New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-15
GATHERING THE WAR NEWS
EXCITING AND HUMOROUS EXPERT
ENCES OF CORRESPONDENTS IN
THE WEST INDIES.
Corrosponaenoe o. tn. Associated Pre.a)

dep>ndence meet with interesting experiences.
Here IN the West Indies they are constantly get
ting into odd corners Of civilization. CONDITIONS
are met here which the average American could
hardly believe to exist anywhere in the world
where Ribes and textbooks have ever been seen
elnce the news centre changed from Key Wes to
ma southern coast ot Cuba, u has been necessary
10 cable all matter from West Indian points The
island OF Jamaica is the nearest place 10 santiago
de Cuba from which dispatches can be sent ana
most Of the dispatch boats have made for the
various ports OF Jamaica with their news The
result Ia that the cable Offices have been swaHpeo
with messages. and. no matter how important the
news may be. nothing more than the briefest bull
let.n can reach the United States for a period or
from forty-eiTht hours to one week after the dis
patches are filed
The readers of the American newspapers nave
frequently seen prehxed TO cable dispatch from
these tropical points the words Delayed in trans
mission" That expression is truthful far as 1t
goes but the words Delayed by lack OF facilities
would explain the situation much more truth
fully
Tor two days the Wanda has been lying here in
DE beautiful harbor OF Kingston. Under the
water a few fathoms beneath her keel, is the
sunken city OF Por, Royal. More than two cen
turtles ago, on O June night a great earthquake
shook the island and the city went down. II was
she home of the old Spanish pirate kings, and in
the midst Of night OF lavish reNelry and de-
banchery the swallowed them up
Not n stones throw from our boat red buoy
swings and rocks in the moonlight 1t marks the
spot where the old cty's cathedral sank The tai!
miro still Its pinnacle up into the sea. and the
buoy is placed there 10 prevent ships OF heavy
draught from striking It When the sunlight pene-
trates the water at the right angle the mud-coV-
cred roofs OF the old city may still be seen Inc
natives never trouble themselves about this buried
city They are content to 80 on dreaming through
tno various generations hoping that another earth
quake will never come
WOMEN DO WORK OF HORSES
tow hundred yards away IS the city Of Kings
tun with its narrow streets and picturesque peo-
Gle II has q population Of seventy thousand and
az This number only 1--WE thousand are white. The
women All the places OF horses and wheels by
carrying of the city's supplies on their heads
The buzzards are tho scavengers and aid the Street
Cleaning Department Just back of the city are
high tains. and beyond the mountains lies the
interior with ts ancient villages and simple people
every inch OF It interesting and historic
II .s an IDEAL place for dreaming. and II the
American feet were not lowering about Santiago
do Cuba only hundred and fifty miles distant,
one would be content 10 forget the modern world
and study for months this picturesque corner OF
early American history
But the outside world is waiting for news. and
mat Is the one fact that the native Jamaican can
not seem to understand. He cannot comprehend
why there should be such a delirious hurry about
falling the world what IS happening down here
The Government. of course. is English and the
Crown controls almost everything. II Is an excel
lent Government too. satisfactory TO the peoP'e
and sure always 10 secure for them the best OF
everything: but for American newspaper work the
conditions are trying. The main office OF the caole
fine to New-York by way OF Halifax is located
here On the north side Of the island and much
nearer to Cuba. is Port Antonio
From Port Antonio 10 Kingston is a telegraph
line running over the mountains. II frequently
happens that a dispatch-boat with an important
niece OF news runs across from Santiago de- Cuba
TO Port Antonio. with the hope OF sending the
story overland TO Kingston where IT WI DC trans
enough to get into Port Antonio before the once
closes the story may 60 through 20 nns Wat until
the next day. - 49,. =, e.
likely 10 have an important dispatch at night, ne
NAV make written application TO have the once
kept s spea he office y SS his dispatch is sent
The mountains to Kingston. When IL reaches me
DAYS on account of matter ahead of It.
COST OF PRESS DISPATCHES.
The regular press cable rate from Kingston to
Nevv-York over the West India Gable Companys
line IL ls cents word. The commercial rate ID
As cents a word. This is the lowest rate given oy
any OF the cable lines from the West Indies 10 the
press dispatches sent over some Of the lines cos;
mo than read b ~Vi the people have
thousands OF dollars for transmission ai2ne 10 5 tb
TPscS of the work in the cable and telegraph
negro girls who are intelligent ana hy Gam
not understand why It Is necessary TO hurry. me
activity and rush OF the Americans Is souIce VI
All through the burning days these negro girIs
s.t iangudiy tanning themselves as tney %0rH at
the telegraph keys. wondering why NE AmeacH i
are making 50 much fuss over a little thing IKE
the n sd the old Sadngs ana back
the Spanish era. with tiled or thatcheo TOOLS anu
But the writers on the dspatch-boat encounter
oven more picturesque difficulties Last week ono
Tb the r SSsis put Of the nd and or
more natives were at the wharf 70 meet e bnTht
but TO get to the cable Office but, Of course, the
ess on se and the
ents had nothing to do but humor the local o'icias
The Chief Executive OF the city met the, CORE:
spondents at the wharf, and. after great snow OF
course Of NATIVE. followed on reaching the house
the ofcswho to al H. ass a seyePs
All this time the correspondents could feel The dis
must await the Kings" pleasure.
OFFICIAL COURTESY IN HAYTI.
The time lost however in the officials company
was not the worst OF It. There ia a fixed rule Of
Official courtesy IN Hayti that when the local ruler
favors q guest with gift the favor must at once
be acknowledged by gift Of equal or greater value
IN return The correspondents had no articles Of
value with them. and were In great straits 10 know
what TO DO.
II they offended by falling to make present the
Haytian official likely to close the cable office
to them altogether They went TO the boat 10
talk over the matter and see II there was anything
aboard suitable for a gift. The only article that
could be spared fine fat ham. jug Of rum
was purchased one OF the shops and the ham
and rum were sent the official His EXcelency
was in raptures He felt that he had been honored
!n most extraordinary way The correspondents
The men who were Uncle Sans uniform are
not the only ones subjected to the dangers OF the
Cuban The men on the newspaper dispatch
boats without arms and without protection. are
in constant danger. Not only they likely at
any time to be captured by the Spaniards. but
when night comes they I'm danger OF being fired
upon by the Americans and sent 10 the bottom.
Were II not for the more important news Of the
warships the dispatch-boats themselves might re-
late Incidents md experiences Of a thrilling nature,