Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-10-01
ERICAN REDEMPTION
N. WOOD BANIsHED DIRT,
fUNGER AND DEATH.
I'd Dead I'm the Houses and
cts Filled With Carcasses of
nimais When Americans
Took POssession-Some
of the Reforms.

ago. 1t is personal 10 u great ex
but deals with many questions o.
est TO the public and Secretary Algel
allowed some extracts to be published
letter presents vividly the frightfu
Htohs that confronted the American
y Of occupation after the surrender OF
itlago. General Wood says, il, part:
have had a very difficult position from,
sanitary point OF view and not altogether
easy one from a military and civil sand
unit When We came into the city the
initary situation was something frightful.
mere were great many unburied dead in
ne houses, between 1900 and 3.Oo0 Spanisb
wounded and sick, and a great horde of
nait-famished and sick people, nearly 20 OOJ
In number, who had just returned from EI
Caney, where they had gone during tn.
siege.
The water supply of the city had been
cut on; there was no water 10 be obtained
except from cisterns and few wells. ana
the streets were fun of dead animals and
all sorts of filthy materials.
hao to start in from the bottom and
repair the water works. Then came thu
removal of the dead. Some of these were
burned, because the number was so grear
and decomposition had advanced TO such
an extent that they could not be buried
6urning Is not uncommonly practiced here
lAS tplQerllc season.
we have yellow fever all around us
ana ABOUT twenty cases in the Spanish mil
iay hospital. The civil hospital was fuII
OF dying people, and public buildings were
peing used as hospitals. On the whole If
was an extremely difficult task, REQUIRING,
great deal OF work. l have been WORK.
ing systematically, with every means ar
hand' to improve the sanitary condition
Oh Inc city. II is in this department that
ne
nave a force OF about 10 men constantly
employed, and at many times have had I
nearly double this force working day and .
night to remove the vast accumuIations of !;
indescrfbable filth which has accurnulatedl,- "
IN the outhouses and yards. as well as theft
Sieets 0I lhe CITY, which is reputed to "
one one OF the most unhealthful and dirty inrn
the world. -'i ~ !
The death rate has dropped steadiIyHh He
since We came in and is now about one al
fourth of what it was in July. The wateta!
system has been put in order and a grea6eD
m many repairs made to It, and the supplyWa
athough insufficient, is utilized to tn a
greatest advantage -,
II have had to hire doctors for the hot spI spI
pitels purchase medicine for them ar az a. i
supply them with beds and bedding al tof 70
food: in fact. re-estabHsh and take enti OF OIL
strict system Of house inspection and rag
spection OF the streets, and have a disil ;
tecting department as well as a cIeani iit dnt
department The city has been divi( gT, si,I
into nve districts, in each of which il | IN IN
relief station, where food is distribIt tht
prescrfbes for those who nresent tbr yo1
selves sick, and visits the. sick in e
houses. lW
THE police department, all doctors. i'd w
the officials in each ward have recesd
Instructions to furnish these physician a su
INST OF SICK requiring attention, and SO
OF the worthy poor, in order that we ay l.
be somewhat protected in the distribIon
of medicines and rations 1 am issuiu at
present about 1900 rations per day he -,
physicians are probably prescribfnsfor IN
about 600 or 400 people, and some ays CO
many more. These physicians are niive L,
Cubans educated in the United Stateand bc
surgeons. %
THE garbage and material which COL sc
lect In the streets l have dumped otside III
of the town and burned. / have ais had cl
the lower and most unhealthy port5n of tc
the city ditched and drained aa the n
bitches running into the harbor deaned r
out; also the water front system of sewer II
age. which was completely obstruc.ed and u
the custom in this town to deoend upon a
heavy rains and the rushing fools through b
me IN s,.r streets to sweep away the ,ccunulat- S
been swept down to the water front where 2
II has been collecting for years choking t
near the shore, SO that when the tide goes I
out masses of dumping material are ex- {
posed to the intense rays of the sun and {
furnish fruitful causes of disease Z
Later this year, when the epidemic sea- \
SON shall have passed, it is my Intention, |
have the shallow places dredged out so
that at least a thin layer of water will
cover them at low tide and prevent the \
present condition of affairs.
THE police force has been re-established |
ana its uniform changed to one similar 10 |
that worn by the Cubans, and they will
soon be entirely rid Of all suggestion of
Spanish rule. 9
THE lighthouse system in the harbor 1 :
nave nave re-established and arranged pilots, ;
As the, courts are not yet running, /
have the delightful experience each day of I
acting as police judge and clearing the :
docket of all sorts of cases. OF course the , ,
most serious cases, such as crime, are be- !
ing held for trial, either by military COM {
mission or by the courts when they are I
established and in operation. c
THE receipts of the city from customs
since we occupied il, l understand from ]
Generals Shafter and LayFton, who have I
charge OF this matter, have been about !
supporting the hospitals. cleaning the l
streets, doing the necessary engineering I
work, and the many little things re- /
quired 10 keep up the different depart t
ments of the city of $1,000 people are at {
present 81, 500 to 5000. OF this. about 81 600 {
is for sanitary work and engineering, and
the balance for hospitals police. etc /
. Il have been economical possible but t
have felt that, In this matter of sanitation,
expense should not be taken into consider
alton, as the lives of all Americans here
must be said to depend upon prompt and
sanitary condition in which the city was
found, 80 -..--
The great expert on yellow fever, DIR.
assured me in July that an epi-
demic of yellow fever of great severity
Was absolutely unavoidable, and that we a
were destined TO lost a large proportion of $
our people here. Thus far il has been |
avoided, and not only avoided. but to-day
don't know of an authentic case of genu- {
fne yellow fever in Santiago de Cuba prop
er. and every day increases our chances OF (
escape"
General Wood then makes some recon- T
nendations as TO what he needs in the way (
of management of the hospitals and SAM
tary affairs. He also speaks OF the man ]
agement of the city under military and civil c
authority. The United States officers have I
lion of both. The use of military force has c
been avoided, as far as possible. and only | .
when the police have been inadequate has
il been called into requisition. The gen.
eraI continues:
Il am very anxious 10 have the schools
started in the city and get the children out |
OF the streets; also 10 get the issue of ra-
tions down to such point that are sure
we are not pauperizing the people"
On the subject of rations, General Wood |
makes some recommendations. He thinks
small places in the country, SO that the |
Cuban soldiers. as they leave the army, |
may be able to get to their farms in the
vicinity of the towns. These men could
then have a limited amount Of food from |
which they could be supplied while the
crops are maturing. After the first crop |
nearly all the assistance should be brought |
to an end.
General Wood discusses the problem in
Cuba, which is well understood here of |
getting the Cuban army dsbanded and the