The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-10
HAYANA'S STRONG DEFENSFS
Ffty-fOOt Sand Entertainments and Heavy Bateres-vast
Stores of Ammunition.

but, instead of returning the wav
0 mad come, pushed farther eastura p
1 ABOUT ooO yards to Cojima, battery N,
:. mere a sentinel accosted me. and
was preparing to make a run for il
l Wnen, 10 my relief, he accepted my an
swer, given in the best Spanish I couI
5 command, and went about his bust
? lless, d piece OF stupidity for which
ueVoutly thanked him. NV stay at ri
second battery was short. I foun,
that IL closely resembled Cojima No.
except that it was oval in form. mount
TOUR slX-fnch rifles and is furnisba,
with four eight-inch modern mortars
situated ten feet below the level of tn,
guns and well protected fro,, y s ~
fire. ." se'
Two miles east of battery No. Q lie.
the small village of Cojima, where the
English and Americans landed wher
they captured Havana in 1852. Their
is situated the third eastern battery
consisting of a number of field pieces
surrounded by entertainments and
guarded by 5000 regulars. This is the
nearest point on the coast, to the east
or the city, where a landing can be
effected. ''
MY second expedition was to the first
battery lying to the west of Moro Cas-
tie a mile distant, and the most power
luI Oh the seven modern Notifications
| erected by the Spaniards for the de-
tense of Havana 1t is known as the
Santa Clara battery.
The Investigations at this point had
10 De carried out with extreme caution
Tor the place is doubly guarded. and
even at night there is a good chance of
oelng discovered and arrested bv one
OF the sentinels. 1t is from the Santa
lara battery that the American ships
may expect the most resistance in case
they make an attack upon the fortif-
cations. Situated upon a nafurai et elri
oiuft 90 feet above the level of the sea
the battery commands a wide extent of
territory, is furnished by effective
MODERN guns and mortars, we'll pro-
tected by walls of earth and stone.
Having gained the rear of this for
mloable fertilization. 1 crept to the
summit OF one of the entertainments
ana looked down over the whole extent
Oh the works. Not more than a hun
DdfrelS OF two powerful 12-inch guns,
their muzZles pointing seward. Be
yond was mounted rified 1O-inch can
non, sui further two S-inch and. where
the embankment swept in curve
along the summit of the bluff, a. sec
ondary battery consisting of three a
inch rified guns. The shells from any
one. or all, of these powerful modern |
cannon can be sent down upon the |
decks OF hostile vessels
Passing westward from tho So
Clara batteries one comes upon what |
are known as Nos. l, and 3, Vedado
batteries; these are built of sand run
nlng from the coast line to the ton of
me empankments at the muzzIes of the
guns, and in each are modern cannon
d and S-inch calibre, Il guns in all
also discovered that besides their big
'uhs' each OF the seven batteries given
aDove are furnished with 1-pound
Maxim rapid-firing guns. mounted AFT
ne hanks of the entertainments.
The great strength of these batteries
les IN the fact that the guns are pro-
escIed by thick embankments of sand
,or 1e from the muzzles of the can
asst amount of labor has been expended
the construction of these seven fortifi
LIONS ana 1t Is the opinion of those to
nom l submitted the result of my in
es.lgatlons, that, according to the latest
nglneer1nS ideas, their strength could
carcely be improved upon.
Before leaving Havana 1 also had the
pportunity to examine other harbor de-
ehses erected by the Spaniards Opposite | {
zorro; and at the entrance of the harbor ]
lose beside the old La Punta battery :
great sand embankment which thor ,
ushIy protects three six-inch rified guns
liter the opening of the war there was 5
$50 erected strong battery Just be- {
oho sta. Cara. Up to May this bat t
-Iy contained, besides eight old mortars. T
My three siX-inch guns but it is prob :
Die that others have been mounted since
lat GATE 1t was also the plan of the I
pahlsn engineers to erect yet other bat
'rles east of MORO castle, and to rebuild C
le ancient San Diego, or No WHOM Y
the inner harbor and approach
from the east. When | left Havana -
1WeVef, this work had not cofnmencad' "
l ne land side of the city is also well for c
Ieu, lot the spanish propose to be ready Is
II an attack from that quarter Stroll "
g INTO the country beyond the citv limits n
round the hills and ridges entrenched n
10 fortlfed by works of sand and earth. -
Is is especially so along the railroads d
ID principal turnpikes leading into fhe a
terror OFT he island. On several different a
caslonS came upon parks of artillery il
SemDled at various points. which can he c;
lckly moved when such action is neces J m
~. Ihere is probably also concealed II
ttery between MORO Castle and the Ca -
ma fortress, but l was unable TO obtain Id
dennite information regarding it. q
No Kind of fertilization can stand +ba
OF II and 13-inch guns such as te
g carried by our battleships But the Ia
lenses OF havana are now very com n
ne, and the sand of which they are 4
lit is the best resisting material to he ut
ma Ihey have modern, high-poWer IN
ms ana vast stores of ammunition ac- al
mulated Just before the outbreak of DC
; war. If the men behind the guns in
re Americans. or could shoot as well co
Americans. ne taking of Havana
uld be long and hard task AS II is
city can hardly offer any prolonged w
istance. In
CHARLES H. THRALL. ar