The times., 1898-12-11
Editorial Section.

III est tarde. IL est minuit; la Croix du
sud est droit sur l'horizon."
The main course from Jamaica to Ha-
vana lies in a northwesterly direction.
across the Caribbean Sea, with several
ports of cali en- route. First. almost due
north to Sant:ago-at which point did
not land this time. retaining too vivid
fecollections of the fever recently encoun-
tered there. Through the yellow haze of
Il tropic morning we saw again the ap-
parently unbrokrn wall of the Sierra
Maestro. and at length the historic gap
was disclosed-just wide enough to admit
an ocean liner. The wonder IS that Ger
veras 7091-ton cruisers ever managed TO
wriggle through the twisting neck of that
bottle. The shallow wafer at the entrance
of the sinuous channel does not conceal
sandbar, but living, growing barricade
of coral rock, requiring the most careful
piloiing to pass In safety. Doubtless the
day is at hand when Yankee engineering
will render the broad. deep bay beyond as
accessible as il is now one of the fines,
harbors in the hemisphere.
Improvement at Santiago.
Having successfully squeezed between
the Scylla and Charydis of Socapa head
land and the ruined Morro Castle, we
passed the place that lately knew the
sons Merrimac-now swung round clear
of the channel and made fast to shore. 1t
is significant of American occupation
that already jealous relic-hunters have
carried off pretty much all the Merrimac,
bit by bit, and distributed it over the
United States. Even from the deck of
a vessel anchored in the harbor, one can
discern marked Improvement in San
tiago under the new regime. Sickening
nln mt nm ht
wings of the wind. fewer carrion birds are
seen circling overhead, and the water
side street Is no longer crowded with
idle darkies, starving in the sunshine.
The white tents of the immune camp still
stretch in triple rows along shore, with
sentinels pacing their weary rounds ana
soldiers squatted in groups, playing the
same old game with greasy cards. The
hospital shows signs of occupation
though no white-capped nurses are NOV
ing about its corridors, and the Red
Cross banner floats above a bodega. But
the little band of men and women who
risked their lives here few months ago
feeding the famishing people and wag-
Ing Il hand to hand fight with grim death
for our boys in blue, are scattered far
and wide. Miss Barton is in Washington,
busy on her new book Annie Wheeler is
in her Alabama home; George Kennan
has re-entered the lecture field; DR.. Egan
and a few others are carrying on the
good work in the western provinces of
Cuba, and some are sleeping the long
sleep In the bare little cemetery back of
Santiago-martyrs, brave and true as
ever blessed n woeful world
All the old Spanish maps represent the
Sierra Maestro master Mountains) as a
continuous chain, extending from Point
Maysi at the eastern tip of the island to
Cabo San Cruz-the cape which forms the
heel of the boot. so TO say. In the instep
of which Santiago is located. Though the
Spanards are adopts In embellishing pic
lures of their possessions, there has never
yet been a reliable map of Cuba produced
from triangulation survey. The Master
Mountains stand from five to ten miles in
land and between them and the sea
stretch two distinct ranges of hills,
neither of which comes down to tidewater.
The tall. bare cliffs in the foreground are
part of the uniform series Of benches and
terraces peculiar TO Cuba. and fringing its
entire circuit of $500 miles. Beginning
with submerged coral reef. they rise
from fifteen to fifty feet. Back of them
comes a second bench or terrace. rising
nowhere more than $50 feet: and, above
that third. averaging 800 feet in
height. AS the dark Maestro mountains
sweep grandly to the east of Santiago. so
the no less stately Copper range stretches
away 10 the westward, to their abrupt
termination at Cabo de San Cruz Steam
ers stand some distance out from shore
to avoid the dangerous reefs and keys.
But they go near enough for passengers
to catch charming gliInpses of low hills
wrapped in mist and peaceful covers,
edged with cocoa palms. The only other
usual halting place on the southern coast
of Cuba is Cienfuegos. The harbor of the
City of Hundred Fires" is so securely
hidden behind wooded keys that its ship
ping is not visible except at close range