The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-05-01
CUBAN-AMERlCANS TO FIGHT
Dr. Lame Talks of Climatic Conditions in the
Island and Says the Danger of Yellow
feye rfias Been Very Much.
Exaggerated.
elphia Times.

there has become evident widespread
feeling, more or less openly expressed, not
SO much by the men who are likely to be
called upon to serve as by their friends and
families, that they are to be sent into a
perfect nest of contag ion, where the dread
ed yellow Jack stalks rampant with a host
of other diseases as his staunch allies, and
the wings of the Angel of Death cast a
shadow over the length and breadth Of
the land.
There is probably no one better acquaint-
ed with Cuban conditions as they exist than
DR.. Damaseo T. Lane, of this city, and in
an interview yesterday he completely ex-
ploded q number of prevailing notions about
the state of affairs, both climatic and 9TH
erwise, In the FIowery Isle, and offered in
addition several valuable suggestions rela-
tive to the successful prosecution or a Gu
BAN campaign. In the first place, ne stated
the idea that yellow fever is epidemic all
over the island of Cuba is entirely errone-
Gus. The island is traversed by range OF
hills, which in the eastern section rise
TO the dignity of mountains, while towards
the west, in the neighborhood of the prov
inces of Havana, Matanzas and Pinar del
Rio, they are simply high, rolling lands
and plateaus. This geographical structure
is highly unfavorable to yellow fever and
here it is, consequently, scarce.
yellow Fever Confined to the Cities
But, and here he quoted no less an at-
thority than DR.. John Guiteras, an ac-
knowledged expert in yellow fever and Kiln
bred diseases and employed by the govern
ment to investigate epidemics of this anec-
ton in our own southern states, 1t is In the
seaport towns and cities that this disease
exists as scourge. They are, OF course
situated on low ground, and the concen-
tration and herding together of large bod
les of men in crowded quarters, such as
barracks, offer just the conditions most
favorable to the propagation of the disease.
No one knows just how the infection of yell
low fever acts, but it is known that II one
case of the disease enters house. In some
mysterious way 1t Is transmitted to the
other occupants of the house, and in this
way becomes epidemic in that locality. So
the seaport cities, as Havana, Matanzas,
Cardenas, Cienfuegos and Sagua are loci
of the fever. But in the open country 1t Is
very different. Here there is no opportuni-
ty for the germ of the disease to collect
and grow in power. They are rapidly dis
sipated, and the further inland one travels
the healthier the climate becomes, on ac-
count of the greater elevation of the land.
1.-THE climate" DIR. Lame continued, lis
divided into two distinct seasons. From
the month of December until after the mid
die of May you get long periods of dry
weather. This is the dry season. The
thermometer ranges from 80 degrees IN
the morning to rs in the middle of the day.
The island being so narrow, you get the
regular trade winds nearly all the Tine
called in Spanish La Brsa-' From the
middle of May until the middle of October
and sometimes later, you have the rainy
season. The rains are not such as you
have here. where you have cloudy skies
and protracted downpours for two or three
daysat time, but are more like April
showers They come regularly every after
noon, and after they are over the sun
shines as brightly as ever. In the morn
ing, too, the sun comes out, shining hot
through a humid and damp atmosphere
The thermometer never rises above 80 or
% degrees. but you get an atmosphere of
intense moisture.
Keen the Soldiers in the Open Air
"Of course, you can readily see how such
a climate would affect vegetation. The
grass almost grows under your feet, and
is sometimes four or five feet high. The
roads are mass Of mud, Into which you
sink to your shoetops. and in the woods
and forests a tangled jungle of thorny
vines completely chokes up all the inter-
stices between the trees, and makes 1T i'm
possible to see ahead for more than eight
or ten feet Only one modern road exists
on the island. This is the road leading
from Havana to Guanajay. 1t is telford
and is the only public work that the Span
fards have ever done IN Cuba. No other
road than this would be practicable for the
bringing of artillery to Havana, all the
others being simply tangled bride paths.
overgrown with grass ana covered deep
with mud.
ut is only right that the men should
know what kind of a country they are 60
ing into, but 1t is all nonsense to frighten
them with all sorts of bugaboos about
death staring them In the face and all that.
/ was born on the island of Cuba, and
lived there eighteen years before coming
to this country, and since 1 have been in
Philadelphia / have spent five summers
there, and I tell you that firmly believe
that If American troops are landed In Gu
ba no yellow fever will develop among
them until the cities are taken and the
troops are quartered there. Then you have
another problem to deal with. If the men
are sent into garrison in Havana or any
other seaport city, they will be liable to
the same danger of yellow fever which has
so decimated the ranks of the Spanish
soldiery Here lately. to be sure, the Span
iards have learned by sad experience the
dangr of concentrating the men In the city
barracks and now as soon as reinforce
ments arrive they are sent into the out
skirts of the town.
American Cubans Want to Fight
"But when the city is taken 1t must be
sarrisoned by somebody. And the only peo-
ple who can do this with safety to them
selves are the Cubans themselves. Not
the poor, half starved and half armed in
eurgentS who nave SO bravery WdSeu LOT
three long years the struggle for their in
dependence, but the thousands of Cubans
now in this country, who have during the
entire period of the war striven to aid their
brothers In the field to the best of their
ability by furnishing them with the sinews
of war, money, ammunition. food and
equipment. These are now ready to take
the field and would prove most invaluable
to the American army. But they have not
the means. The Junta's funds are COM
pletely exhausted; they have never been
able to sell more than $125,000 of their
bonds, and have during the last two years
prosecuted the war on less than s2,O00,0O0.
'oThe proposition we. therefore, make to
the government is that a sufficient sum be
appropriated to equip Cuban regiments,
who, Differed by their own countrymen,
should be attached to the American army
under the leadership of American general
officers. Or, perhaps. make one or two
prominent Cubans like Nunez or Castillo
and let these men garrison the
cities The men here are anxious to fight.
They are tired of simply raising funds and
letting their brothers bear the bruut Of