The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-08
CUBAN COASTS AND PORTS.
Notable Features Of the Shore Line Of the
Pearl of the Antilles

their way through the labyrinth Of isiess
and reefs The SpansArds have less
kaowiedge Of these shallow coast waters.
1t VIII be TO cur decided adyansAgs III
case OF war. that with the aid OF the Gu
bans We wiz hase far greater knowledge
than the Spsntards have acquired Of the
intricate waters az that remarkable coast
IRE. whose contour. with all sts indsnsa-
tons on Pscnardo's large map actually
exceeds 6.SO n1fi<E 1t - q curious fact
that In all shese centuries of occupancy
CT Cuba no Spaniard ever carcumnavixased
the island til. 10l.
Maxnancent as HAvAna'S harhor Is. one
Of the finest in the world. 1t IS sssl. sur
passed as natural port by that Of the
harhor OF Santiago de Cuba. Two causes
have enabled Havana 10 far outssrip her
rivals ON tho south coast. The first Is
that. among al the Islets and reefs that
vsii the coasts Of caha, the most Access
sihie stretch Of coast is that from NatAn-
zas TO Bahia Hondo. with Havana almost
midway between them. hence the Span-
iards very sardily discovered that Havana
was most conveniently situated to be- the
seat or government and the business CEN
ter OF the island TO be sure. the big
bays on the southeast coast are a. easily
accessible from the sea. but their natural
communications with the interior are far
vafaa is most favorably situated for COM
meree with this country, winch consumes
more. OF Caba's products than al other
nations together. One OF the causes Of
the present war Was summed up n the
memorial sent by the sugar planters 70
Madrid. declaring that SPANS policy
would Lead TO a tariff war with the United
States. and that would mean the ruin Of
the island.
la
none OF the great harbors Of the world
could be more easily defended. As 1t is.
the Spaniards might without difficuity so
block the very narrow channel leading
into the bay that no ship could enter 1t
tor weeks after an enemy had planted ;ts
guns on the heights that command the
city. Matanzas, the second city Of the
island. stands at the head of a deep inlet.
which has become so Swallowed by the
sediments from the five or six rivers emp
tying into 1t that vessels OF large draft
have to ride at anchor some distance
away. Its harbor is defended by one very
large fort, with q more elevated site and
loftser walls than those Of any other Gu
ban stronghold 1t il a large relic OF an
tiquated fashions in military architecture,
and the few guns that Weyler planted on
its walls awhile ago arc not up to the
standard OF modern requirements. The
less than sixty square miles in extent.
and its narrow. winding channel to the
sea would give an invader more trouble
than its finisy fertilization
On the southeast coast. the very large
harbor OF Guantanamo has forFihaafions
that would make a better show of defend
ing the port than anything outside Of
Havana and Santiago de Cuba. though
there Is not much there to defend for
ailuvium from the entering streams has
checked the bay till 1t is almost useless
for trading purposes. A little west IL
Santiago. the third port OF Cuba. with a
magnificent harbor and Notifications that
are probably as strong as those OF Ha-
vana- II 1t Is attacked the blow will
probably come from the sea. for the city
IL not yet connected with the general
railroad system of che Island, and APP
proach ny land over the steep cliffs Ct
the Sierra Maestro would be difficult for
a large force.
On the way westward along the coast
to Cienfuegos is the mouth of the cauto
river. now held bv the Spanish Gen.
Pando. though the Cuban Garcia's camp
is only a few miles up the river. and he
controls the whole river. except Its mouth.
II we help Cuba this year a prominent
feature OF our programme Is likely TO be
10 send Pando skcdaddiing. for the river,
In strategical sense, is the only very
important stream In Cuba. Attending. AZ
II does, navigab,e highway sixty miles
into the interior.
The harbor OF Cienfuegcs Is regarded as
the best, though not the largest. In Cuba
ard considering the commercial lmpor-
tsrce OF the city /. would be astonishing
that its defense has been 20 sosely neglect
ed IL II were any other notion than Spain
that had had in It's hands the making or
the marring OF Cuba. II In needless now
TO speak OF the numerous other ports and
natural harhors OF Cuba, today OF little
Importance because the tyrannicai and
runous sway Of Spain % stihed the IN
dustrial and commercial life OF the rich
and fertile island that even In It's best
daTs rot more than tenth OF It's area
has ever been brought under cultivation.
st. Louis Globe Democrat