The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-26
STARVATION OVER IN CUBA.
SUFFERING IN THE COUNTRY
WORSE THAN IN HAVANA.

Women and Children Die In the
Streets of Cardenns-supt. Myers
of the Southern Express Co. just
Back From the Island-GOOd BUSH
ness Going on at Havann-Import
Duties Are XhOrbitant-MOre
Than $1,OO0OOO Taken in ut the
Custom House in WeelS--An EN-
press Agency Established at Hn-
vana.
Mr.. c. 1. Myers, division superintendent
of the Southern Express Company, re-
turned yesterday from a two weeks stay
in Cuba. He left Havana several days
ago by the Ward Line steamer Orizabo
for New York whence he came to Savan-
nah by rail.
Supt. Myers talks interestingly of Cuba
and the condition of the island. This was
not his first or his second trip. He has
visited the island a number of times, and
twice since the war. Three months ago
he was at Santiago, where he established
an agency for the company. This agency
was established for the convenience of SOL
diers at that place, the company charging
nothing for the transmission of boxes
and packages from Port Tampa. The only
charge is made from shipping points to
Port Tampa. There has been large bus
mess Transports have been the carriers.
BY Jan. / Supt. Myers hopes that an
other express route win he open to San
tlaeo. This will be from Havana across
the island to Batabanoa, a small place
from which the Spanish line Of vessel ran
to Santiago before the war. This line is
TO be re-established and will be secured by
the express company as a carrier. When
this route is opened UP the express bust
ness will begin to pay, as other shipments
than those intended for soldiers may then
be received and charges may be made. The
vessels on this line will touch at Manzan-
lilo and at Cienfuegos.
Cienfuegos was one of the places visited
by Supt Myers on this trip. He did not
confine his stay to Havana, but got out
into the surrounding country, seeing Car
denas Matanzas and Canta Clara. "Cien-
fuegOs" is Spanish for thousand fires
very appropriate name for the place,
Mr.. Myers says. 1t Is the hottest spot
on the island, and was like bakeshop
when Mr.. Myers was there
His trip about the country was made by
Supt Myers with view to seeing just
what the conditions are These he found
anything but reassuring. "At Carnedas,'
he said, 4 found things in probably the
worst shape. Al Matanzas there was not
so much suffering Miss Clara Barton was
there with the Comal. and she was distrib-
uung greatly needed supplies. Cardenas
had nothing. The people were starving
on the streets. ] saw women and children
VINO had been turned out OF Cardenas
hospital dying of hunger. The authori-
ties at the hospital had nothing TO give
M ba laqfb N. FA-
main there, and there was nothing but
death awaiting them when they left. The
suffering is undoubtedly great But IL is
in a country where nature has done every
thing to help them and the people seem
to have done but very little to help them
selves. The soil Is everywhere peculiarly
fertile and crops of wide diversity may
be raised. The fecundity of the ground IS
such as to make IL possible to raise four
potato crops in year. Yet, with sweet
potatoes as easy as that TO raise. there is
starvation IN Cuba.
'In Havana the conditions are not so
bad. There Is a great deal Of sickness
there. Fever has many Of the natives In
its grasp though it is not, a rule, yell |
low fever That Is the disease from
which the Americans in the city suffer. !
The natives are in such a weakened state |
from a lack Of proper food for so long |
that there is a considerable number o.
deaths IN the CITY every hhy- Inc pfopit |
are unable to Withstand the ravages Of
the diseases as they would be were they |
In better physical condition when taken
sick"
what about prices In Havana, did you !
find them exorbitant?'
mo" he replied, II did not. considering |
the circumstances. There is a high duty |
on everything that enters the port. The |
spaniards have run the import duties up
30 per cent. since the war just 10 make as
much as possible before they have TO evac- !
uate the island. The custom house re-
celpts for the week ending Oct Is were
over 81 900 900. That Is why the Spanish
government doesn't want to turn loose.
There Is big money In &C.
IT Is this high tariff that keeps prices
up. Everything that goes in has 10 have
duty paid There is a good business go-
ing on In the city, however. There Is an
air OF industry that has a healthy APP
pearance. Spanish soldiers are to be seen
everywhere. They are on the streets and
In the cafes. There never were anything
like as many there before the war. n is
a sort Of hand-to-mouth business the rner-
chants do, though. They don't lay in
big stocks. They order from the states
but they make their orders small and fire.
cuent This Is ON account OF the high