The evening times., 1898-05-25
THE BAY OF sAh1IAGQ
It Resembles a Huge Bottle
in Form.
NATURAL TRAP FOR CERyERA
If the Spas.iard Hns Taken His Ships
Into the Harbor He VIII Have
Hard Work to Steal or Fight His
Way Out-The Fortffcations There
Are Obsolete.

are ODSOletes
If Admiral Cervera's fleet has entered
the Bay of Santiago it is certainly bot
tied w.
The bay itself is virtually bottle, with
the en- rance as an extremely small neck
thereto.
The coast presents frowning wall of
granite TO the Caribbean Sea, extending
for many miles east and west of the har-
Dor In appearance these walls are mark
edly similar TO those of the Palisades on
the Hudson. They are almost exactly
perpendicular SO much SO as to give the
impression of human handiwork-
The entrance to the bay is cleft In
the rock. and is invisible until the steam
er is exactly abeam of it.
Moro Castle is perched on the right
hand cliff. 1t was, at the outbreak OF
-hostiiiiiss nothing more than a pictur-
esuua ruin, and was used as dungeon
for political suspects. At that time the
guns in place We're of ancient pattern.
and here is no Information that these
have been replaced by modern armament
Across the channel and a little further
in Castle Socapa, more modern struct-
ure gives more protection against intrud-
ers A thousand feet from MORO, ana
on the same side of the channel. back In
a II tie cove. is a strong battery. Still
further in Santa Catalina Fort points its
guns menacingly over the channel. Five
miles inside the bay. and just before the
city Is reached. is another battery-Blan-
ca by name-which commands the waters
Immediately in front of the city of San
tiago. The bay is surrounded by high
hluffs, covered with Shrubbery which
makes excellent locations for masked
batteries.
The channel in the Bay of Santiago is
narrow and would give the impression
that two vessels could not pass without
danger of collision in this channel. which
is between perpendicular rocks, Identical
IN formation to that of the sea wall The
walls on either side are SO high that the
light is shut out, even under tropical
sun. to a degree that is like passing from
daylight to darkness.
The run, however, is short into the bay.
which is without doubt the most beautiful
in the world. 1t is theatrical in shape
and studded with tiny islets. where the
fishermen live and whence the poor peo-
pie of Santiago derive their chief supply
of food 1t is incredible that any consider
able fleet of vessels can even find anchor
age in this bay on account of the shall
low depth and the torturous ship passage
to the city of Santiago. at the head of the
bay. No merchant ship or regular liner
can enter this bay without a native pi-
lot, and these ships have to proceed with
great caution even under such guidance.
There is, of course, sea room in this
bay sufficient in area to accommodate the
fleets of the world, but no depth of water.
Such a thing as a naval fight in this bay
is cut of the question for various rea-
{; ms. Chief of these is that our fleet
could never enter the bay If there was
any resistance. One man-of-war station
ed on the inside of the outer channel
could hold at bay the combined fleets of
the world. The same advantage to a ma
val resistance is offered here as was offer
ed the Greeks in the pass of Thermopylae.
The ships could only enter one at time
and as they poked their noses past the
granite wall at the entrance they could
be blown out of the water by WELL
equipped sea fighter or battery.
OF course. the same holds good in the
way of bottling up the enemy's feet. One
of our monitors, the Miantonomoh or the
Puritan, stationed outside, could destroy
the Spanish fleet. vessel by vessel, if 1t
attempted to reach the open sea.
The only way by which our feet can get
at Admiral Cervera would be to throw
their projectiles over the cliffs that bar
the entrance to Santiago Bay. This, of
course would be hap-hazard fighting and
warships. 1t would be an easy matter to
lombard Santiago in this way, but not
to destroy the Spanish fleet.
The Bay of Santiago Is beautiful beyond
description, tropical forests surrounding
it on all eides, perennially green. The City
of Santiago is cleaning white in the SUM-
shine. but much to the contrary on clos
er inspection. The streets are indescriba-
bly, filthy and the same will apply to the
Inhabitants. There is no sewerage sys-
tenn and the offal of all descriptions is
dumped in the streets. to be consumed
or left alone by the buzzards, who con-
stitute the scavenger system of the city,
The city Is compactly built. The streets
are narrow. the houses are adobe and
brick. and every residence is strongly for
fified. The walls Of these houses are on
an average of three feet In thickness. The
windows and doors are protected by heavy
iron gratings, and the entire city looks
as though 1t Is prepared to resist SIEGE
Most of these houses were built from one
to two centuries ago, and were actually
fortified for protection against bandits
and robbers.
Santiago Is next to Havana the richest
city on the island. There is comparative
iy little poverty and the miilionaires are
counted by the scores. On the plaza are
the cathedral one of the oldest and finest
on the Western Continent, and the opera
house. The display of diamonds in eth.
er of these most popular places of resort
will equal that of first night at the Met
ropolitan Opera House In New York CITY.
On the outskirts Of the city is what Is
now a slaughter house where the Virgini.
us crew was shot In 1873