles long and covers
about 3,66S square miles. 1t is the fourth
| in size of the Antilles and the first in densi-
ty of population and in prosperity. Its
population is stated at S13, 1887, of which a
little over 800 900 are negroes. 1t is one of
the few countries of tropical America
where the number of whites exceeds that
of other races. The whites and colored,
| however, are all striving in the same move
ment of civilization, and are gradually be-
coming more alike in ideas and manners
Among the white population the number
of males exceeds the number of females,
which is the contrary of all European coun-
tries. This is partly explained by the fact
that the immigrants are mostly males. On
an average the births exceed the deaths by
| double. The eastern portion of the island
is less pOpUlouS than the western.
The ground is very fertile, being suitable
for the cultivation of cane, coffee, rice and
other products raised in Cuba, which island
Porto Rico resembles in richness and fer
tiity.
The climate is hot and moist, the medium
temperature reaching 104 degrees Fahren-
heit Constant rains and winds from the
east cool the heavy atmosphere of the low
regions. On the heights of the Central Cor
dillera the temperature is healthy and
agreeable.
Iron rusts and becomes consumed so that
nothing can be constructed of this metal
Even bronze artillery has to be covered
with a strong yarnish TO protect 1t from the
damp winds.
Although one would suppose that all the
large islands in the tropics enjoyed the
same climate, yet from the greater mortali-
~ observed in Jamaica, St. Domingo and
Cuba, as compared with Porto Rico, one is
inclined to believe that this latter island is
much more congenal than any of the for
mer to the health of Europeans. The heat,
the rains and the seasons are, with very
trif1ing variations, the same in all. But the
number of mountains and running streams,
which are everywhere in view in Porto
Rico. and the general cultivation of the
land may powerfully contribute to purify
the atmosphere and render it salubrious TO
man. The only difference of temperature
to be observed throughout the island is due
to altitude, a change which is common to
every country under the influence Of the