Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-26

a
DESERET EVENING
vinces of MatnrssH there are upwards
of 81 600. The mortality occasioned by
hunger and fever is not known to a
certainty, because every effort has
been made to hide II: 1t is calculated
that forty pr cent in Havana and sixty
per cent in Pinar del Rio. Be
fore aid from the United States
came it was MS high as 20 per cent
right here in Havana, under the eyes
of the governor-general. Guines Is
another scene OF fearful mortality. II
is a little town with normal popula-
ton of 5000. After Weyler's concern
tration decree in Increased in few
Days to 5000. During three weeks In
April the deaths numbered 400. The
old cemetery became so crowded that
when the trenches would hold no more
a new burial ground had to be con-
secrated and over liz gate might have
been inscribed one universal epitaph
Murdered by Don Valcriano Wcyler.
Marquis of Teneriffe."
More than 1000 have already died
In Guines: out of 5000 reconoentrados
in Jurne, 3,700) are already dead; I'm
Havana, In spite of all that is now be-
ing done for them, they are still dying
at the rate of 1000 n month. Not less
than 100000 must surely follow the 200,-
900 which the grave has claimed in
this great charnel house, the fair
island of Cuba
These figures are not guess work; they
are from statistics as carefully COM
piled as the condition will allow, and
are under rather thar above the mark.
Doctor Bruner. of the Marine Hospital
Service. fixes the number of deaths
from starvation, from the data he has
gathered, at 100000.
The asyiums lately created, of which
Los Fosos is one, shelter upwards of
$1,000 reconcrntrados, ana through
American charity about 1i.00D receive
food In the municipal city Of Havana.
Should this bounty cease what would
become OF them A few noble souls in
Havana are distributing this food. un-
dnr the direction of Consul General
Lee; and now that Clara Barton has
itrtlyed. things Will be farther system
atized. If every community in the
United States would Immediately or
ganize a branch Red Cross Aid So
ciety and secure what 1t could in money
or clothing, what incnlcuable amount OF
suffering would be relieved If every
body of means would give but five or
ten cents out of his abundance, what
might be hoped from the seventy mil
lion people in our happy country.
Having now no more money in our
purses than the reconcentrados them
selves, we We're Obliged to walk to our
hotel. more than two miles, over these
stony streets, every step OF which
makes one feel like like n penltente
with peas in his shoes. Talk about
sidewalks In Havana so narrow that
two cannot pass one another upon
them! In many places the yare but n
few inches wide, so that one, the size
of your correspondent. can barely walk
abreast upon them, the narrow streets
which one may almost reach across,
filled from walk to walk with carts
laundering over the stones, each cart
driven by a red-capped Spanish peas
ant and drawn by wonderfully
bedizened donkey, with red tassels and
juggling bells and brass amounted
leathe all over him. Among the carts
the carriages dash at such a rate that
one expects instant destruction. wheth-
or walking or riding. However, we
reached the Pasaje with no damage
but to our feet, which felt as n they
had been bastinadoed, in time for
breakfast-the usual hour for that meal
in these parts being 1880 to / pm.
After "a brief rest and replenishinr of
the pocket books-for pilgrims without
scrip are of no account here--we drove
to the Jacoba, another of Havanas
temporary asylums, down near the
waters edge. In side street so mar
row that one literally could not swing
n cat. in 1t without humping its head
on either wall, one carrlge was stopped
by a small crowd of half dozen men
and boys grouped around what looked
like a bundle Of dirty rags.
What IL the matter?' i asked in
my poor Spanish.
NADIA. Nata," said a man, indiffer-
emily turning away: "Solanante una
pobra"-Nothing, nothing, only n poor
woman"
"Why don't you take her uq;can moth
ing be done for her?" was the next
query.
mo, sonora" said another. "Ellau-
riendo. she is dying"
Quickly getting out of the coach we
stopped beside her. She was black. ard
old, and shrivilled, with thin gray hair
partially bound under blood stained
bandage. Whether she was n recon-
centrado or one OF the city beggars
whose name is legion. whether she had
met death by violence, or from want
and the weight OF years, none knew. or
cared to inquire. 1t is not that the
people are heartless, but to see the
poor dying in the streets is too COM
mon an occurrence to excite emotion.
While we gazed, some bayoneted soldier
policeman came up, ordered us on with
an imperious gesture and hailed a
passing cart to carry the poor creature
away.
The Jacoba retreat Is almost a fac
smile of Los Fosos. only larger, more
numerously occupied and perhaps bet
ter appointed. This too-long letter
leaves space for the narration of but
one case in II, that of girl OF IA, who
Is raving maniac. alternately sob
bling and screaming and tearing her
long. black hair. She was one of the
family who failed to move when or
dered. and father. mother and three
sisters were murdered with the mach
ate. She alone escaped as by mir
acle.
Hidden behind a cactus hedge she
saw the dreadful slaughter of all her
relatives, and was afterwards found
wandering about the place and brought
to the city.
FANNIE, RRICuAAf M,Apn